What Is a Good Source for Free Or Inexpensive Nursery Pots?

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First, Cornus varieties do very well in heavy, clay soils, so your gardener wasn't wrong about that. Some varieties prefer neutral to acid conditions, others neutral to alkaline, and you haven't said which you were growing. Secondly, they also like rich, fertile soil, so its not clear whether your soil was enriched or emended prior to planting with humus rich materials such as well rotted animal manure. If your landscaper simply dug a hole in solid clay and planted them, it's possible the roots were sitting in water all the time because solid clay is not free draining; if you just dig a hole in it without digging the whole area first, that's where water ends up, in the hole you've made, so that might have caused a problem.As for the plants you've now mentioned growing, Lavender hates heavy, wet soil - it likes light, free draining conditions. Crepe Myrtle grows well in most soils, except heavy, wet ones - it also likes free draining conditions.

As for 'bedding' plants, the temporary visitors, again, it depends which ones you want to grow and the actual condition/preparation of your soil. Adding as much humus rich material as humanly possible as often as possible will help with heavy clay soils, as will the addition of horticultural grit by the truck load (if you have a large garden), dug in