Hello Mary-Ellen,

Thanks for reaching out to the UNH Extension Infoline. You've come to the right place! Not too long ago, I wrote a blog post that covers the basics of raised bed gardening so I think that would be a good place for you to start-

How to Utilize Raised Beds for Small-space Gardening (UNH Extension)

Since you're also new to gardening, I would recommend exploring our "Getting Started with Gardening" page which contains a lot of great info for new gardeners.

Depending on where you're located, you might also want to attend our Beginning Gardener Series at the Massabesic Audubon Center. We host about one workshop per month there and some of the topics are geared toward new gardeners. Check out the events page here-

https://extension.unh.edu/event/2025/01/2025-master-gardener-demonstration-garden-workshops

The next one might is actually the first in the Beginning Gardener Series and might be a good one for someone like yourself-

March 18, 6-7:30PM: Beginning Gardener Series: Site Assessment, Plant Selection and Record Keeping for your Garden

Lastly, I'm so happy you reached out to the Yard and Garden Infoline because I think we can be a great resource for you on your gardening journey! We have Master Gardener volunteers answering many of the questions that come in so please don't be afraid to ask us any questions that come up!