Raised beds tend to have better drainage, an advantage if your drainage is
poor, a disadvantage if you tend towards drought in the summers. Raised
beds also warm up a bit sooner in the spring, which could be an advantage,
or could work against you if things start to grow then get hit by late
frosts.

Raised beds are also good if your soil or subsoil is poor--instead of double
digging, you can just pile compost, amendments, etc., on top to build the
bed. For the plants you list, you are likely to use a permanent mulch
rather than doing a lot of cultivating that could damage the roots. So
whether you build raised beds or not depends on what your conditions are
like and what you hope to accomplish.

HTH,
Sue

Zone 6, Southcentral PA


"WCD" wrote in message
...

I'm going to be planting a garden of perennial things like raspberries,
blueberries, strawberries, rhubard, asparagus, etc. in central Maine.
I'm considering whether to use raised beds edged with granite or just
plant in the ground.

Are there big advantages to be had planting these materials in raised
beds? It's more trouble and expense to install initially and a bit of a
hassle to cultivate, since I already own a tiller for use behind my
garden tractor, but if the long-term advantages still outweigh the
disadvantages, I'm willing to to go for it.

Any suggestions?