cutter - corn will require 1 square per plant, and in such a small garden - won't give you your money's worth IMO. Typically, you only get one ear per plant, but can get 2 under the right conditions. I would maximize the possible yield for the space, by planting high yield veggies. If not controlled, 1 squash plant will gobble up half of your planting space, but that's one thing that is very productive! May I suggest planting one in a corner, then letting the plant sprawl out into the yard? With only 32 square feet to work with, I'd plant 2 squash at one end (zucchini and crookneck)some bush cucumbers in the middle, and tomatoes along the north side. Cole plants could be tucked in between the others. I hope this helps....

EG

Cutter, here is a really good website with gardens already planned, or you can plan your own and it tells you how many of each veggie fits in a sf. Their gardens are 3'x8', but you can stretch them out another foot on your own.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitchen Garden Planner

Thanks for the quick replies. It's very helpful info. I didn't realize one corn plant might yield only one or two ears. That's not going to work. :)

And that website with the garden plans is great. Thanks.

One other question I meant to ask. Do you think it would be beneficial to buy plants already started or should I go ahead and start with seeds? I started so late last year that I ended up getting a tomato plant and growing it in a big bucket. I must admit having a plant already started is more encouraging for someone lacking patience.

Do you know what planting zone you're in? I'm in CT, and if you're inland in MA you'd probably be generally following the same schedule as I am. You'd be too late to start broccoli from seed....I started mine 4 and 6 weeks ago and just planted out the second round in the garden yesterday. Cole crops don't tolerate heat, so it is recommended that plants be put out a couple weeks before the last frost date. Same thing with lettuce, spinach, and pea seeds (directly sown in the garden). But with those plants I'm sure you could get away with seeding them now, since they are quick growers. You might be able to get away with starting tomatoes from seed ASAP, but you'll have a late start on production. My tomato seedlings are 6 weeks old and I plan on getting them outside mid-May. You can start squash from seed now.

Hope that helps!

I think with 4x8, skip the corn. I'd say squash/zucchini tomatoes & cukes like EG said, but I'd add a couple squares of salad greens (mesclun mix & spinach), and maybe a few pole beans (if you like beans).

In VT, we could get really good corn and strawberries grown locally, so I'm guessing you might be able to in Mass as well, so I'd use limited space for more productive things.

Here is a link that might be useful: Tales of a Transplanted Gardener