Flench, you have to take a look at your space and then think what is going to be cost effective to plant and tend and what is too much work and water for the actual store cost. Since you are in Memphis ask around for ideas for a "truck garden". They will know what you mean. Things like potatos, peanuts, soybeans, and corn are almost far cheaper to buy than grow on your own unles you have acreage to spare.
Set aside 25% of your space for things that you love but don't normally buy much because of the cost, like asparagus, yellow, red, and orange peppers (all mild) and any other high end veggie or mellon. The rest, seed what you love or always wish you had grown. Hot peppers are a piece of cake, tomatoes need far more water and some shade. Look for tomato varieties that do well in high iron soil. Pole beans, green beans, purple hull peas, black eye peas, are all piece of cake to grow and maintain. A hoe will be your best friend and give the kids ice cream to pull weeds. Take a walk through the produce aisles at Kroger to get ideas. Buy a few of what you like and scrape out the seeds and put into labeled brown lunch sacks to dry. By the time you are ready to plant those seeds will be too. PS--Okra is supposed to have needles on it and hurt like a biotch to pick.
