Good luck! I was in your position a year ago, I had moved into my first house and created my first vegetable garden. I'm in a very different zone (6A) and my season is winding down, but I think I had a very successful summer with my first garden, given that it was very cool and rainy for all of June and July. Here is what I did, for what it's worth. I had the area tilled where I wanted to create a garden (it was grass). I then raked out all the big clumps of grass left behind, and added them to my new compost bin. I then had 2 yards of topsoil and 2 yards of compost delivered (my garden is 16'x16'). I think adding the topsoil and compost really added the nutrients needed and eliminated any grass re-growing in the area. But, after finding this site, I realize a soil test would have been a good idea. After I planted, I mulched with salt hay to keep down any weeds (make sure if you use straw you ask if there are any seeds in the straw). I hope this information helps in some way! Good luck and above all, have fun! Use this site often for advice, I do and there are many people with years of experience and knowledge who have helped guide me through my first year as a gardener! p.s. consider creating a compost bin, if you haven't already, you can create your own garden fertilizer with it. I got mine through the town public works department for a very reasonable price

Lunaria annua?

Forsythia here bloom at the same time my daffodils bloom. Its very pretty early spring in my yard with all of the yellow. BTW to me it looks like a forsythia. I just took a look at my neighbors which is growing over the fence to compare. Looks dead on to what she has.

Yes, I do see the dandelion leaf in that shot now, I think. And the small dandelion plant in the last one. They very well could be multiple things there. I will look at some Erigeron species and compare them to what I have outside. Thank you very much, again!