Thinking about Spring

So Naw Ruz is right around the corner, as well as the Spring Equinox and the first day of Spring.  We are ready!!

Well, actually not, but we are getting that way.  Olivia and I have decided that, by hook or by crook, we are going to have a garden.

I've tried a community garden plot in the past, and container gardening on our admittedly shaded back "porch" (stoop, really, that is completely covered from all sort of elements, including sun), all to dismal failures.  I've tried seeds and seedlings, and a lovely large tomato plant that grew about 6" and then did nothing, all summer long.

The major dillemma with living on the third floor is that a plot of land to grow on is too far away (as in the case of the community garden, which required a fifteen-minute drive to get to, with a small and reluctant child who got yelled at for stomping on seedlings) and, in our case, the aforementioned dismally shaded porch.

But I am not daunted.  I love food, and I love plants, and so somehow I'm going to grow SOMETHING that I can eat...

So we are garden planning.  Here is what we've decided to gow so far:

Olivia
Carrots
Marigolds

Liz
Greens (Kale, Chard, Collards)
Squash
Tomatoes
Herbs (Cilantro, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary)
Poppies
Lavender
Iris (?)
Peonies (?)

This is probably more of a wish list, but we're going to give it a go.  Any tips??