The smaller garden is relatively easy to maintain. My secret is a Garden Weasel. http://www.gardenweasel.comI pull the head off the roof rake and a Garden Weasel head snaps on the aluminum pole like it was meant to. It stays that way for the growing season. I can reach/ work the whole garden from one side or the other without having to "get in". Only takes about half an hour or less after a rain to do the whole garden.
My tiller
I rent one of these from the local Home Depot in the spring and also in the Fall before covering the garden with heavy black plastic sheet.Rental is $40 for the day but I rarely have it more than 3 hrs and I even use it on my neighbor's to help him out here and there.I looked at buying one, and they really aren't a ton of bucks, but with renting I don't have to store it or maintain it.Still, it would be nice to have my own.
I've got a rototiller too, and I give it a good tilling and mix in some new manure and peat in the spring as well, but once it's planted it's a pain getting the tiller in, out, and around because it's a raised bed (telephone poles).