permaculture

[Mikal Jakubal <mjakubal@asis.com>]

Anybody have opinions on keyhole beds? I've now got these piles of loose
top soil in the garden (which is now about a half-acre or so) where I want
beds and I'm trying to figure out just how to shape them. Keyhole beds
*look* cool, but are they really that useful compared to say straight 4'
beds with 2' paths between them? In the latter scheme, I'd never have to
walk on the beds--which seems like a good thing. I'm concerned with the
idea of "one visit" crops being so far back that harvest requires walking
in the bed. What about weeding, mulching, checking drip lines and so on? It
seems like these activities will mean lots of trampling unless the whole
thing can be reached from paths. 

How many people on this list actually use keyhole beds? And how do you like
them? Would you design them in again next time? Any advice appreciated.
Thanks!

Mikal