Beds are cool but for better control of your garden go with pots. You're pretty much stuck with a bed garden's design as you don't want to be moving your plants around simply because you realize down the road that your spacing isn't adequate. More importantly is your lighting needs are fixed, unless unlike me, you have an unlimited source of money and can supplement. If money is an obstacle then use pots so that you can rotate your plants. What I mean by this is I take my plants on the right side of my light and switch with the plants on the left and the plants in the back are switched with the plants in the front. This way all receive the best "primary light" from my light source. I grow 8 plants in a 4' x 4' area with a border of 9" around my plants, with my walls, ceiling and floor painted flat white. I took a 3/4 sheet of plywood with casters (wheels) attached to facilitate pulliing my entire grow area out for watering and movement of the plants. Bottom line is that beds are too restricted much more control with pots. My two cents worth.