The watering issue has been covered, now as for what to plant, that's easy. Plant cool stuff! What's cool? Anything you like. Not everything does well in a container, but almost everything does. Containers are a great way to ignore the pitfalls of your soil. Want to grow a super acid soil loving plant, but don't have super acid soil? Grow it in a container. Want to grow a plant that needs dry soil, but get too much rainfall? Grow it in a container with a super fast draining mix. Want to grow a water plant, but don't care to install a pond? No problem, just fill a container with water and plant away. I love gardening in the ground and place a premium on building quality soil, but the fact is my soil/climate simply will never allow me to grow some things I think are cool, but containers will. Containers are a way to push the envelope way beyond what is possible in the ground in one's area. Do you love the look of a tropical plant that would never survive your winters? No problem. Grow it in a container and drag it indoors for winter. If you have some ground you can grow in, do so. Save the containers for those things you can't get away with in your ground/climate. Just something to consider.

Julia, maybe you caught me out. I can't remember now that you ask. I think I did use the shovel to get the hole a little deeper and wide enough. I haven't planted that many, one batch of 10 or 12, 2 different freebies. So sorry, please forgive. I use the bulb planter for anything I can get away with planting that way and have planted so much the last couple of years, I just forgot. I'm still not sure if I used it on some or not. Think not but sure would if I divided up a bulb to make more and the soil isn't too settled. Then if the hole isn't deep enough, I'd loosen more with a knife, trowel, and scoop out with my hand. The last one I planted was pretty big, and I don't think I got it deep enough, but it is at ground level same as it was growing when dug because the leaves had been trimmed, didn't care all that much about that one, and they're pretty tough. But I know I stored them in the fridge for at least a month. I was so worried I called them, *think* they said I should have soaked them for a bit, but I definitely remember planting them right from the fridge to the bed. I wouldn't have held them culpable if I had screwed up. I'm not saying it's a good thing to store them in the fridge, but I've done it twice, once for the daylilies and twice for some Asians w/a freebie daylily, but not that long and would definitely not recommend it for Asians because they seem to get mold on them (which sometimes doesn't matter). The dl's stayed clean and were very dry (I wouldn't moisten them in the fridge). Same vendor. If I did pot them up temporarily, I don't know whose opinion I'd choose. I posted this today on the hosta forum, the soil has only been tilled there, just no time or energy to amend that spot, and isn't all that great but not clay. Plus I'm fighting roots and suckers from a nearby apple tree. I'm sure somebody else would do a better job of it.

Lime now for garden is good advise. 10-34 is liquid popup fertilizer spray over seed just after planting it get seedling off to fast start the 10 in 10-34 is nitgeon it go away in most soil in 17 days but in plant stay up to 45 days. I use 18-46-0 graular fertilizer and till in just before planting what ever use in popup fertilizers you need to apply side dress with complete fertlizer after plants get about 3 weeks old 10-10-10 is good choice in drop spreader some plants do better if hand apply fertilizer. Planting behind grass is when need more fertilizer then after years almost ever soil metal be tie up first year are used by grass worms eat on roots of grass they go away after tilling I till grassey place one spring planted peas ever seed got wire worm grub in seed retill plant same peas back no worms so tilling now be good.

I'll leave the soil mix for someone else. Many people have their own "special formula". It sounds like you have that under control though. Hopefully the manure was aged/composted so it won't be too rich. It is definitely not too early to plant the above listed vegetables. In fact, you could have done it quite a bit earlier. I will provide a link to the UT Ag Ext site below. Take a look at their Guide to Cool-Season Vegetables. It's probably too late to winter sow. Usually this is done earlier when the weather is consistently cold. Planting indoors would be a very good idea and will give you an important head start. I have already planted mine and have little baby plants popping up. If you are going to grow them from seed, I would plant ASAP. Here is a link that might be useful: University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service Publications