As we do every year, we like to try out a few new ideas, plants and growing concepts in our trial gardens at Old World Garden Farms – and this year, one we are really chomping at the bit to have a go this spring with our new 12-1 Olle Garden Bed system.
One thing is for sure, we love growing in raised beds. Not only are they attractive, but they can really eliminate some of the tougher parts of gardening. Like bending all the way down to the ground. Or having to struggle with constant weeding!
Raised beds are a great alternative to traditional gardening methods. They also happen to be perfect for those who might have mobility issues. We use them around our farm along with our main Raised Row garden to grow all kinds of herbs, flowers and extra vegetables.
Up until now, we have always created all of our raised beds from wood. But as we get a bit older, one of the things we keep in mind now is the maintenance and longevity of the things we use. If you do paint or stain the outside edges of a wood bed, it needs attention every few years. And, of course, it does need replaced when it eventually rots.
Raised Bed Options – Trialing The Olle 12 In 1 Garden System
We have looked at other raised bed systems besides wood before, but were always a bit weary of how well they were built, and how well they would hold up. Plastic just never seems to work, and metal can be quite heavy, especially if you have to lug it home from a store!
All of those aforementioned issues are exactly why, when we saw the Olle garden beds, we got excited. First and foremost, they are attractive. The colors available can certainly match any garden scheme. In our case, the Midnight Grey was a near perfect match to our nearby garden shed.
As for durability, they are made of 24 gauge galvanized steel coated with Aluzinc. Aluzinc is a zinc-aluminum alloy, which is both rust-resistant and durable against extreme weather conditions. The long lasting point is important, as being able to garden for fifteen or twenty years in the same vessel would be nice!
But what we really liked was how easy it was to have the garden shipped right to our door. And to boot – how quick and easy it was to assemble! (See video below) In fact, I think it took us all of about 30 minutes to have both of our garden units together. With simple bolts and nuts that came with the kit, it went together fast.
Trialing The Olle 12 In 1 Garden System
There are all kinds of options, but from the kit we ordered we were able to create two 17″ inch tall beds. One is 64 inches long by 24 inches wide, and the other is 17 inches tall and circular at 24 inches wide. See Olle Products, Affiliate Link 10% Off : Olle Garden System
We still have time before we’ll plant the two Olle bed gardens as spring is still a bit away. One thing is for sure, we already love how they look sitting in our test garden. At 17 inches of growing depth, we will be able to grow any vegetable plant or flowers we wish.
To use, we will be filling the bottom 1/3rd portion with shredded leaves, straw, and old wood chips. We will then layer in our growing/potting soil along with some compost. To start, we will most likely plant a few early spring seed crops of lettuce, radishes and spinach to try them out early.
We will be sure to post additional updates and a video throughout the spring and summer as planting season arrives. We are certainly excited to try it, and even more, can’t wait to see how it grows this year! Happy Gardening – Jim & Mary
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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