I think the best approach for the soil mix is to use about sixty percent topsoil blended with thirty percent compost and then ten percent perlite for drainage. The raised beds on the south side of the yard get the most light so they will be ideal for tomatoes and peppers. I would recommend building them about twelve inches deep so the roots have enough room to spread out. For the irrigation side of things a simple drip system on a timer would save a lot of manual watering. You can run the main line along the fence and branch off to each bed with individual valves so you can control the flow per section. The mulch layer on top will help retain moisture and keep the weeds down. I usually apply about two inches of shredded bark or straw. Let me know if you want to adjust the layout at all. Regarding the schedule for next month I think we should start planting the cool season crops first like lettuce and spinach around the second week. Then the warm season stuff can go in about a month later once the night temperatures stay above fifty. I have a chart I can share that breaks it all down by variety.

I wanted to follow up on the question you had about the browning technique for the stew meat. The trick that works best for me is to make sure the pan is hot enough before the meat goes in. I usually let it heat on medium-high for a couple of minutes with a thin layer of oil. Then I pat the pieces dry with a paper towel and season them right before they hit the pan. You want to leave some space between each piece so they brown instead of steaming. If the pan is too crowded the temperature drops and the meat releases liquid. I do it in two batches if needed. After each batch I deglaze the pan with a splash of broth or wine to lift the browned bits. That adds so much depth to the final dish. Then once all the meat is browned I return everything to the pot along with the aromatics and liquid. Low and slow for about two hours does it. The texture comes out tender every time. Let me know if you want me to run through the ingredient list as well. I have a version with mushrooms and pearl onions that works really well for colder weather.