Trial and Error:

Most of us are not going to have the ideal plot for a garden. If you are a backyard gardener, you will have to do with what you have available. You can of course improve the soil which is an ongoing process, use raised beds, make a trellis for cucumbers or beans to climb on etc.; but, some things like not having full sun through the day because of buildings or trees, you can’t do much about. This is why you will have to experiment with your choices of plants and placement in your garden. Some plants will benefit from having afternoon shade during the hottest weather, and others will thrive in the sun all day with proper watering. A good plan is to try different plants in various parts of your garden and to observe which do well where: you may even want to keep a few notes for next year. Since people are gardening all over the world and may have different conditions than you, some of their ideas, like mine, may or may not work for you. Be creative (improvise, adapt) and don’t give up if something doesn’t work the first time tried.

With this in mind, read other blogs, books on vegetable gardening, and articles in magazines etc.: there might be one tip that can help you have success in your garden and with the plants you are trying to grow.

Here is a link to a good article on growing lettuce:

http://www.vegetable-garden-guide.com/how-to-grow-lettuce.html