Trying a garden again

That time is rolling around where I am itching to clean out the flower bed of weeds and muck. Plant some beautiful vegggies and herbs and enjoy the "fruits" of my labors. There is only one problem. I suck at growing stuff. I've tried it before and always, ALWAYS end up killing them. So here I am ready to try again. I have to find a way to solve one problem before I get going though. The last time I planted something ate then. Leaves, veggies, even my cute little strawberries. How do I avoid this? Do I need to build a small enclosure? A small border fence didn't seem to help. I get frustrated enough when I kill everything myself but downright irritated when some critter does it for me.