Hi guys!
We just bought our house last summer and are in the midst of sprucing up our landscaping,etc. Our backyard is about 60% weeds (last owner didn't maintain it for a long time) and so we are going to build a couple raised garden beds and i'd also like to start a composting area on the unused and unseen side of the house.

I'd appreciate any advice on what is easy to grow, how to easily deter pests (considering that we'd like to do so as organically as possible) and what we can compost / how to use said compost.

I'd love to be able to compost the waste produced by my rat colony (shredded aspen) but am not sure if that is viable.

Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated as would any links you have found helpful.

Thanks for your time and help!