You're going to hit pipe. You will. Accept it, make peace with it, learn how to repair it, and move forward. A lot of people are terrified of their irrigation systems because they don't understand one simple fact: water is not moving through those pipes until the controller opens the valve for that zone. Worst case scenario, you shut that zone off until you fix the leak (or have a pro fix it). If you get super unlucky and hit the main line from the house to the valve boxes (this is the only line that is always charged) your system should have a main shutoff valve right at the house (may be on the backflow preventer). Since you have nothing going on besides lawn and a couple trees, you will need to move heads as you put in beds. The lawn heads will need to be moved to the edge, and you may decide to add irrigation zones for the beds as well. So no matter what, you're going to want to either develop a relationship with an irrigation contractor or start learning about irrigation. If you do any of it yourself, just remember the irrigator's prayer. "Lord, I know you wanted water to flow downhill. Please look the other way before I flip this switch. Amen."

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

Ha, ha, 100x100! Someday..... but this ate up the majority of the open lawn space and all of the sunny area in the new yard. And it's a 10x increase in garden space over what I had before! I'm already nervous I've bitten off more than I can chew. My daughter was begging for 5 pummpkin plants today and I told her OK, but only if she commits to 3 hours of weeding and watering a week to help out! Thanks for your advice. I won't stress about the rotation, then! I wonder why just about all of my organic gardening books (which are mostly aimed at people with this size garden) advocate small scale crop rotation?

I was reading through this thread, not realizing that it started in December; boy was I surprised to see people talking about chipping snow and ice. Happy to hear that we haven't gotten THAT far into the cold season yet! Small plants that are set out in winter, or even tucked into the garage in their pots, have a really tough time and need to be watered right up until the ground is frozen solid, and then checked for moisture any time the ground thaws. It's a tricky situation, and I haven't had much luck with any plant even remotely picky about moisture. Some miniature needled evergreens planted at Christmas time have done well for me, but that's about it.