Mauldintiger,
Yours is a GREAT diary of your gardening evolution! I could see your progression, step by step. I'm still trying to get there in my small backyard garden, making it as productive as it can be.
Please post pictures of your garden progress, as you can. We LOVE pictorials over here!
P.S. What City/State & growing Zone are you in? That helps trendously when we're comparing seasons. As a newbie, I was forever confused when someone said they were starting seeds for tomatoes in May, and I was transplanting my seedlings in mid-February, LOL!!!
Then, I learned about growing zones!!!