Welcome! Several previous discussions linked below on the question that you might want to browse through for suggestions. Scroll down to the ones with the blue borders. ;) Several good recipe mixes included. A common one is called Mel's Mix - 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite and there are several variations on it too that include perlite, sand, composted manure (never fresh), and even some soil. I'd never try growing in straight manure - too problematic - and make sure it is well composted first. I have several raised beds filled with various mixes - most are approx. 1/2 topsoil with lots of compost, aged manure and some vermiculite mixed in and they do extremely well. One is straight top soil but it was good quality creek-bottom soil not the typical stuff sold as top soil. To it I have just added several inches of compost over the years. You can buy compost - check your local city/county for availability - if you don't make your own. Abd be sure to check out the Soil Forum, the Container Gardening forum (a raised bed is much like a large container ;), and the Sq. Foot Gardening forum here too as they have many great discussions on filling raised beds too. Good gardening! Dave Here is a link that might be useful: How to fill raised beds discussions

Well peat moss is essential for my raised beds. To suggest not using it without knowing intent is bad advice. What you're growing can influence what is best to put in the bed. Compost and peat, which is a form of compost, will eventually breakdown and have to be replaced. In most cases this is not a problem, but say you plan on putting trees in the bed, probably a bad idea to use peat and compost, unless you mound the trees in the bed. Still a bad idea as the roots will not grow well outside the bed, thus limiting the tree's potential. I'm also not sure why you want raised beds? This can influence what you put in too. Unless trying to keep gophers out, I would mix in some native soil from the bottom. Break it up, add some soil and mix it. So you don't have a clear change in soil. That the amended soil slowly turns to native soil on the bottom. This way plants can grow well past the bed into the ground. Such as tomato plants which can grow roots 4 feet long. For blueberries I use peat and pine bark fines. For veggies I use Garden soil, peat and compost. Top soil is the poorest soil around. I would not use it. It's cheap, lacks nutrients, and is fairly useless. Well I like to use it to fill holes in the yard, etc. For trees I would use native soil, and maybe top soil if you don't have enough native soil. You really want the bed to match local soil for trees. If money is an issue, you can use top soil, just add 1/2 compost, 1/2 top soil, and it should be decent. I like using peat, but it is probably not a good idea in the south or the west. It becomes too dry. I only use a small amount of peat 1/5 of total at most. I'm in the Midwest. I also add some kind of mineral, rock phosphate, azomite, green sand, maybe Iron tone. I like to add a bag of worm castings too, and some cheap organic fertilizer, like alfalfa meal. Here's some of my raised beds

Most of us have found that landscape fabric is not all that great and the only reason for putting hardware cloth down would be to deter things like gophers and moles. More than likely what you soil needs is organic matter. You already have "garden soil" and need not buy something that is mostly the mineral component you already have lots of. "Garden soil" is even less well defined than "topsoil" which is most often and at best 95 percent mineral and 5 percent organic matter. Since you already have the mineral component of soil just add organic material to that. Has a good reliable soil test been done, yet? Perhaps these simple soil test might be of some help. 1) Soil test for organic material. From that soil sample put enough of the rest to make a 4 inch level in a clear 1 quart jar, with a tight fitting lid. Fill that jar with water and replace the lid, tightly. Shake the jar vigorously and then let it stand for 24 hours. Your soil will settle out according to soil particle size and weight. For example, a good loam will have about 1-3/4 inch (about 45%) of sand on the bottom. about 1 inch (about 25%) of silt next, about 1 inch (25%) of clay above that, and about 1/4 inch (about 5%) of organic matter on the top. 2) Drainage. Dig a hole 1 foot square and 1 foot deep and fill that with water. After that water drains away refill the hole with more water and time how long it takes that to drain away. Anything less than 2 hours and your soil drains’ too quickly and needs more organic matter to slow that drainage down. Anything over 6 hours and the soil drains too slowly and needs lots of organic matter to speed it up. 3) Tilth. Take a handful of your slightly damp soil and squeeze it tightly. When the pressure is released the soil should hold together in that clump, but when poked with a finger that clump should fall apart. 4) Smell. What does your soil smell like? A pleasant, rich earthy odor? Putrid, offensive, repugnant odor? The more organic matter in your soil the more active the soil bacteria will be and the nicer your soil will smell, to a point. Too much organic matter can be bad as well. 5) Life. How many earthworms per shovel full were there? 5 or more indicates a pretty healthy soil. Fewer than 5, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service, indicates a soil that is not healthy.

Hi figs....do not listen to your neighbor. Container mixes are "soil-less" because of drainage, primarily. Folks who include native soil in their containers are usually trying to save money...a bad idea. Now, as far as your plans on the mound...I really like your idea on ingredients. In that case...you want to incorporate some native soil so your plant can "transition" from the mound to the native soil. It is just a better way to "blend" the mound/native soil. Stick to your guns and do it your way...it will be fine. I would go at least 50% native soil...maybe more. Also, till the ground well before putting your mound on top...and mix in some gypsum along with your mix. PS Put about 3-4" of mulch on top of the mound. Wooden chips from landscapers (free) are used effectively around here. Hope this helps...