Pick a place that is accessible and reasonably flat. Access to water is definitely a plus. If you do not have the equipment necessary to clear the cover and turn the top layer over, rent it or hire it. Picture compares a before from August of 2024 and the present March of 2025. Area was mowed close and then box scraped until flat as possible. Picked up rocks for a few days until only the small ones remain. I like using a walk behind tiller for getting it ready to plant. They are not as aggressive as tractor driven tiller and you can do it in stages as you need the row space. This is a 50′ x 50′ and that will be plenty to deal with this year.
As this is East Tennessee, there will be substantial animal pressure on this site. I will need fencing or my efforts will go into feeding the wildlife. There are many ways and many option when it comes to fencing and I always travel back and forth between cheap and ugly or expensive and pretty.
Cheap is some 7′ steel posts and 6′ wildlife netting. Could get it protected for around $200.
Expensive is wood posts with cross members across the top creating a trellis overhang. Steel wire box rolled fencing. Would punch it up to around $1500… but oh so pretty.
I will probably throw something in around the middle. I do want it somewhat pretty and I do plan to keep this garden in this spot in the future. I like pretty.