Green thumb, green thumb, quite contrary-- will your garden grow?

I have never really had a garden before. I get Spring Fever like everyone else, and when my nostrils are assaulted by the earthy smells of the garden section in the hardware store or supercenter, I usually succumb and buy a handful of things I don't know beans about and let them naturally peter out in my backyard due to lack of knowhow and personal stamina. Last year after looking at Sunflower Houses with our DDs, we planted sunflowers three distinct times only to have them fail successively due to cutworms, then pesky squirrels.

However, after having read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, I am inspired to try again. The biggest thing a year of volunteering at Salomon Farm last year gave me was an idea of how much I don't know; nonetheless, I think we're going to try raised beds this time a la All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew. If we can come up with the funds for the lumber, the compost, vermiculite, and the peat (and the heirloom seeds!) and we're very, very lucky, we may still come out roughly even-- health benefits aside.

Aside: The book recommends going to construction sites and asking for unneeded, untreated 2 x 6's. Anybody know where those might be found locally? Not me! Also, I need to set up compost in my backyard. This setup requires mixed mature compost. I could use advice in this area as well. Anybody with tips might consider posting!

Regardless of the outcome, we've been learning a lot at home about reading, math, and science through our renewed interest in gardening-- not to mention the bold realizations about where food actually comes from! Even if I end up eating crow (figuratively!), I'll count this as a win.