This is honestly my very most favoritest plant, it just happens to be a tree. I am wild about tree's anyway, but this one "tops" my list. Why? Easy to grow! Gets really big! Grows fast! Has a flower! Has the coolest leaf ever of any tree! It just has a cool name! (note that the exclamation points are supposed to make each point sound really Cool!)
liriodendron tulipifera- another big long word that means something to someone. In the real world this tree is called Tulip Tree! No wonder I love it, my second favorite plant is a bulb. The Tulip. I can be bought with pink starburst and tulips! Just for future reference.
The Tulip tree is also called, Tulip Magnolia, Tulip Poplar, Yellow Poplar, & Whitewood Tree. The large deciduous tree can easily reach 70 to 90 feet tall. Full grown tree's of 150 feet are common! How is that for a shade tree? The shape of this tree is ovate to pyramidal when young but they can get irregular when they get older. Adding to the charm. The trunks are massive when full grown, and can be branch less for decent distance up. This tree is bright green and has a flower in the spring. The flower has a pleasant scent, but isn't really anything special. Tulip Tree it gets its name from the tulip shaped leaves. Now that is really cool!
This tree likes moist, well drained soil. But tulip trees will do great in most soil types. It can grow fast if given the room to grow, plenty of water and has all the soil requirements it likes. But like most tree's it hates to be left in standing water. It likes slightly acidic soil, but that isn't required. This tree likes to be watered, and hates dry never watered area's. I wouldn't consider this an extremely drought tolerant tree. I would give it a Medium rating for drought. But like most tree's after it is established it does not need nearly as much water. Tulip tree will search for ground water, if you water deeply. And guess what, surface roots usually are not a problem. Bonus!
If you have a big spot, and you need some shade. I think you will really like the Tulip Tree.
This pretty flower loves the shade. Do not even consider it in the sun. It also loves a moderate amount of water. That is easy, because when this little beauty is blooming usually it is still raining. It blooms in early Spring to Late Spring. The blossoms are pink or white. Obviously it gets its name from the blossom. 
Cone Flower is in the Daisy Family. It is a wild flower in the central United States. Great for any sunny garden, it is highly adaptable. That means it can be moved and bounce right back. Echinos is a Greek word, meaning hedgehog. I guess they named it that because the base of the plant is a little prickly. I have learned that it is the big black root that is used to make the pills & tea's that boost the immune system and fight infections. I think they make excellent cutting flowers, and they do attract butterflies and humming birds.
Division or seed can achieve propagation. Obviously seed would be much easier. But the Cone Flower would love to be divided every 3 years.
My Cone Flower was small the first year, and then I moved it. It was small that next year because of the move, I am sure. But this last year it was huge. I loved every second of it. I use a time-release fertilizer in the spring. And if you keep Cone Flower dead headed, you will have regular prolonged blooming. One of the greatest things about this plant is it is long lived. It blooms and blooms. If you consider yourself a real "black thumb" try Echinacea when it is already started at the nursery. The only problem's that this plant has is with the starting out process. At the Greenhouse they have already tackled this problem for you. When you pick it up it will grow and be beautiful for years to come. Cone Flower comes in a variety of colors. So it can’t just be called Purple Cone Flower any longer! A White Variety is called Echinacea Purpurea 'White Swan'. But there are so many choices with Echinacea. Tall, Medium & Short. Purple, White and Pink.
Depending on color choices and shade vs. sun options I choose 4 to 6 of the following plants. On dialogue these plants are represented by a Purple Dot. This is your "color"
If you use the above recommendations, your pots could turn out like these below. We use the same plants and basic standard chart. Also if you feel like you have a big empty spot, fill it in with a simple vine or another color. 
This is the deal. You want this shrub! It is often overlooked because it gets such a late start. But hold onto your starburst, it's going to amaze you.
Rose of Sharon is in the hibiscus syriacus family. 
I have heard that some people make Rose of Sharon into a hedge. But it doesn't seem like a good idea to me. Because it is deciduous, it would only provide privacy from July to September. I have a Rose of Sharon "tree," and it has been through dorky deer, nasty winters and neglect. ("Tree" hibiscus really are just "shrub" hibiscus shaped into trees, but it does sound impressive, right?) If you want to try to make that "tree" Rose of Sharon, start the pruning process during its first two years in the ground. Rose of Sharon does great with pruning, so you can prune it to whatever shape you desire. Even Espalier. Look at the picture below. Isn't that wild? (The picture is of an apple tree, but you get the idea.)
Growing Guide- This shrub wants sun. If it gets a moderate amount of shade it will look very spindly, yellow and either not bloom or bloom hardly at all. In the shade this shrub can get a fungal disease. The point: Don't put Rose of Sharon in the shade! After this shrub is established it is also fairly drought tolerant. It hates standing water, so your soil must drain well. It can tolerate slightly alkaline soil. (If you are concerned about that, comment me for information.) Honestly, you will love how easy this shrub is to grow. The only thing that bugs me about Rose of Sharon is when its blossoms drop. There are so many of them, they seem like litter. But I think the trade-off is well worth it. But watch out, Rose of Sharon can self sow--meaning that if the ground below it is fertile, the blossoms can grow little baby shrubs. Also, the flowers grow on "new wood." So do all of your pruning in the fall. It's biggest threats are aphids, but those are easily treated. I have also heard that Japanese beetles like Rose of Sharon, but I have not seen that myself. Nor have I heard it in Utah, yet. Once again, I use a simple time-release fertilizer on my Rose of Sharon once a month. Although one year I didn't do anything, and it did fine.
One of the best things about Rose of Sharon is that it blooms for a very long time. It also has profuse blooming. You will be wowed at how many blooms will be on this shrub. It also blooms late into the fall. As other perennials, annuals, trees and shrubs are turning yellow and closing up for winter, Rose of Sharon will love the cool weather and continue to bloom. This shrub will attract butterflies and humming birds, which is a plus for me. 
In the spring, this shrub will be the last in your yard to get leaves. You will think it is dead! Don't give up on it. Mid-summer, Rose of Sharon will finally wake up ready for work, and stay later than the rest. Most Rose of Sharon bushes can get 8-10' tall and have a spread of 4-6'. Blossoms come in TONS of colors: white, red, lavender and light blue. Some even have double blooms. Most Rose of Sharon bushes have small, light green leaves.
The list can go on. But these seem to be some of the most popular here in Utah. I have experience planting broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, peas, and lettuce. I don't feel like I have the space for potatoes, I am not fond of beets, and I have just never tried brussel sprouts.
In the ground in my garden already, I have a row each of lettuce, peas and carrots. All of these I planted from seed. From the nursery, I purchased broccoli, cabbage and onion sets, and I also planted those. I think I may be a little late on a few of these plants. For instance, the peas should have gone in a little earlier. 
First you will need to get your soil worked well. Whether you do that with a shovel or a tiller, get the ground loose and easy to work. Hopefully you amended your soil last year when cleaned up the garden for the winter. If not, and if this is your first crop. I say go for it! Take you first step. It never hurts to learn. The only amending I would suggest is to clay soil. Clay is very hard on plants. I would say add some nutrimulch or utilite, so that your roots can grow.
If you are starting with seeds, you will need a furrow. Some people put one seed in each hole, but I do not have that kind of time, and not every seed will take hold. (Read the seed packet for germination rates, it may surprise you.) My dad taught me the long furrow way, and it works, so I am sticking to it. Next make a thin row of seeds in the furrow. Cover that over with dirt, and then add the mulch to the top of that. Simple! Seems silly to explain. If you have a very high rate of germination, just move along the row and "thin" the plants. This is especially helpful for carrots.
Each of these different ways of planting your cool crop will require watering. For proper germination and growing, the soil will need to be warm and moist. But don't leave them in standing water. The seeds will rot and never germinate, or they will be very unhealthy.
