I’m happy to see these kits available at the North Asheville ACE hardware store near my house. I’m also slightly envious that somebody beat me to it.
When I saw them, I instantly had that “hey, I could’ve made and sold those years ago!” thought — which I guess is kinda like when people see a cool piece of art yet say “hey, even *I* could have done that”. Oh well, you snooze, you lose, right?
I imagine that these will sell well — easy to assemble, fairly manageable size/weight, and the price isn’t too outrageous.
So they’re good for folks who don’t want the DIY experience of building beds from scratch, which can be time-consuming. It eliminates the need to go hunting for cedar lumber and needed hardware, and making all the cuts.
The packaging also says they’re “stackable and expandable” so you’re not limited to the size, which is 4 feet square and 7 inches deep. I think that’s a great size for someone who’s starting out with their first garden — but even better, it can grow as you learn.
Not only do these kits take the hassles out of building your own beds, they even tell you exactly how much soil you’ll need to fill them: 8 cubic feet.
I’m all for anything that gets folks gardening and growing their own food — and I think this is a great idea especially for beginning gardeners and/or people with small yards. Hurray for more yard farmers!!
Asheville Yard Farmer 
Little Sis
April 29, 2012 at 11:39 am
Wow. That really isn’t a bad price, at least compared to others I’ve seen. Thanks for sharing. I know somebody who’s been itching for a raised bed. 🙂
Jewels
April 29, 2012 at 11:55 am
Cool! I haven’t seen these around my area ~ would have saved me a ton of work building my own last month. 😉
JusticeAction
May 23, 2012 at 6:12 am
I am attempting a grdean for the first time, and am unsure of the best spot to plan it. Our house block much of the sun in our yard, so the best spot is at the bottom of a small slope where the water runoff passes, leaving the ground almost always saturated and soft. I planned on building a bit of a raised bed. Is this a good spot to plan my grdean or not? I watched a few videos online and one said it would be a good spot, but I wanted to be sure.Thanks in advance!
ashevilleyardfarmer
June 5, 2012 at 9:42 am
Sorry for the delayed response — I think you’ll be fine with that soft ground since you’re doing a raised bed. It might actually be a good thing to have the raised bed on top of that moist soil, as raised beds typically require more watering than regular garden rows. Best of luck with your first garden — it’s fun!
Jewels
June 6, 2012 at 11:47 am
I don’t think a “saturated” area would be good for a garden, as many plants need good drainage. Building a raised bed there may be okay, but even then it shouldn’t be too wet. Good luck to you! 🙂
Diego
May 23, 2012 at 4:56 am
I had mine built with 2 6 but I had them made 4ft x 6ft. I have used them now for 5 years and love gardening this way. I have more cotornl over the weeds and I don’t seem to get as many pests. But my favorite part about these beds is the fact that I can actually plant at least one month before everyone else does because if I watch the weather report I know if I need to go out and cover the beds with plastic over night. These beds protect your seedlings from the wind too. I keep sheets of plastic like a paint drop cloth rolled up at the end of each bed if I need to cover I just pull the plastic over the bed and secure it with dirt or rocks. I doubt I will ever garden any other way again.Hope this helps. Enjoy