Ann- I also found that the bigger (taller) the bed, the more holes. Makes since, I know...the more wood there is rotting down, the more collapsing is going to take place. With the first huge bed, I just got into the habit of taking a spade and poking around every now and then (say, every couple of weeks). This kept the soil moving down into the pockets, and I had less surprises. With our new swales (made last year), they are much shorter, and I'm getting minimal pockets. Instead of trucking over filler in a wheelbarrow like I did with the tall beds, I simply take from the side, or smush more from around the hole.
