Elaine ... Thanks for responding.
I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this project. I thought I was going to remove about 10" of soil, find out what the drainage problem was and fix it, then amend the soil and let the organics decompose over the winter and plant something next spring. HA ! The bed is much deeper than I thought.
You are right about the condition of the brick wall. The house pad was cut out of a slope which breathes depending upon how much rain we get in the winter. Brick is not the best material to use in this type of situation.
With your comment about keeping moisture away from the wall, I've started wondering if I should plant anything in that bed, even if I could afford to have the brick removed. I know it's not in this year's budget.
I just don't know how to go forward.
