What is the best way to prepare a NEW garden spot?

[bunge]

I want to make a new, bigger and better garden spot for this fall and next spring.
I know it's real early, but my hubbie loves to use his tiller and while he's "in the mood".......
So I was wondering if any of you experts can give me pointers on how to really do it right to start with?
How to get rid of the grass that's there now and how to prepair the soil.
What to add,etc to make it just awesome.
I like Black Kow, but yall may know something even better!!!
This is the best website on the www.
Thank you for the ideas I know I'll be getting.
Oh, also, can I plant a fall crop if english peas? if so, when?
I'm going out now to throw some egg shells at my tomatoes ,
joan/georgia

[decam0]

I reckon there's two good ways to get rid of grass (well three...but one takes a bit longer).
1) Mark your spot with lines of string or spray paint and then lift the turf with, preferably a turfing iron, or a normal garden spade. Stack the turfs, grass side down somewhere out of the way, and in about a year you'll have beautiful compost.
2) Carefully spray the marked-out area with a weed killer, wait for the grass to die, and then till the whole lot.
(The third way is to cover the required area with old carpet or black plastic sheeting and wait for the grass to die underneath - NOT for impatient husbands!)
Make sure you remove all pernicious (perennial) weeds while you're tilling, and dig in some general fertilizer when you've finished.
A great help for newcomers to vegetable gardens is a book called 'The New Vegetable and Herb Expert' by Dr.D.G. Hessayon.
Good luck!

[decam0]

Hmmm...forgot to say to till the ground once you've removed and stacked the grass!