For a small garden tilling or building a raised bed off the ground

we used scrap wood to build a box. Then put newspaper or flattened boxes on the ground. Compost leaves and dirt together. During the fall and winter months add vegetabl peelings and egg shells and coffee grounds to the box. End of winter add top soil and mix it in. Before adding seeds or plants add more top soil. We have an amazing garden every year.

you still will have to prepare the soil for weeds,regardless,lay newspapers,cardboard,heavy landscape fabric.http://www.hometalk.com/search/posts?filter=Raised%20Garden%20Beds%20in%20Container%20Gardening

Mulch, mulch, mulch. Watch www.backtoedenfilm.com to find out how to have a rich, drought-tolerant garden.

My sons built a raised garden for me last year and I love it. They used landscape timbers to build the box. My soil is made up of one-third soil, one-third manure, and one-third sand. The sand is for water retention. It really is the best garden (and harvest) I have ever had. I use a deep-root watering system (which is a soaker hose) set on low. It allows me to water the soil, and not the plant. I hope this helps you.

we have a large garden and use the raised beds and love it!!!

You’re right, tilling does spread the weed seeds! We have a raised bed made out of concrete blocks. I put down cardboard on the ground in a thick layer, then landscape cloth and then filled it with a mix of soi & compost. Every year I add homemade compost as a top dressing. So far, so good!

I have never had a raised garden, but I am sure the soil in it needs loosening each year also, just as much as a regular garden. The trick with the weeds in your garden is to clean it up before you till, which you would have to do with a raised garden also. Once it is tilled and planted, put down Preen Weed Preventer. This will help with not letting weed seeds not germinate. It will not work on root born weeds, like Creeping Charlie which will continue to spread if you don't keep it out of the garden. When all your seeds and plants are planted, mulch with shredded leaves, cut grass, etc. It will both help with keeping weeds out, but will also nourish the soil. I have a large veggie garden and do it this way, and I only spend a few minutes a week actually weeding and that is usually digging up Creeping Charlie that is coming in from the edges of the garden. I would probably like raised gardens, but it would take way to many for what I plant each year and I only have one area in my entire yard, front and back, that gets enough light to grow veggies decently. I hope this helps! All this can be applied to raised gardens also.