Work with or Get Rid of ?

OK guys thanks for all the input and opinions. I've decided im going to go with digging in organic matter and see how i go. It won't cost me any money so il just give it a go and see how it works out.

I guess my main question now is how much i will need and at what rate to apply it ? Normally in the bags in garden centres i see apply 2 inches and fork over but my soil is very poor so i would imagine i would need more?

In regards to testing the soil should that be done now or am i ok doing that next year when i hope to plant?

Finally, the bed out the back and the one at the front needs to be raised with more soil. Should i do this after adding the manure in time or before or do i do it during?

Sorry for all the questions

 

Anyone able to give their opinion on my last queries ? :cnfs:

Thank you, Patrick.

 

To be honest with you Patrick, your soil doesn't look any worse than mine, and we just dug in a few bags of topsoil in our beds.... admittedly I've only had access to a garden for a year, and last year I specifically chose easy plants, but i was still quite suprised that nothing actually died, especially given we bought too many plants at once and had gotten really fed of planting them......

 

Ladies and Gentlemen thank you all for your input. I have spent the past couple of days digging over the beds again, i took out an awful lot more stones and rubbish and at this stage things are looking better than i had expected. I still have to finish off the bed at the side but will do that in time.
I purchased a soil testing kit so i should have it in the next couple of days.
My brother in law has said whenever i want the well rotted manure to just let him know and we will organize something, im hoping to get this done in the next couple of weeks. I will keep this updated and once again thanks everyone :gnthb:

 

Howdy Folks

Well i will start with the good news. The bed out the back (the one with the sleepers) has been dug over another couple of times and now its much better. It resembles soil now so it looks OK for me to work.:thumb: This weekend i am getting a trailer load of rotted manure to add so its well on its way.

The bad news ... well i feel a bit deflated and beat today :flag:.The bed at the front of the house (2nd pic) is a lot worse than i thought. There really is very little soil depth and underneath this it's just full of concrete and builders rubble and rubbish ... I have to pick axe my way through it and it's not easy. Originally a path was to run closer to the house so the base of this is all under the soil, some kerb and a massive concrete haunch.
Leaving the path nightmare aside its obvious the whole garden is just rubble under little soil.:(
I have a couple of questions regarding my situation.

How deep to dig ? I want to put flowers and shrubs in this border with a small tree. So far i have gone down 12" and im still at rubble, i am to raise this another 3" - 4" so is this enough. IL have to import a lot of topsoil when all the removal of rubble is done so is it OK to put this on what i have left ( onto rubble not subsoil?)

Im limiting myself to 1 square meter per week so all going well i should have it finish by the end of summer :o