More newbie questions

I planted my broccoli yesterday ("Umpqua" variety).  I direct-seeded it as
per that book I read, with potting soil and all.  After planting beans and
peas earlier this summer, I was amazed at how tiny broccoli seeds are.  It
is amazing to think that anything could grow from what looks like a speck of
dirt.  Well, I sure hope they come up.  Does anyone know how long it
generally takes for broccoli plants to come up?

Also, I started clearing space for more garden.  I have a big patch of
ground that is covered with a few inches of bark on top of a weed cloth
(which the weeds laugh at).  I have been shoveling away the bark and I
finally cleared enough that I could cut away part of the weed cloth and have
a patch of ground available for tilling.  Then I started to till it with a
shovel and was very disappointed to find the soil totally riddled with
rocks, ranging from pebbles to stones larger than my hand.  I spent a good
deal of time engaged in the tedious process of digging up dirt, sorting
through it and throwing the rocks out of the garden, but I made very little
useful progress.

My neighbor, who is an experienced gardener and whose land apparently has
the same problem, suggested that I should get a big rototiller and use that
instead of doing the work by hand.  I was worried that the rototiller would
choke on all the rocks--I have never used one before.  She thought it would
work fine.  Her suggestion was that I should rototill it first, then bring
in either topsoil or a mixture of sand and compost, add that to the top and
then rototill again.  Then add lime and fertilizer and all that.  Do you
guys think that makes sense?  Has anyone tried to use a rototiller on ground
that has a lot of rocks in it?

    Amy
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