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If wet, soggy soil or heavy, rocky clay keeps your garden from thriving, build a raised bed. Literally a bed above the ground, this will raise the soil level to give you better drainage and the depth of good soil that roots need. Do this by piling an 8- to 12-inch deep mix of good topsoil and soil amendments over your growing area. In a small garden, it’s practical to use concrete block or other materials to contain the bed. In a large garden, just keep the mounded soil in rows, being sure that it’s not in a position to wash away. Always till and amend the ground in the area first, then add additional amended soil.
Never make your bed wider than your reach. Typically beds are 3 to 4 feet wide so that you can easily reach to the center. Because raised beds are typically wider than the rows of a row garden, they increase your yield per square foot if you plant the full width of the bed.