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I would go with the local gardener. I would however ask him to give me an itemized bill to pay him or her from. That way you are sure what you are paying for and the gardener is too, so no nasty disputes to deal with if you do not get something you wanted done. I use gravel mulch in my rose beds. Laying down the fabric is truly a must to avoid most weed and grass problems. Usually most gardeners know where to get the gravel they need in bulk from a supply yard. Buying it by the bag is way too costly if you have a large area to do.

In addition to its design or layout, paying attention the number of plants in the garden will help. If the garden is becoming too crowded, it may be due to having too many plants for the area provided. These articles will help with design ideas as well as the suitable number of plants recommended. Also, choosing bush-type beans and other plants can help alleviate spacing issues, or grow vine and pole crops vertically, such as on a trellis. A fence can also serve as a trellis for beans, peas, tomatoes and vine crops. Corn stalks or sunflowers is another great way to take advantage of vertical space and will work especially well for growing beans, encouraging them to grow up rather than out. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/vegetable-garden-design.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/choosing-the-size-of-your-vegetable-garden.htm, https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/family-vegetable-garden-size.htm

As long as your garden beds are at least 8 inches deep, it should be fine to set over the stones. I would puncture the black plastic in several places to make sure that there is drainage.

The order you have them listed in sounds good. They are all from different families of vegetables so they are ok next to each other.

I would recommend contacting your local extension office (you can look it up here:https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/extension-search/ and asking for information on Master Gardener's in your area. These groups are normally very happy to recommend a gardening coach or adviser to help you with your garden. Cost may vary. Some Master Gardeners are happy to provide services for free, while others ask for a small fee for their time. It should not cost very much if it costs anything at all.

Great question and one I've never previously thought about. So after a bit of poking around, I found that the majority of people who practice this technique simply outline what they want to spell out--like 'welcome'--using rope, hose, flour, etc. and then dig it out. They fill in the dug-out areas with their designated flowers, usually with low growing but bright colored blooms.