I have recently had some construction done and my back yard, which is mostly shady, is now compacted clay with lots and lots of rocks and pebbles embedded in the soil. What's the best way to clear out the rock and pebbles and amend the soil so I can plant (azaleas, hostas, liriope, and some annuals)?
You'll need a good powered rotavator - no use trying to do it by hand, but you can hire them quite easily.
The only way to remove some of the rocks and pebbles is to rake them out by hand - best to do that before rotavating to save the blades being blunted.
Then sprinkle on some gypsum and rotavate - this will get the gypsum down into the clay and start to break it up naturally.
Follow it up with a good load of sand and another load of peat or mushroom compost and spread it all over and run the rotavator over it one more time. Clay, peat and sand are the ingredients to make good friable soil.
Finally sprinkle a few bags of blood and bone over the areas you're going to plant up and rake it in - its the best thing you can do for your soil - EVER. It is long lasting, sustained release goodness and natives like it too.
P.S. bury some citrus peel around the azaleas - they like acid soil.