Square foot gardening

I just finished Mel Bartholemew's Square Foot Gardening: A New Way to Garden in Less Space with Less Work. This is the method I've decided to use in (soon-to-be) my yard. I borrowed it from the library, but I have my own copy on order from Better World Books. I'm glad that I read this earlier version of the book, since the newer one is all about building raised beds. The idea of using and improving the actual soil in my yard is much more appealing.

I'm really looking forward to planning everything out, now that I understand the general idea. I want to keep this blog as a record of my experience in case other people out there can benefit.
 
Next steps - stuff I can do before the house is actually mine:

1. Decide what to grow.
2. Make a detailed calendar of when to start seeds inside and outside and when to transplant.
3. Make diagrams of the two blocks I am going to start with this year.
4. Order seeds.
5. Figure out where to buy vermiculite, peat moss, compost, and manure.
6. Decide what I want to do for fertilizer and figure out where I'll buy the ingredients.
7. Figure out how much chicken wire, tomato wire, wood, pipes, plastic, and storm windows I'll need to buy/find.
8. Research turning the shed into a greenhouse.

Stuff to do right away once I get the house:

1. Get the soil tested.
2. Demolish shed (if turning it into a greenhouse isn't feasible).
3. Pick the spot and cover with plastic to heat up the ground.
4. Grade the west side of the house.
5. Start a compost pile - preferably build a three-bin system using pallets.
6. Make a rain barrel.
7. Build at least one sun box.
8. Make soil mix and fertilizer.
9. Start some seedlings inside.
10. Build the little chicken-wire cages for protecting individual squares.