Getting a garden started - hard ground?
So, my husband and I will be closing on our first house in about a month (YAY!) It has a fairly good size backyard, that is completely empty, no trees, no bushes, just a small shed. I am from Michigan, and am used to having a lush, green, tree filled type of garden. We live in Oklahoma now, and if you know, our soil here is hard, sandy, clay type, red dirt. Also there are PLENTY of stickers (ouchies) what get rid of them?
it looks like the previous owners had a boat, as there are ruts and dirt spots in the yard. I planned on renting a tiller eventually (probably next year, as I think by next month wont it be too late to plant anything?) Rent a tiller and break up the hard ground.
Really, Im just looking for any pointers what-so-ever. When to plant, what to plant, how to plant.
Feed me some info 
Thank you!
If the soil is as red as you say, it is mostly clay, and will do a poor job of supporting a garden.
There are really only two options.
One is to remove the top six inches of the existing soil, and replace it with top soil.
The second option is to till in sand, then add compost to give the soil the nutrients needed to sustain a garden. If you don't mind the smell, and your neighborhood doesn't have rules against it, you till in manure. It's great for the soil, but you will have to live with the smell for about a month.
For a lawn, you can just put two inches of top soil over the existing clay/sand, pack it with a push roller, or tractor towed roller, then seed.