Beginner Gardening: Want to start a raspberry garden in Maryland, 0 by kandiyohiv

kandiyohiv wrote:
I live in the Baltimore, MD area and would like to start a raspberry bush garden in my backyard. Currently my backyard is nearly all dirt and weeds and gets partial sun for most of the day.

Before getting into all of my questions, I guess it makes sense to ask the big one. Will they grow? Should I even bother trying to grow raspberries or are the conditions all wrong?

How should I build this garden from scratch? Should I build it up from the existing ground (for example a log or brick border that I fill in completely with soil) or should I dig up the existing ground and just mix in fresh soil? Any tips on what kind of soil/mulch/other additives that I should use to fill it in with?

My yard also backs up to a wooded area that has bunnies and foxes - any suggestions on how to keep them out of the garden?

What's a good time of year to start planting these? Would now be okay (mid-April)? Do I get the right amount of light to keep them healthy? How often should they be watered?

Any other suggestions on how to grow them or how best to set this up would be much appreciated!! If raspberries are a bad idea, do you have any recommendations on a better kind of fruit to grow in this region?