[k8e]

Hi, I'm new to this site and very new to growing my own fruit n veg. I havnt even dug my patch yet, i wanted to get some info from 'real' people instead of confusing websites before i start. i think i have decided where to have my patch, it will be in my back garden next to my fench, the sun stays in my garden all day up untill about 4 in the summer when it goes over my house to the front, so i think i have a west facing garden. basically i want as much info as possible about how far apart the crops should be, what to plant and when, and any tips n tricks people can think of to help them grow. is it ok to use my garden soil, if i take up the grass 1st as i have no way of getting propper peat/soil. i live in lincolnshire if thats any relevance?
thanks foe reading and hope to hear from you soon. xx

[crh75]

Yes you can use your own soil. Take up the turf and dig it over removing any roots, then dig in plenty of organic mater like manure or compost.  This will be a tough job!

As for what to grow and when and the spacing that would take writting a whole book!  Think of what you like to eat, and how much space you have.  Seed packets give you all the information you need to spacing. 

[Lardman]

i wanted to get some info from 'real' people instead of confusing websites before i start.

Where that Alanis Morissette when you need her?  

Sounds like your garden will be fine, theres no need to add "special" soil as long as you have a decent depth of reasonable top soil. If there are plants there at the moment that will give you a good idea of the conditions you have. You'll be working it hard though so you need to replace what the veg take out.

You don't say how big an area you are working with that plays a big part in what and how you can grow.  

[babycakes]

as a newbie myself i would suggest to plant only the stuff u like, i planted loads of stuff and now i dont no what to do with it all  there is even too much for the neighbours. I planted stonehead cabbages and quite a few not realising how big these things actually grow  i have strawberries in pots at minute and due to not netting them up the best theyve all been pinched by the birds  damm things!!!erm what else have i planted.....potatoes, cant wait to see whats in store when i dig these back up! I have so much yet not enough space, so carefully consider-unlike i did 

[oldcow]

Just like you, I have started growing vegetables this year, in my back garden. I think you have two choices: you can use your existing soil, but it will be hard work, it will take some time to get it in decent shape and you'll have some tough battles against weeds. However, that will be very good exercise and a lot of people enjoy the challenge.
The approach I took is called square foot gardening (you can google it to get more info). In short, you build some raised boxes, put some weed barrier on the bottom, and fill with a special mix. You start with perfect soil, rich and crumbly, without any weeds. It'll take less time to get ready to put your veggies in, and you won't need to weed, but it will initially be more expensive since you'll have to spend money to build the boxes and buy the ingredients for the soil mix. It's working wonderfully for me! There is a member here, Elcie, who has some great pictures of her boxes using this method. It's very good if you have little space.
As to what to plant and when, choose something you like, and also consider growing things that are expensive to buy in the shops. The ideal list is different for every one of us!