Green thumb

So I have ventured into the gardening world. I inherited my dad's love of gardening, but have yet to receive the patience it takes. Since our yard is sloped, Sean and my dad built some really great raised beds. Our soil is very heavy clay (not exactly the best for growing vegetables) so we mixed in plenty of peat, manure, and top soil. I decided to start from seeds to save money. I very carefully labeled all of my seed starters, watered them plenty, and watched my little seeds grow into plenty of seedlings. I thought, I'll show all those people who said I should just go buy seedlings! When they got big enough, I planted them in my awesome new beds. However, I failed to realize that you should always check the last frost date before planting seedlings, and you should also leave the seedlings outside for a few days before planting to harden up? Good to know right? Needles to say I have two of the maybe 20 seedlings that I planted that have survived. So, I broke down and bought some bedding plants. No biggie I guess. I thought I was in good shape then. I watered my garden plenty, put in pleny of fertilizer, and weeded it almost daily. I failed to realize all of the outside factors that can affect your garden. For instance, the caterpillars that eat my spinach, the fungus growing on my tomatoes, and the neighbor's cat that that daily uses what it thinks is a giant litter box. Seriously? My once organic garden now has been exposed to insecticide, fungicide, cat repellent, and moth balls. Funny how I thought growing more vegetables would help improve my diet. I might grow a third eye, but I will get my 4-5 servings.