I have a patch of land that I'm trying to transform into a garden. Rather than buying soil amendments like I usually do, I thought I'd do this the long way and try and transform it by planting cover crops to loosen the soil and add organic matter. I worked in lime last fall and planted winter rye and hairy vetch. Once the hairy vetch blooms, I'm going to mow it back but I haven't decided what to do next. I have golden amaranth and rainbow broomcorn seeds. I bought them on an impulse (ooh, those look pretty!) but didn't put a lot of thought into whether they would be good for this spot or not. Advantages to amaranth are that I like to eat it, and I read that it is a "nitrogen accumulator" (not sure what that means, but it sounds potentially beneficial). Advantages to broomcorn - it's pretty and could be used for some crafty decorations. I'm afraid, though, that the broomcorn will take more than it gives (kind of like corn). Any opinions on whether I should plant those? Any other ideas?

Many thanks,
Anne