I too am starting my first SFG this year. This is a great forum for answers. May I also recommend Ft2Garden.com? I'm writing about my experience there and you can learn from my mistakes.

For the covers (there's a discussion in the forums both here and at Ft2Garden), I'd recommend a heavy mil clear plastic supported by 8 foot PVC pipes bent into hoops with one PVC pipe connecting the hoops together at the top (more support pipes if it's windy there. Without knowing your particular situation, that's my recommendation.

Good luck, it sure is fun!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's gardening adventure...

I screw pairs of pipe strips to the outsides of my beds, which can then be used to support hoops, trellises, whatever. They are the inexpensive bits of hardware used to fasten pipes to wall joists, etc. Sometimes the hoops I use to support plastic or rowcover in spring (often made from slender pruned sapling wood) later help hold stakes in place when plants get big and heavy in summer.

Here is a link that might be useful: my website