Raised beds no more

For the last 10 to 12 years I have grown vegetables in raised beds. I say raised, they were contained within boards about 25cm high - not very raised compared to some I saw in Austria which could be worked standing up, nevertheless, my beds helped to keep the plots organised.

I have done wooden sides twice now, I replaced them, the first time they rotted, with scaffold boards, they too have now rotted and so I have dug them out and the damp-proof membrane I put under them (which didn't inhibit rotting as it turns out). Apart from the cost of wood, something else putting me off is that, when I tool the boards up I discovered they had been excellent pathways for couch grass and bindweed.

I shall keep the same size of beds, so that I don't have to stand on the soil - one of the major reasons for raised beds - in this case I can achieve that by keeping them about 1 metre wide, so they can be reached into from either side.

Here are 2 photos of the now dug out beds and one in the greenhouse of six containers of potatoes (I couldn't of course plant outside).

Beds gone 

Beds gone, path remains

6 different varieties of potato in containers