I know about the heat. Yesterday was 93 with 80% humidity. Felt like 105

This isn't red clay, such as in Alabama. This is dark grayish-brown. And my lawn growing straight out of it looks quite green.

@MikeInBatonRouge , red clay here is really red in some places. Bright orange in others. Here is western ky. Some places have beautiful, rich, black soil and some red. Damned coal companies have destroyed much of the topsoil. Timber companies even more.

@freeofgod that sucks. That angry, defensive attitude of coal country communities reminds me of the tobacco farmers,...staunchly defending the very thing that is slowly killing them. Ah, the power of money.

@MikeInBatonRouge Sounds like you are dealing with river silt; the biggest problem with it is compaction. A mulch material along with a porous material like charcoal and ash mixed into it will work wonders it is not a sterile soil at all and normally contains a good balance of calcium and magnesium as well as other nutriments laid down by the river.

no don't quit your job, gardening do better with patients and respect for the earth. Everything happen with time. Enjoy your new home.

@Arshi in reality, there is no way I can quit my job. It is what is paying for the house. I just said I feel like it. I need a long vacation, is all. ?

Thanks, and yes! My three central tools in my home search were Zillo, the local crime map and the revised flood zone map. Absolutely crucial. Just bought insurance for flood (which is optional but essential) and it will be activated Aug 4th. No floods allowed between now and then!!!! For those not near Baton Rouge, we had a major devastating flood in August is 2016. My little neighborhood escaped floodwaters, but just barely. Still, it is nice to know it is on a little higher ground.
I was given some salvage bricks, enough for one layer circumference around the central(larger) bed. I am thinking of digging a little trench all around, laying down weed barrier cloth, then pouring a concrete footing and coming back to mortar in bricks on top, leaving periodic little gaps for drainage.would like to have enough for a second layer, but will have to keep searching.

@MikeInBatonRouge You are an intelligent thinker . I'd be very conservative on the drainage spaces . When things flood , you don't want the water running in , and you most certainly don't want your topsoil leaking out . With a good well seated first layer , you can always come back to it later , and add an additional layer of bricks . You must also take the house weep holes into consideration . The dirt must not cover your weep holes , or you'll have water draining into the house . I hired a crew to raise mine all the way around my place .

@Cast1es , you know a lot about that stuff.

@Cast1es no worries about the house. As no raised beds will even come within 6 feet of the house.

@freeofgod Have been a homeowner for a L O N G time .

@MikeInBatonRouge I've been interested in remodeling for decades , and started a site here for that . Would you care to join it . Called Home remodeling .