First come up with a plan:
It's ok if the plan changes, but make it specific enough to come up with a bill of materials (sku numbers are Home Depot numbers if you want to look them up online):
Materials
HD cheap chicken fence ($24 for 3’x50’) steel $24.00 sku274666
Post lumber $42.00 sku257974
Box lumber $24.00 sku167929
Quick drying concrete $15.00 sku169765
Staples $2.00
Gate pieces (hinges and latch) $15.00 sku863475
Tools
Fence post hole digger $0(borrow)
Staple gun $20
level $5.00
Make sure to have the Home Depot guys do all the wood cutting for you. Measure, then measure, then dig the holes (2 ft deep for mine), then measure, then cement the posts in. Notice the measuring. If you don't take this advice, your fence will forever be a foot off (hypothetically speaking of course). Staple the chicken wire to the fence (doing this in the cold without a staple gun is a miserable experience you don't want).
Measure. If you mess up the gate, you will remember it every time you enter the garden. Measuring is important. Drill and screw the gate frame together, and attach it to the posts.
Next make the framing for the garden sections. I did 4 boxes measuring 4 feet square. Screw them together, and for now, pin them in place with stakes. Renting the rototiller did not go well for me, so either use the tool right, or skip that step, we'll bypass it in a minute anyway.
Here's the part where you can cheat. In the back you can see the stuff I'm growing inside (short little things, sadly, most probably won't make it out of the ground). All the stuff in the front, I bought as you see it on the table.
Next, prepare the ground. Since I failed with the tiller, I bought some top soil (literally dirt cheap, unlike potting soil). Put down newspaper to block weeds and grass from coming up, then cover that with 4+ inches of top soil. Water it. I have yet to see if this will really work, come summer, I'll let you know. Benjamin Franklin said it was a good idea.
Here's the only picture of me actually working on the garden. My top soil was a little clay-like, so I spent a few hours breaking it up by hand.
Next, plant the plants and water them. On the right, potatoes. On the left, mini narcissus (daffodil) , kees nelis (tulip), kikowachi (tulip), lucky strike (tulip), and grape hyacinth (cool looking something-or-other).
Here I have (listed near to far) onion, garlic, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and strawberries. I have yet to plant the warmer weather plants: zucchini, butternut squash, yellow squash, cucumber, bell pepper, and tomatoes.
Enjoy the garden. I go sit in the swing and listen to the birds when I need some peace and quiet (provided the neighbor dogs aren't out). I'm seeing growth already, and I'm only a week or two in. In a few months I should be able to start harvesting the early fruits.
