Garden dreams, 2009 edition

It's starting to look like Spring and I'm thinking gardening. I'll admit I've only really done this a couple years. My mother always kept a large garden and canned/preserved a lot. I'm sad to say other childhood activities and later teenage angst got in my way and I didn't learn all I should have growing up. Thankfully my mom is still with us and I'm trying to catch up now.
We've lived out here since 2007. Both that summer and last summer I had the same issue. I jumped in with both feet, read everything I could, talked to other gardeners...I was all gung ho until early fall. My interest waned and I hated all the weeding and such, and we ended up with a good kitchen garden but little else. Last year I canned more than the year before, and I'm hoping this year I'll do even better. I tried a small square foot garden last year alongside the larger garden. I loved it! It was relatively weed free, I could get in and out easily and it was so tidy! So this year, I'm going all sfg. And I'm cutting out things I grew but we didn't partake much of. I was excited to grow broccoli, but what with the space it occupied and little harvest it just isn't worth it. But isn't that what's great about gardening?! I can try, try again with the next growing season!
So this year, it's just the usual suspects. Of course, tomatoes. A few Brandywines for eating, then everything else paste. I've got Amish paste, San Marzano and Roma ready to plant next month (inside of course). Then corn; the raccoons made a feast out of most of it last year, but it was also in the big garden that I abandoned by September. Some potatoes and onions to eat and store. Peppers, many lettuces for wonderful summer salads, brussels sprouts, beans (black and pinto for drying, green beans and peas). We'll see what else I decide to throw out there...
I didn't get enough compost going this past year to make much use of that, but I'll add it and probably have more brought in for the new beds.
Along with the gardening, there is a lot of yard work and upkeep that needs done. I'm hoping we can clear out some brush and extend our yard by quite a bit. Some fruit trees need pruning and general maintenance. Overall, I'm looking forward to another great summer!