Recently, I was able to observe a neighbor who had an identical problem. Their basement wall evidently had a leak and the dirt had to be dug up around the foundation in the front. The many years of amending the soil was replaced with the heavy yellow clay soil when the dirt was filled back in around the foundation. They did amend the clay as much as they could for the first year but the soil still was far from being optimal for planting. 

The neighbors began by planting some clay tolerant plants such as barberries, spireas, and a tree lilac. They stopped fighting the clay soils by using containers full of plants. The containers helped make a newly planted area around the foundation appear years older with all the flush container vegetation. They used a gravel or pebble mulch for the containers to sit on. By August, the container plants filled in vacant areas and complemented the spireas and the front of their house no longer looked freshly planted.

Containers can help you win the long battle of amending heavy clay soils.