time for my first veggie garden

this year, i am going to try something new to me that i have always wanted to do: vegetable gardening.  we have a wonderful house and are blessed with huge wonderful shade trees that keep our low utility bills the envy of friends and family, but there is no place with enough sunlight suitable to growing a vegetable garden.  i have grown flowers in the front, herbs on the porch, but i keep wanting to grow veggies.  my attempt at growing strawberries ended up being more of a pretty addition to our flowers, with small tasteless berries that were eaten by bugs before anyone else could really try them.  but this year i have aspirations of something different.

my sister-in-law, who lives only 12 houses down from me, has the ideal area in her backyard for a vegetable garden and generously offered me part of her garden bed to try out some growing of my own.  finally, a dream of mine is coming true, and i am so excited... and so intimidated!  i have to admit, i am very intimidated about being a rookie at something and the possibility of failure.  i know it is silly to put that much weight into something as simple as a garden, but i just have no idea what i am doing.  my sister-in-law i think is starting her plants from seeds, but i don't know how to do that.  do i put the seeds into the ground?  do i need to start them first inside?  when do i put them into the ground?  what should i even attempt to grow?  so many questions, and unfortunately i haven't taken much time to research the answers because i have been consumed lately with researching minivans for our soon to be upgrade in size of cars for our growing family. 

so... here is another way i am vulnerable with you my readers.  i would love suggestions in the comments below from any of you who have any amount of experience on gardening.  i don't even know where to buy seeds (if i go that route) or small plants (if i go that one).  i do have thyme thriving on my porch that has lasted for the past 4 years, am going to replant basil on my porch this year as well, but as for the veggies... i have no idea.  i need to figure this out soon if i am going to take advantage of my sister-in-law's generous offer. 

so... comment away.  give me any and all the advice you think i need, can handle, or might point me in the right direction.  i am excited to see what happens. 

charis