Anyone got any experience using linkabord raised beds?
I know they're not cheap, but as they'll be in the garden and right next to the house, want something that will look tidyish, and stay that way. Trying to move the veg growing back home, now we've removed all the conifers and the garden gets some light. Will need quite a lot, so making beds from scrap wood could take for ever.
Thanks
Sally
I got mine from Freecycle was so impressed i bought some more. They are good - easy to construct, easy to extend and easy to add to if need be. Soon afterwards I got round to getting timber planks and making home made beds but if you have the money they look lovely.
My plot neighbour has just installed one - I'm not sure if it's Linkabord brand but if not it's an identiical product. She bought sections to make it approx. 12 feet x 3 feet. It looks very tidy at the moment, black and shiny, but I think it's bound to scuff up a bit. It won't rot but I wonder whether the colour will fade and if the plastic will resist an off-target fork!
She found it relatively easy and quick to assemble on her own - it took one call to customer services where the instructions weren't clear.
I made all my raised beds from scrap wood - it didn't actually take that long. I've got 3 that are around 13 feet long and varying widths and 3 that are around 6 feet by 4 feet. What took longest for me wasn't the woodwork, it was installing the beds using a spirit level to get them right. You'd have to do that with the plastic beds too.
Thanks for the replies.
Thanks, Ceres. I wondered if the colour would fade. I suspect I could do just as much damage to a wooden one with a fork. ::) Not with a spade at the moment, though, as OH has managed to snap it trying to remove some tree stumps.
Jellied, how well does stuff grow in them? Any different from the wooden ones?
Thanks again.
Sally
Sally a friend bought herself the Linkabord system for 4 raised beds - proper raised beds that is - high enough to get round in a wheelchair (might be abt 4 boards high, then?) - 8 years ago when she was 75. She bought the green ones and they still look really smart. Last year I thought that the soil seemed a bit sour and compacted so I emptied out half of it and replaced with fresh, manuring 2 of the beds but leaving the other two. Her veggies have always grown well in them, over the years. I'm not sure, but I think I identified Linkabords in a pic Tim once posted 3-4years ago? They're made by the makers of Armillatox, aren't they, btw?
Stuff grows well in them but it's hard to say if it's any better.
It's just the sheer ease of having the border really well defined.
In theory the soil warms up quicker.
Mine are 3 years approx and just as black as they day they were installed. I think only 2 are fully filled, the rest are slowly filling up as i added my own compost each year.
think marshalls sell it :)
Quote from: the-goodlife on February 01, 2009, 09:42:42
think marshalls sell it :)
or go direct to the supplier via the net.Bound to be cheaper I would imagine.
http://www.linkabord.co.uk/home.page
The place its made is only a few miles from me but Ive never been to look!
Finally went up to linkabord for a look today. Saw the various options and colours, got a tour round the process and the nice lady took my scrappy plan to work out exactly what size pieces are needed so they can be cut to length. They said they'll make the beds up there to check they fit together.
Should get a quote early next week. Better get on with clearing the space
Sally
Quote from: ceres on January 30, 2009, 18:22:31
What took longest for me wasn't the woodwork, it was installing the beds using a spirit level to get them right. You'd have to do that with the plastic beds too.
Better not come and check our beds then!! But we like to think of it as 'rustic charm'!!
Weed-Digga