Thanks for all the comments on the gravel layer, sounds reasonable to me, so I'll skip putting it in---there's a drainage ditch-ey sort of area where it can go just as well if not better. I'll see if I can loosen things up in the beds a bit with a fork before putting in the soil, though I suspect explosives might be called for. Might come in handy having a husband in the military.
The soil mix is just lovely. My husband says he gets worried about a wife that doesn't get overly excited about jewelry or clothing (other than riding boots), but repeatedly goes outside to chortle over a really big pile of dirt.
As for what to put in <insert blissful smile here>. In between pattering outside to gaze at dirt, I've been looking through all my veggie books and of course, wanting to plant EVERYTHING. Part of the issue is that I'm a bit late for a lot of the long-season warm-weather crops (I know, you folks in the north are just laughing your ass off at me right now), but still a bit early for the cool weather crops, though I can get some of those seeds started inside. It can stay hot here into September and still pretty warm well in October (and frost dates apply here about once every three years). I'm going to be out-of-town for almost three weeks in late October, so don't want to plant anything that will be ripening all at once when I'm not here.
So, just to get something in (because I won't be able to sleep until I do and David says I make him nervous walking around carrying a shovel all the time), here's my immediate plan. I have a few determinate tomato plants that are all either cherry-tomato or other small to medium size fruiting varieties, so hopefully I can get some tomatoes before it starts to get cool---the nursery guy made me a nice deal on some well-grown one gallon plants. It can get pretty blazin' hot here in August, so I actually tend to get better fruit set into September anyway. Same for a few pepper plants and a cuke. I don't know if I'll get much from them, but I should with just a little luck. I have some pole beans that I can put in, as those always seem to start producing incredibly quickly and usually keep going through most of the winter here, anyway.
Long term....open to suggestions. I was thinking about using one 'extra' little bed that's 5' x 5' and maybe putting in a permanant bed of asparagus? Or artichokes as a perennial?
As for bananas <chortle>, I already have them---or at least, my neighbor does, he never trims his trees and darned if those things don't just sag right over his fence into mine. I kept my grubby little paws to myself and just watched them rot the first three years---now, it just seemed a neighborly thing to do to trim back his trees for him, including the bananas.
Is it too hot to put in the asparagus crowns now as soon as the bed is ready? Should I wait?
Thanks for all the help!
Susan