IN THE GARDEN HARD SOIL REQUIRES PATIENCE.

Byline: JOSHUA SISKIN

Q: I moved from Burbank to the very top of Pacific Crest in Saugus 3 1/2 years ago. What a rude awakening! We have tornado-like winds almost all year around, scorching heat during the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter, not to mention hard clay soil that allows pools of water to puddle around our plants and trees.

I hired a gardener to advise me and take care of the yard when I moved in, and I've paid him a small fortune over the past three years. Everything he planted has either died or barely grown.

The front yard faces southwest, and the back faces northeast. Do you have any suggestions?

- Barbara Heins,

Saugus

A: The biggest obstacle facing you is your soil. I know you have been struggling to grow something for three years, but I would still advise patience at this point. You should bring in heaps of manure, mushroom compost, bales of straw and any other inexpensive organic materials you can find. There are lots of stables in your area, and the supply of horse manure should be abundant. Spread these organics over the soil surface and wait. The thicker your layer of organics, the quicker your soil will soften.

To speed up decomposition, throw some red wriggler worms, the kind fishermen put on their hooks, onto your manure, compost or straw. You can find these worms in any bait and tackle shop. Keep everything moist, and as your organic materials decompose and create humus with the assistance of the worms, you will more easily be able to incorporate your amendments into the soil that will begin to soften underneath.

Rather than try to plant your whole yard at once, start by planting a few trees. That way you do not have to worry about instant, large-scale soil improvement. I would invest in the biggest trees I could afford, preferably those in 24-inch boxes but nothing smaller than 15-gallon specimens. In time, mature trees will create their own microclimate, providing wind protection and shade that will allow you to expand your selection of plants.

You might want to consider planting a row of trees in the direction of the prevailing wind to protect your yard and eventual garden from desiccating gusts. The Arizona cypress (Cupressus arizonica) is a classic, attractive and reliable choice for a windbreak tree. It has a tapered pyramidal shape with a silvery blue color. Arboreal windbreak options would also include California pepper (Schinus molle), California incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), olive (Olea europaea) and Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra 'Italica').

You might want to consider building a block wall or installing a fence of some kind to give your lower growing annuals, perennials and shrubs a chance to grow up without interference from the wind.

TIP OF THE WEEK: If you have standing water in your garden - in an ornamental pool, lily pond or birdbath - you can keep away the mosquitoes by using Mosquito Dunks. These are small, nontoxic doughnuts that float on the water and contain a bacterial larvicide discovered in Israel's Negev Desert. Mosquito larvae ingest the bacteria in the dissolving doughnuts and die before they can grow into disease-carrying, biting adults. You can find out where to order Mosquito Dunks by contacting the manufacturer, either at [phone] or on the Web at www.summitchemical.com.