i have a raised bed in coastal s.e. georgia that works very well. i wouldnt recomend cypress mulch, it takes a while to break down compared to other wood products. a cypress mulch blend maybe o.k. i used pulverized pine bark along with most of the ingriedients you have listed. where i live there is a city dump that only recieves natural material like landscape debris, wood chips, etc. and composts them for two yers, grinds them up and sells the finished product. it runs about $10.00 a yard. there maybe something like this where you are. i use lots of compost in mine that i make at home. grow cover crop in winter. i have three other in ground gardens and the veggies i get out of raised bed are bigger and much more flavorful. just make sure to add enough nitrogen if you add alot of mulch, wood chips, or leaves. read some things at this website about lasagna beds, sounds interesting. good luck!

I'd go with Choice #2 and plan to add some of the things from the Choice #1 list over time. No filler is going to be perfect from day 1 - any bed will need improvement and additions over time. But Choice 2 gives you the best base to improve on, not to mention is much easier on your back. ;)

Good luck.

Dave

PS: forget the last 3 things on the Choice 1 list.

I feel like I have so much to learn! My inclination was to go with some sort of potting mix or soil since I thought the quality would be much higher than the "1 step above desert" topsoil. And my landscaper is going to do the back breaking work of bringing in the fill material.

With choice#2 will I need to add something to it right off the bat to improve it? My local nursery suggested I dig in a product called happy frog soil conditioner which is finely screened, pH-balanced forest humus, earthworm castings, and bat guano.

As long as you don't have to do the lifting and toting then cost becomes the primary consideration. (For most of us it is the back. ;) So if you can afford it then Choice 1 may be the best after all.

As I said above I'd go with Choice 2 because it HAS to be much cheaper and it is likely a good base to start with but there is no way to know what may need to be added because so many things are sold labeled as "topsoil" - some are ok and some are crap. So many things are sold as "mulch" and the same rules apply. As to manure - has it been composted? Most likely so.

Fill the bed with Choice 2 and then add several bags of the compost from Lowes, 1 bale of the peat, and a good dose of slow-release fertilizer all mixed in well and you should be ok for the first year. More compost will be needed each year after.

Without seeing the stuff that's the best I can do but keep in mind that landscapers are always trying to sell you fancy expensive mixes you don't need so don't buy into everything he says. ;)

Dave

Actually, the guy putting in the wall told me right out that he did not know what I should fill it with (his customers typically put more desert-like plants that don't require high quality fill) -- so I said I would do the homework.

The prices I quoted were from visiting Lowes and calling some rock companies around town. I was surprised the options from the rock companies were so expensive, the stuff at Lowes would only be $100 more at most. At this point the cost is all about equal to me, whatever I go with ($100 here or there is not going to break the bank).

It sounds like I should visit the rock company that had choice #2 and see what exactly they have before I commit.

katib - have you checked out all the discussions and recommendations on raised bed filling on the Soil & Compost, Square Foot Gardening, and Container Gardening forums here at GW? Those forums focus on your issues and are full of discussions, recipes for mixes to use, sources for filler, prices, etc.

They are well worth the time for search and review if you want to learn more.

Dave

PS: also check out the Gardening in the Southwest forums for recommendations specific to your local area.

I have read several posts, but I will go check out those, I may have missed them. Thanks for all the help!

Try any greenhouse that you do business with, potting mix can be had a lot cheaper by the bale, one of them might cut you a deal.