Veggies love raised beds and square foot gardening. These are the beds that I layered lots of organic matter: manure, shredded paper, old fruits and vegetables, hay, compost and top soil.*Throughout the summer, the soil in the beds have settled down about 6 inches* To make planting more easy, I used twine and sectioned off one foot squares. Once the plants grow up you can't even tell the string is there. 
You can see that the lettuce loves being squished. I barely have to weed and if I do, I just pluck it out. It has been very interesting to study the critters that share our veggies. In the spinach, I found cutworms, next to that in the dark lollo rossa, I found green cabbage loopers. They like what they like and don't crawl right next door to chow on a different lettuce, even when they are right next to each other. We go out each evening and morning and hand pick off the bugs. I have even spent some time hand washing the broccoli and cauliflower leaves with a little dawn soap and water to get the aphids off. *Next year use row covers with the broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. It's almost impossible to stay ahead of the critters.* I really don't want to resort to any harsh chemicals. I want the children to be able to pick off any fruit or vegetable and eat it on the spot.
You can see that the lettuce loves being squished. I barely have to weed and if I do, I just pluck it out. It has been very interesting to study the critters that share our veggies. In the spinach, I found cutworms, next to that in the dark lollo rossa, I found green cabbage loopers. They like what they like and don't crawl right next door to chow on a different lettuce, even when they are right next to each other. We go out each evening and morning and hand pick off the bugs. I have even spent some time hand washing the broccoli and cauliflower leaves with a little dawn soap and water to get the aphids off. *Next year use row covers with the broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts. It's almost impossible to stay ahead of the critters.* I really don't want to resort to any harsh chemicals. I want the children to be able to pick off any fruit or vegetable and eat it on the spot. Below bottom bed, on the bottom two feet, I planted: marigolds, new zealand spinach, mascara lettuce, old simpson, dark lollo rossa lettuce and bloomsdale spinach. I also snuck some onions in between rows. On the top two feet, I planted the same, but three weeks later. Just in this one 4x8 bed, I can not eat all the lettuce that is ready.
You'll notice in the lower bed, I planted old simpson and dark lollo rossa inbetween cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower plants. As the broccoli and cauliflower plants are growing the lettuce thrives and produces more than I can eat. I absolutely love the red curly lettuces. I also planted pansies and nasturums for edible flowers. They make our salads extra special.
When I pick lettuce, I start as soon as the leaves are 5 inches or more. I just start picking from the outside and they will keep growing. I continue to harvest lettuce until the temperatures get into the 90's. When they start bleeding "milk" I know they are going to be bitter and I stop until the Fall season. I pull out the rest and compost them.
In the bottom bed, I planted onion sets, tomatoes, and herbs. I mulched heavily with straw and it has saved me a ton of time weeding. Whenever I need an onion I pick a few and it serves to thin the onions so they have room to grow.
Here's a picture of some Tom Thumb lettuce. It forms miniature heads. You have to pick them when they are small. They go to seed very quickly. When I plant these next summer, I will definetely plant a small number every two weeks.
Here is a view from up in the kitchen. I just love these raised beds. Only two of the beds are 20 inches tall. Next summer, I hope to add another 10 inches to the other four beds. I have a garden caddy that I can pull inbetween the beds and actually use it as a bench. It makes weeding very handy.
