On 25 Jan, 09:39, Chris ] wrote:
Why are raised beds raised?

I can see the point of separating the beds from the paths - so that you
can access the beds without treading on the earth.

What is the purpose of having the soil level higher than the surrounding
land?

My own land is very wet in winter, because the area is low-lying and
the drainage unsophisticated. by raising a bed only a few inches it
warms up more quickly and is less waterlogged and so I can get 2 to 3
weeks longer growing season without cloches or other artificial aids.
There is just about a 3 week advantage to the daffs in the raised bed
than in the lawn, for example.

As others have said, beds raised much more than that normally have an
othopaedic rather than horticultural origin.

More sophisticated gardeners may have plants that require dryer
conditions than the others, and raising a bed will help them all year
round.