When we decided to start a garden in our backyard, we knew we wanted a raised garden bed. We have 2 large dogs and wanted to be sure the garden was safe and that they were safe too!
After some research, we decided on the Gronomics garden boxes. These were simple boxes that seemed to be perfect for the herb garden we wanted to plant.
For more info on how I planted the herb garden, you can check out this post, How I Created My Elevated Organic Herb Garden. For now though, let’s get to assembling the garden boxes!
What Size Garden Box Should I Get?
The size we decided on was the Gronomics 24x48x30″ Rustic Elevated Garden Bed
At 24 inches wide and 48 inches long, and with a 10″ growing depth, seemed to me the perfect container for my new herb garden. The total height of the bed is 30 inches (it stands on legs), and fits perfectly under our living room window in the backyard.
Putting it Together
Okay, now for the fun part…assembling my garden so that I can fill it with leafy, tasty treats. I must admit I was a tad skeptical about Gronomics’ claim of “Tool Free Assembly”. I mean, I knew from the product description that the pieces were dovetailed or notched, thus eliminating the need for screws or nails. Still, I grabbed my trusty rubber mallet, figuring that I’d at least find myself pounding stubborn pins and notches into submission.
As I opened the box, I had the pleasure of a nice. refreshing, makes-me-want-to-be-outside-and-grow-stuff whiff of cedar. Intoxicating. The box was heavy (poor delivery guy!), so I ended up just leaving it in the garage and carrying the boards out to the yard a few at a time. Since I knew I’d be writing a how-to blog, I made them line up nicely and pose for a picture first:
The garden bed came with a simple-to-follow two-page instruction sheet (which is also available as a PDF on their website here). After I checked to make sure all of the parts were there, I was ready to go…
The first two steps involved assembling the long sides (basically just standing up two legs and sliding a long board down into the grooves to connect them). Repeat with the other two legs and long board and you’re already halfway to having the bottom of the frame assembled! The only thing to pay attention to here (aside from possible splinters!) is that you position the legs correctly so that the grooves face the right way.
Next, stand up the two long sides and use one short board on each end to join them, forming the bottom of the rectangular frame:
Slide the remaining two long boards and two short boards down into the grooves on top of the first ones to complete the height of the sides:
Installing the Bottom of the Box
For the box bottom, locate the two bottom panels that have notches cut in two corners; these will rest on either end of the bottom, next to the legs:
Space the remaining bottom panels evenly along the support rails at the bottom of the long side panels. There will be a little space between each panel, which is necessary for proper drainage:
Whew! Almost Done!
Almost done…and hopefully no splinters so far! The next couple of steps involve adding the top caps to the legs. First, remove the black plastic caps covering the screws on the tops of the legs:
Next, position a cap on top of one of the legs with the screw hole centered over the screw.
Now, just twist! Be careful not to over-tighten; the wood is so pretty, you don’t want it to split.
Ta-da!
Once you’re ready to add soil and get to planting, lay down the black liner in the bottom of the bed.
Now, step back, pat yourself on the back and admire your work!
If you have any questions about my garden or need some help with yours, please let us know via our contact form! We are always happy to help. Happy gardening!
