Look for a place that has full sun and protection from the wind. A south-facing side of your house, garage or barn is ideal. South facing slopes are good. Avoid low-lying areas, which trap cold air. If you have heavy soil, amend it with organic material such as compost or manure.
Warm soil allows earlier planting in the spring.
Black plastic is not as effective. Start seeds indoors then transplant outside or buy starts. Cool season vegetables that can germinate and grow at a soil temperature of 40 degrees include fava beans, broccoli, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kale, collard, kohlrabi, leeks, parsley, peas, radishes, rutabagas, chard, celery, turnips, lettuce, onion, parsnip and spinach. When the soil warms up to 50 degrees, plant short season, early maturing starts including corn, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers, squash, pumpkin, eggplant, melons, okra and peppers.