Lessons Learned so far...

• Make permanent beds (and permanent paths).  There are many reasons why this is a great idea:
• By walking on the paths, and keeping OFF of the beds, you compact the soil underneath the pahts, but you let the soil in the beds stay nice and aerated
• You don't waste good soil on the paths.  You only add compost and other admendments to the beds.
• Less work prepping the beds only, rather than prepping the whole garden each year
• Think about planting perennial fruits and vegetables right away.  They often take a few years before you can actually eat from them, and they usually require very little work, so take the leap of faith and plant some now.   Things like asparagus , blueberries, raspberries, grapes, all take a few years before you actually eat from them
• Leave space for successive plantings for crops that grow fast, but do not remain in picking condition for a long time.  Perfect for things like lettuce, peas, beans, greens, etc.  If you plant the entire allotted space at the same time, you will get everything all at once and the large plants will block the sun that a second planting will need.   By leaving half the space open, and planting that space a few weeks later, you will be ready to start on that second side when the first side is winding down.  You can keep going back and forth like this all summer if timed correctly
• Plant in wide rows or blocks, rather than in single rows.  This one is more of a lesson in progress.  A lot of books recommend this, so I am trying it out this year all over the place.  I'll report back if it works as well as the books say it does.