Use the Burpee product for pathways around the bed, but use newspaper (no glossy colored paper)-minimum of 6 sheets for the base of your bed. Overlap each piece so you have NO gaps. Layer peat, soil, peat, grass clippings, peat, 6-8" shredded leaves, peat, compost or bone meal-repeat until the bed is 8-12" taller than your raised bed sides. It should all compost during the winter-if needed you can cover it with black plastic in February and let it 'cook' until the first of April. When you begin planting you'll find it full of earthworms and you can penetrate the newspaper when you plant and find that soil is warm, moist and full of worms as well, 16-18" of these layers can compost to about 6". Just layer away and pick up all of the bags of leaves up and down your road before the garbage man comes. Free, excellent compost and leaf mold will be abundant next spring-it makes excellent starter pots for all of the Burpee seeds you'll starting in March/April.

Use crushed oyster shells or make cages with 1/2" netting-square works better than poultry netting. I've seen 12"x12"x6" selling for about $10 each, but I made 5 cages 6"x6"x6" for $4. The smaller will hold 4-6 tulips or 2 lilies. Both work. You can also put out mouse traps this winter-close to tunnels-using peanut butter as bait and cover the traps with a large pail so you don't trap dogs or cats. You will be amazed at how many voles you'll catch. I've read the tip in the past but prefer to using fewer chemicals if possible. Save the BonAmi for the kitchen and bath.