Hey Alison:
YOu are on the right track. I got rid of all our grass when we moved in and planted the garden. The only trick was, I just did half the first year, and like you, it was a temporary planting. There's no reason not to try annuals. We had loads of cosmos and zinnias blooming and it was very pretty. That helped us save money and then we went to many people's houses on the Farmers and Consumers market bulletin listings. We'd spend $50 and hardly be able to find room for it all! That started me with babies that would grow enough so I could trade plants with people. That year I began winter sowing perennials too.
I just swapped seeds on GW, and also bought some from the Market Bulletin.
That was all I needed to start. Things progressed from there and so did our ability to be able to afford more plants.
I scavenged materials to build raised beds and raised borders. Green glass wine bottles thanks to a GW'ers daughter who worked at a resteraunt, hunks of broken concrete for my "rock" garden area (with plants, they DO look like rocks) - we'd get that from illegal dump sites we'd run across. We were able to access free county mulch which was wonderful when dug into the soil to enrich it (and I started my own compost pile)...

Here is a link that might be useful: Market Bulletin

Thanks so much! It's good to know it can be done - as the more I pace the yard the clearer it becomes that it's going to be a pretty mammoth task. But anything to get the lawn down!!!

Couple of questions:
How did you get rid of the lawn?
Did you sow perennial seed straight into the beds, or did you plant seedlings? And when? (Although you have a colder winter up there.)
How do you use the wine bottles?

Thanks for that link too.

You didn't mention the easiest thing of all for killing the grass - Roundup. It does nothing to improve the soil but is a great labor saver for getting the job done quickly. For the beds where you want to plant a cover crop, try crimson clover, available at the nearest Feed & Seed store. After it blooms, mow it and till it under that same day. A compost pile can be started in the exact spot where you plan to have a future flower bed as the nutrients will leach into the soil and the earthworms will already be there when you plant. It's good you are starting in gardening, don't forget fruits and vegetables and maybe a specimen tree like cornus kousa 'Milky Way' which is an Oriental dogwood with beautiful flowers and edible fruit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bittersweet Gardens

So many options! And as the only kindof gardener in the family, a curious 1-year-old and a reuctant husband I'm looking for the simplest method.

So Eddie, your suggestion would be to mark out beds, hit them with Roundup, then till that in? Plant crimson clover and mow and till that in to add nutrients and organic matter? Clover would be better than beans? Start compost heaps on the beds. (I have a teeny one, but that won't be of much use just now.)

Do you think I should just do this to all the beds and get them in the best shape possible? My soil is dreadful.

Thoughts on solarizing post clover tilling? The garden will look a bit ghetto, but it seems like a good fix for killing pests and any weeds that survived the roundup...

You'll be pleased to hear (I think) that I have a Fig tree in front of the house and a Lime tree at the front door.

Thanks for the suggestions.

i've been mapping on paper where i want my beds to be, and then cutting out sod with a shovel a foot at a time, starting in the middle of where i want the bed to go, and then working out.

then I enrich that little patch a la lasagne, and put in whatever plants I can afford that week, and mulch. then next week i add another couple of feet. that way i never end up with more bed than I can work by myself, and I don't end up with huge bare spots. i've been doing it a couple of years, and i have some pretty beds started. when I can't afford the "perfect plant" i have in mind for that bed, i put in annuals until I can.

it would also save you the rent money for the sod cutter, which you can then spend on plants.

if you try to put little baby perennials in the ground in full sun in the summer, you will have to water, water, water, and with a 1 year old you might not have the time. I start seeds all year round, but I pot 'em up until they're big enough to handle site conditions. makes a pretty container garden in the shade on my porch.

also, hunt up the plant swaps in your area - somebody on here will know, but I forget where to look. and get cuttings from your neighbors.

LOL, Mairenn... So simple and yet so obvious and it just didn't occur to me... Start small... And expand. I like it!
;)

As for wine bottles. I scrubbed off labels and then turned them upside down. I just dug holes with a small trowel (moist soil is easier to do this) and burried them up to the neck, where the bottle swells. It's a good option for a casual garden.

I sow annual seeds sometimes directly, sometimes in pots. Cosmos of any kind, and zinnias are easy directly sown.

As for perennial seed, please visit the winter sowing forum on GW and read the FAQ at the top. It will explain how to winter sow in milk jugs and other containers. Many plants need vernalization to shuck their protective seed coating. Winter sowing does the trick without much fuss or muss. It's cheap. It's easy. It's fun!!

GGG

Here is a link that might be useful: Winter Sowing forum

I agree with Eddie on the roundup. Wal Mart sells their brand of roundup that works fine and saves a few dollars.
Gardening while cheap isn't always free unless your time is worth nothing.

Unless you plan on planting a lot of perennials, clay soil is fine for most shrubs. The root zones extend far beyond any hole you would amend and is actually preferable.

I would kill the grass with roundup. Till everything under (3 weeks later) and plants shrubs or perennials. If you don't have a tiller or want to rent one, that's ok. Just dig big holes right in the dead grass. I would sow my seeds in starter pots and when ready, move them to the ground in the fall. Otherwise, you will fight weeds and it's a hassle. I would plant, however, cosmos, sunflowers, and morning glories only because they are so easy! And grow best by seed anyway.

Go to plant swaps also. Many people have plants other gardeners don't want because they already have them and will give you plants. Like liriope or hydrangeas.

In our county, they have mulch that costs $10.50 for a pick up load. I've been using it for years, as do many professional landscapers, for that matter.
See if it's available where you are. I mulch everything! It keeps the weeds at bay.

Lowes and Home Depot often put shrubs on sale in the late summer. This is a good place to pick up things cheap. I have bought 3 gallon knockouts for $4.00 that were priced at $20 in May. Eventually you will have so many plants you will only want the best varieties.

I really appreciate all the answers, everyone. Am starting a small bed in a bald patch around the deck while I mull through all your suggestions.

Many, many thanks.
Alison