First things first, build yourself a nice compost bin.

thanks, murri! believe it or not, i actually have TWO compost bins, even though
i don’t have a backyard garden yet! I also bought rain barrels for all our
gutters (5 in total). you can save a FORTUNE when you water your plants with
rainwater.

a friend of mine told me that cinder blocks would be better for the raised beds
that i'll be growing fruits and veggies in. pressure-treated wood leaches
harmful preservatives into the soil; conversely, cinder blocks leach a bit of
lime into the soil, which is fine by me. because i'm driving a dinky lil
plymouth, i'll buy a few cinder blocks every time i'm in the vicinity of lowe's
or home depot. by spring i should have enough for all my beds.

pat