Hello from Pittsburgh!

Hi, my name's Giuli (Julie) and I'm really excited that this forum is a thing!

I've been sort of casually reading about permaculture for years now, but it was only recently that I got a little bit of actual land (a quarter of an acre in the suburbs). My husband and I want to turn our suburban grass lawn into a little forest garden. We probably won't be legally able to raise chickens or anything like that, since we're within city limits. But we're already planning a little butterfly garden in the front, and we're hoping to do something about the terrible soil (clay, acidic, waterlogged, filled with fungus gnats). I'm hoping the nice people here can give me advice on all this stuff, because honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed!

Welocome Giuli! I am your "neighbhor" about 1 1/2 hours north. Glad you joined the site. I started working on my own 0.4 acre suburban lot last year, planting some trees and bushes and brambles. This year is going to be more intense. After freaking myself out a bit about what I have coming in the next month for planting, I have recruited my father to help. I too have wet, clay, grubs, moles...the whole gauntlet for NW PA. I am experimenting with different things and will continue to do so this year. I tried the woodchip thing from the Garden of Eden videos in areas last year. I have not dug in to see the result because it is really too wet to get a good feel right now. This year I thought of seeding some alfalfa and clover into my back yard, along with the standard grass. I am hoping that the extensive root system on the alfalfa will help to open up the soil a little and let it drain better. It, combined with the clover, will be my attempt to distract the rabbits from the rest of the things I will be planting. I also have deer that venture in on occasion from a park a couple of streets away and they really did a job on things last year. I have an idea in mind to try with them too.