The micro contrast and your interpretation/processing of a RAW will be better than a JPEG file. Post processing a RAW file is better, more personal and has potential for greater variety than a JPEG file.
The virtues of a RAW file have long been promoted by experts in digital photography.
I have personally experienced the virtues of RAW files when I accidentally changed my camera settings to saving to JPEG instead of RAW files. The resulting images looked a bit punchier at first glance but when I looked closer, the shadow detail was lost in blackness. The JPEG versions seemed too heavy handed especially for a detailed ‘beautiful garden” picture. A standard JPEG conversion works over the entire image. A JEPG file could be a quick solution for some photo situations but it is not usually the best for garden photography.
When applying post processing I do not always add an effect over the entire photo. I will often add selective sharpening and contrast to the areas that I wish to emphasize. The human eye looks for edges, contrasts and things that stand out from the rest. You may not want to push the emphasis caused by contrast and hard edges over the entire photograph.