Ditto, gardening can be frustrating, it can takepersistence.
Couple of messes of beans is good! They don't keep making forever no matter how good.
SQuash yes, terribly frustrating, I have the same problem and didn't plant any this year.
I would say yes, put leaves on, and I would use the fabric to cover them , help them saty moist so worms and fungus(good) can break them down over winter. I am not aware of what Daisy said about the fabric being bad for the soil?
Yes, as long as you have the sun, and can water, I would do as Daisy said, pick some places and do some individual plants, keeping the whole garden mulched and the whole area will gradually improve.
