Thanks for the comments.
My wife, Jackie, and I made three raised beds using hand-mixed concrete. We then plastered them using a tinted mix. They have some advantages, but during the hotter months it seems that some plants grow better closer to ground level compared to what we plant in the raised beds. I think if I made raised beds again, I'd keep them at about 8 inches high.
When I used to plant garlic by the traditional rule on the shortest day, this meant I was harvesting it well into summer ... thus it was occupying a bed until quite late in the vegetable planting season. I now plant it maybe five weeks before the shortest day. I'm hoping this year I will be able to plant some determinate tomatoes around the perimeter and that the garlic will be out of the bed in time to let the tomatoes spread out a bit. Otherwise I might use the whole bed for parsnips or celeriac and Swiss chard which is a staple in our garden. I try to fill all the gaps with edibles.
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