The four main beds are arranged as follows: in the northwest raised bed are planted medicinal herbs, used in the preparation of unguents and elixers, teas and various compounds to treat a variety of common illnesses and medical needs; the southwest raised bed contains culinary herbs and spices, plants that were used in cooking and seasoning foods (some of the same plants show up in both beds, as they were used in more than one capacity); the northeast raised bed is home to a variety of herbs used for dyeing cloth and preserving foods, and some pungent flowers used to protect plants from pests; and the southeast raised bed is a vegetable garden, containing ordinary foods the colonial settlers lived on.