I live north of Weatherford and am doing some raised bed gardening. I want to expand

What makes the best frames and also, what do I need to mix together to make the best material to fill the frames?

Also, I have 2 frames that I have planted the past 2 years. I know that I need to refurbish the soil in them. I used manure, compost and peat moss and some vermiculite. What do I need to add to amend this so the beds will be good to plant for the fall?

David

My favorite, as far as looks, is to use large cedar posts. They are pretty inexpensive, but very informal and rustic, so if you want a manicured look, forego that one. Other suitable materials that are "organic" are cedar planks, flat stones stacked up, or you can just built up the soil in the area you want and don't have a border at all. Something I have considered but have not used is structural steel (ie I-beams or a wide purlin). It would probably be a great raised bed border and would last a long time. When looking to buy a "filler" in this area, go look at it before you buy it if you get topsoil. I bought 6 yards of topsoil about 4 years ago that turned out to have a high content of clay and I was very disappointed. I have had to add so much stuff to it to make it suitable for the garden, that I will never buy topsoil sight unseen again. If you can find loam or sandy loam, it's a good addition if you already have lots of composted manure, but again, go look at it first.