First timers need to know one thing: don't be afraid of killing plants. You will easily kill 75% of whatever you plant, even when following all the true recommendations.
I work at a nursery and I tell people the same stuff every day. Some people have an idea already and they scoff at me like I'm trying to kill their plants or sell them useless crap, I shrug it off and silently laugh because they "get" to learn the hard way. Others listen to what I say, buy what I recommend and come back later and tell me how much they produced.
Whatever you choose to do is up to you.
I recommend this: No matter what you plant, amend the soil. There's a reason only weeds grow on unamended soil. Mix 1/3 compost into your dirt. The compost MUST contain at least 3 things: forest humus, worm castings, mycorrhizae in order to do you any good. All plants need soil that is at least 6.5 on the pH scale, that means slightly acidic. Blueberries need highly acidic, or around 4.5 to 5 on the pH scale. There are specialty composts. eMail me for brand names.
As for fertilizer, look on the back a most fertilizers and you get a number like 20-30-10. The first number is Nitrogen, second is Phosphorus, third is Potassium. These are water soluble nutrients, so you must constantly reapply them (once ever couple weeks). You don't need large quantities of NPK stuff, since only 10% of that is actually uptaken by the plant, rendering it 2-3-1. Instead, use non water soluble plant foods. These are slow release fertilizers that feed for 6 to 9 months. Look for fertilizers with kelp meal, alfalfa, bone meal, blood meal, and mycorrhizae.
The more microorganisms below ground, the bigger, more nutritious the macroorganisms will be above ground. You will still need to pull weeds, everyone must pull weeds at some point.
