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I have tried everything. I am now doing straw bale and Huglekultr as a water catch and mitigation. So far so good, but it will take me 2-5 years to build up enough to grow shallow. Ieven dug and cleaned the rocks from the top 6" (the big ones) but since there is so much clay it is next to impossible to keep it black. I can also get wood chips from the local dump for free which I use a lot of. It has been a huge learning experience since I have moved here.

It sounds like you've got some really good ideas. Just keep your head up and keep trying. Another suggestion that you just mentioned was hugelkultur Mounds. You can build those right on top of your rock

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Yep! And in doing so I am adding tons of organic matter to the walkways as well, since it is a messy job :)