After a few years of nursing along some aging wooden raised beds, I finally pulled the trigger on three new Birdies beds — the 29” tall ones. No more hunching over. They’re 4x8 each, which gives me a solid 96 square feet of productive raised-bed space.

The layout ended up as an E-shape when you look at it from above: two long in-ground beds (2.5x20) running vertically on either side, with the three Birdies beds stacked in the center. Comfrey anchors the end closest to the house — it’s been there for years and I’m not touching it. Great for chop-and-drop mulch.

This year I’m going direct-seed-only. I’ve got a grow tent and everything for indoor starts, but we’re heading away for a week in mid-to-late April and I’m not going to babysit seedlings before a trip. Instead I’ll direct sow everything I can after the last frost (around May 15 here in Boston), and buy tomato and pepper transplants from a local nursery.

The partial sun situation means I’m leaning into crops that don’t need full blaze: lettuce, arugula, cucumbers, beans, beets, and zucchini in the beds. Tomatoes are going into grow bags so I can chase sunnier spots in the yard on good days.

We’ll see how it shakes out. First year with the new beds — I’m calling it a success if everything doesn’t die in July.