You might try the Georgia Gardener forum in Garden web for more local response. It sounds like you have your beginning plan started.

You're having fun - and many of your issues are global enough that people here can help. The stone, try craigslist to get rid of it, if your local one is active, others to try are freecycle but I don't know much about it.

Before planting veggies, you might think about soil safety? Industrial dumping areas, you never know.

Kudzu, I've never met, but search this forum and the whole GW site for the word, and no doubt strategies will be revealed.

KarinL

Kudzu was brought over here & planted in the South where it is very difficult to control. That big sheet of metal may have a hole under it so be very careful, small LED flashlight in your pocket would be a very wise move. About $5 at most places,Harbor Freight has them & I think almost any other store. I carry 1 in my purse in case I'm inside a mall & quake hits. They last on 3 AAA batteries a long time. I use them in house to locate dropped pins, needles, buttons, beads etc since I craft a lot. You need to flash the light because there are also a lot of snakes & you don't want to stick your hand into a nest that has been there undisturbed for 20 yrs along with old mines or wells. You also need to get a sign & post it on a tree on your side that says no dumping or blowing debris over fence.I would start out a little small unless you have a lot of people to give produce to. I actually got sick of peas, I love to eat them fresh out of the pod, never thought I could get too many, Last year I did. Some peppers, tomatoes, squash,onions & strawberries etc should be a good start.See if your city has a pickup day once a year for garden trash/vines. Sometimes stuff sits because nobody called to have it removed. Good Luck!

Karinl - thanks for the thought about dumping. It seems that the trash is mostly on the edges, near the retaining wall, and the interior seems pretty clean. I'll be gardening in raised beds, with brought-in compost, so hopefully, the chemicals wan't affect me as such.

SunnyCA - Yeah, I've dealt with kudzu my whole life, except when I lived in CA for 5 years.

I'm not one to go sticking my hand in strange holes! ;) But if this tin roofing is covering a hole, it's not doing a good job - old and holey won't do much to cover a hole.

The neighbor says she's been fighting with the landscape guys for 6 years to not blow stuff over the fence - the landlord does nothing about it, either. :/

I'm worried that I won't get enough shell beans, so I might go overboard on things that can be dried and stored. I should have been a little clearer - I've gardened for years, but this is the first time I've gone from scratch. With all the constant gardening failure I had in SoCal, I forgot how to garden here. ;) I have a huge family, so I'll have tons of takers for tomatoes, and none of my friends have gardens.

Good thought about an annual pickup day! I'll check into that...

Thanks to you all!

Welcome to Georgia. I'm up in the NW corner of Gwinnett County.'

I would think you have your compost already on site and shouldn't need to buy it.

Each town/county has different trash pickup protocols. Hope you find yours is good, maybe just requiring a call or two.

Kudzu control is something either the GA Gardener forum or one of the others can give you guidance on. Trust anyone who says IT MUST BE REMOVED. Dreadful horrid plant that will take the place if not controlled.

HTH a bit,
Rosie, in Sugar Hill