Have you seen galvanized raised garden beds and wonder if they live up to the hype? Read my Olle Garden Bed review and see why you need these beds in your garden!
I’ve always liked raised bed gardens. My first gardens were all raised- well they were bordered with about 6 inch boards, but that counts right?
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I live in North Carolina (and Tennessee before that) and clay and rocks have always been an issue for my gardens. Add in bermuda and crabgrass- and in ground gardening can get pretty tough!
So I decided to build a few raised beds for our garden.
First, I did the DIY route. With galvanized metal panels and untreated lumber. They work, but the edges are sharp, the sides bow with the weight of the soil, and the wood is already showing signs of deterioration.
So, I decided to try Olle® Garden Beds– and in short, I love them! And plan on adding a few more each year.
Olle Garden Bed Review
So, many of us already know the benefits of raised bed gardening:
- Less weeds
- Better drainage
- More control over soil quality
- Easier on the back/body
- Some pest/critter protection
And more, so in this review I’ll focus specifically on the actual garden beds.
Benefits of Olle Galvanized Raised Beds
The best part about using galvanized metal raised beds is that they last. For a long time. We’re talking 20+ years. That’s so much longer than any wood will give you!
Olle’s garden beds are made out of 24 gauge galvanized steel. They’re coated to make them rust resistant and are extremely durable.
They are light enough to move around, even after they’re assembled, but heavy duty enough to not bow to warp with the pressure of the soil after they’re filled.
Olle® Garden Beds are also have an open bottom- which is a must for any raised bed. This not only improve drainage, but also allows the soil microbiome to flourish.
They also take all of our concerns into consideration. The beds come with a rubber safety strip that’s placed all along the top edge. Speaking from someone who’s been cut on metal panels- this is a must.
The beds’ coating is also completely food safe so you don’t have to worry about chemicals leaching into your produce.
Another benefit is the fact that the beds can be arranged in lots of different orientations to meet your needs.
We have 3 beds in front of our house in the 2 ft x 8 ft layout (instead of landscaping bushes) and then 3 more up in the garden that are in the 5 ft x 5 ft layout.
And, while not a deal breaker, they also come in great colors- which make your garden look great!
Assembling Olle Garden Beds
Olle® Garden Beds come in multiple pieces and must be assembled.
They are super easy to put together, the longest part of the process is removing the protective plastic from each piece.
The beds we have came with 12 different panels that have to be bolted together in the configuration of your choice.
The directions are simple and easy to understand and all the hardware and tools are included in the package. It can be helpful to have a battery ratchet or socket drill to make things go a little quicker.
Here are a few tips to make assembling your Olle Garden Bed easier:
- Remove the protective plastic from all the panels before you start.
- Assemble on a flat surface (the ones I built on my deck were so much easier than the ones I did out in the garden)
- Layout the entire garden on the ground first before you begin assembling.
- Pay attention to your overlapping- make sure you do it the same each time
I like to assemble all the sides first and then attach them to the corners with one bolt. Once the whole bed is standing, I go back and do the rest of the corner bolts.
The beds can easily be assembled by one person. I did all of them by myself, with a little help from my youngest son.
Once they are together, go through and double check that all the bolts are tight.
And then you can move it in to place. The beds are easily carried by 2 people.
Then it’s time to fill. You can read my article on How to Fill a Raised Bed for Cheap for more information on how we filled our raised beds.
More Olle Garden Bed Benefits
Not convinced yet? Here are some more benefits of Olle Garden Beds:
- The beds are heat resistant. The coating reflects the heat from the sun and protects the beds from overheating in the summer.
- The beds are 17 inches tall- making them the perfect height- not too tall, not too short.
- They are 100% food safe! They’re made with food grade coating that is safe for vegetable gardening.
- They’ll last for 20+ years- which saves you money in the long run. No more replacing wood every few years.
- No support brackets needed. The way the beds are assembled means they can withstand the weight of the soil without bowing.
- You can even place the beds on a solid surface such as concrete or wood- just add something at the bottom such as plastic or a bed liner to protect your surface.
- They come in lots of color options such as sage green, cobalt blue, barn red, and ivory.
Ready to purchase your Olle Gardens Raised beds? Use code SARAHTONEY to get 10% off your order here.
