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Tips for a plant and flower garden?

I have a garden area full of weeds and grass, and I intend to turn it into soil, and plant vegetables and some flowers there. Some things I have already germinated and do intend to plant: Grape Tomatoes Tomatoes (Early girl and Big boy) (Bought as a plant) Jalapeño Peppers Celery Zinnia flower Butterfly flower Strawberry (bought as a plant) -- Some that I have NOT germinated yet but have the seeds for: Watermelons -- Some that I am planning to plant: Corn Potatoes -- I did alot of work on the weeds and i was about 80% done. Unluckily for me it was pouring rain all week on and off, preventing me from doing anything with the garden. I was surprised to find out the WHOLE GARDEN grew back weeds. Any useful tips on how to quickly rid my garden, and any general tips for what I'm growing?

Public Comments

1. I would suggest doing what I am doing this year...building a raised bed garden. It's cheap and helps eliminate weeds. I have attached a link with simple directions. If you can use a hammer and a screwdriver, you'll be fine. So far, I have not had one single weed pop up in my garden! We have bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, sunflowers, cucumbers, yellow sweet corn, and green beans so far. My planting season in Florida lasts for quite some time, so my kids and I are waiting a little longer to plant other things such as watermelon and pumpkins. http://www.primolicious.com/Gardening/u/JasonL/story/29336
2. For baby weeds there's a wonderful tool that is a blade shaped roughly like a wide U attached to a long handle. It agitates the surface of the soil and cuts emerging weeds right down. Most important tip on gardening - you can never add too much well rotted compost. Add it and dig it in before you plant, add it as a mulch after you plant. Keep it away from the base of the plants. I'm also a littlf fussy about compost near my greens that I eat raw, I turn compost in really well the season before so it's totally rotted out by the time I plant, and I don't mulch those plants. Good luck - and be careful - gardening is addicting!
3. Try a "scuffle hoe" with has a narrow blade sharpened on both edges. It great for removing surface weeds. When creating a new area for planting I like the techniques in the book "Lasagna Gardening." I don't remember the author. Basically you use layers put on top of the ground. I use bagged soil, kitchen wastes (don't throw out egg shells, coffee grounds, onion peelings) just put them onto the dirt with, cover with grass clippings, more soil, etc. The layers don't have to be very deep at all. Whatever you have on hand. Last year I did strawberry plants, and didn't wait for the layered piles to decay at all. This spring my strawberry plants are HUGE with incredible runners! Also, to make an inexpensive raised bed: I use cat litter containers and place the LAYERS inside them, using lots of soil in between and planting immediately. I am creating 2 - 3 beds this way for plantings that require successive plantings. I also use the large red Folgers coffee containers. This is lower but is a great lettuce/radish bed.