Growing up we had a huge garden and I always wanted a large organic garden. I felt too intimidated to ever really try, so I only had flower gardens the past 7yrs or so.
Last year I decided to just go for it & go big. I did not read anything, did not listen to anyone. I bought organic starter plants from a local grower and planted at the very end of May. Yes, I probably planted some things too close together, but most things worked out well. I did not fertilize or use compost, just filled the beds with organic vegetable garden soil. I started with 3 4x4 raised beds in my yard and a tall raised box for herbs & greens on the patio for a salad bar. I started with 2 trellis in the back bed, but ended up adding 2 more. I hand watered everything by feel.
In the back beds I planted: mariachi, bell, & poblano peppers, green beans, 3 types cucumbers, 5 zucchini plants (this alone fed much of my family & the neighborhood all Summer!
- we had so much we also donated to shelters - I didn't know they produce so much so often), purple fingerling potatoes, yellow & red onions, chives, broccoli, cabbage, 6 types lettuce, collard greens, sweet mini watermelon, winter squash, butternut squash, spinach, eggplant, 2 types carrots, okra, marigolds.
In the salad bar: 6 types lettuce, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, 2 types kale, basil, dill, thyme.
The only thing that did not produce were the onions. And everything crowded & shaded the okra so we only had 2 flowers/pods. I ended up getting rid of the broccoli, cabbage, and collards after a few harvests since they brought huge cabbage worms that were faster than I could manage -and really just so disgusting. The first watermelon split after heavy rain, but eventually produced 3. The potatoes filled a big basket. I did not break up soil so my carrots were strangely shaped with one monster one. While I bought shades for the lettuce, I never used them since I picked leaves almost daily nothing ever burned in the sun. Things were growing so well they overflowed the garden, covered 4 4' trellis and grew into the walkways around and into the grass. I also had to add supports or cradles for the watermelon, peppers, squash, and eggplant.
This year I'm not going to plant onions, cabbage, broccoli, collards, okra, thyme (didn't know you had to dry it), less lettuce & zuchini, try corn, sunflowers, & other things, and add more peppers, beans, eggplant. In the future I'd like to add more beds and grow even more! I want to get a small greenhouse and grow from seeds.
My advice: just go for it and learn from your mistakes.
The raised beds can be pricey, but I only spent $100 on plants and they fed us and others all Summer & Fall+. I made so many zoodle dishes, zucchini fritters, zucchini bread, salads, eggplant parm, soups, stews, casseroles, pickles, curries. I love getting up early and harvesting and then cooking fresh food!