help - inherited raised beds!

[MumboNumber5]

I'ma newbie to gardening looking for help! We moved house and have three raised beds in the garden. They have been neglected for 3-5 years and are just full of weeds. Do I just weed them, dig them over, add compost and wait for Spring? Also, the black membrane is visible and coming up through the soil in many places.

[bojorojo]

Ok. Are they vegetable beds or flower beds? What would you prefer? Lots of people use raised beds for vegetables so if they are in your back garden, dig the weeds out, buy some more topsoil to put over the membrane. However, you must get about 9 ins of soil or veg like carrots will not grow very well. Topsoil can be bought in bags or you can get 1m3 delivered for you to move into the beds. You could use soil from elsewhere in the garden and mix with a bit of sand and compost if you like - if you have it spare.

Sew seeds in the spring. Succession sow so that you do not get everything to be eaten at the same time! Or sew flower seeds for cut flowers, in the spring or plant bulbs now for Spring flowering or do all three - you have three beds. It sounds like a worthwhile project.

[MumboNumber5]

Whoops, they are veg beds.
Thanks for the advice - really helpful! can't wait to get started.