I think that the first year, a few experiments are fine, but really spend that year getting to know your site. Light patterns are important but it is also good to know things such as prevailing wind, which can change during the year. Start paying attention to micro-climates. Begin checking out books from the library to give ideas a chance to gestate. You do not state your experience level. If your gardening experience is limited in your climate, do not bite off too much at once and have all the joy zapped out of a project you just spent big bucks on. When it comes to design, I do love potager designs. Mine keeps getting larger. I agree with the above about having a perimeter bed. The fence is good for trellising and it can be deeper for berry vines, etc. It is also an efficient use of space. On my latest extension, I am building long beds to be used for crops that take quite a bit of space (pumpkins, potatoes and corn). These beds will be 20 feet long. The length was chosen because many supplies come in lengths divisible by 25 feet (like soaker hoses), so the 20 feet allows me to use those easily (the extra 5 feet allows for curves in the house). Many other supplies such as row cover, red mulch, etc use these lengths, so the aim is to have things be interchangeable in the beds. Many of my regular beds are 10 feet long so I have shorter versions available for them. While I wanted more round beds in my design, they complicate the process of covering things in inclement weather, etc. so I have limited their use in my design.

It looks a little rugged in the stem to me for C album, but certainly a Chenopodium. If we knew where you are located geographically we might be able to be more specific.

That would be Polygonum (Persicaria) capitatum.

I think you might be right... I just googled mustard greens, and found a pic that looks like it. DH refuses to eat it, at any point. Says 'what if it's poisonous?'. Me? I tend to be adventurous... When I planted the seeds, I did so in a 4" space, and no other weeds (at least, not that big!) have popped up anywhere throughout the garden. So it must be a stray seed from the packet as I'd mentioned earlier. Would you harvest and eat it, not knowing for sure? Or wait and see if mustard seeds come of it?