sallyg said:
it is entirely possible to dig up the soil you have without building a box. And mix in some bagged manure or compost from a store. The basic thing you want is an area cleared of existing plants, and most [all] gardens are better if you add some manure or compost.
Ditto...
And... for that matter you don't even need a plan.
When I start a veggie garden in a new location... I turn the soil with a shovel.
After being out in the new garden patch for long enough to turn all the soil... I have some idea of the slope of the soil, and where East and west are. From those two... I can work out north and south.
Slope is an important consideration... I always do my rows on the contour.
If slope isn't a thing... then... I run my rows from east to west.
Later we'll discuss heights of plants... but I think that the most important thing is to plant anything, and observe. Most important gardening tool any of us have is the power of observation.
Most people's initial raised beds are less than perfect, but we don't know this until we've tried gardening in them for a while... which is another reason to not worry about a permanent raised bed for the first year or two.
Incidentally, I disbelieve that 60 should be a problem for Mom gardening...
But having kids in the flush of youth to turn the soil and get her started... Icing on the cake!
And... Y'all should definitely be composting...
You don't have to turn it... but those nutrients should NOT be leaving the property.
As I said, my chickens turn mine... but... When I didn't have chickens... Still composted... Just piled it up and ignored it. It may be slower that way, but it ain't a race.
