Next year I might be able to have a garden! Yippee!

[Pumpkin_Pie]

I live in a large apartment complex with a very small completely shaded back yard and a small front yard (about 5'x10') that is partly shaded. The front yard was almost completely covered by a very large (and very beautiful) lilac and wild rose bushes. The woman who lives next to me wanted it cut down, and since the majority of it was on her side, she won and the flowers are now stumps.

The upside is that I now have usable front yard and can potentially plant a veggie garden next year. Is there anything I need to do other than till it in the spring to get it ready? Is there anything I could plant now? Should I try to remove the stumps? The dirt is very mounded around the stumps, and it is so ugly as it is.

My one potential problem is that I am *extremely* low income, and even buying fencing to go around the plot will be hard. I think I can buy veggie plants and seeds with my EBT card (food stamps), so if anything could grow now, I possibly could try it.

I live in Vermont, (not sure what zone that puts me in) and I have no idea what would work in such a small space.

Any ideas? I am so sad about the loss of the flowers , but so, so, SO excited about the possibility of a garden!!!! :

ETA: The stumps only take up a very small section of my yard, it is maybe 5% or so of the 5'x10'.

[I~love~pie]

I would till it and add compost before the winter. It will be a pain to do it as the ground is thawing, and if you want to plant something early like peas this way it will be all done for you.

[CariOfOz]

At least there is a silver lining The other pie gave a good suggestion, pile compost on there and dig it in as soon as you can. Maybe try freecycle/craig's list type places for cheap/free fencing for the bed? Good luck with it, if you are low income I think growing some of your own food is the smartest thing ever Not to mention it's a great obsession..er, hobby

[cristeen]

It's probably a little late to start most things from seed, but there are still things you can grow at this point, if you can get the small plants - either 6-packs or 4 inch pots. Something like basil should still do fine and give you a decent crop, as will most lettuces, green/bunching onions. From seed, you can probably still do radishes, they grow pretty quickly. You could also start a fall crop of peas or beans - depending on when your first frost date is.