Aiuole rialzate e fioriere
Aiuole rialzate che durano più del giardino in cui si trovano
Il legno marcisce, il metallo arrugginisce, entrambi vanno sostituiti. I fioriere PolyBrick® si assemblano in pochi minuti da plastica 100% riciclata e svolgono il loro lavoro per vent'anni.
Perché PolyBrick è la scelta giusta
Un'aiuola rialzata vive nelle condizioni peggiori possibili per un materiale da costruzione: permanentemente umida su un lato, esposta agli agenti atmosferici sull'altro, a contatto con un terreno in continua decomposizione.
Il legno perde questa battaglia. Anche se trattato, si deteriora dalla faccia interna dove non si vede, e il primo segnale è di solito una parete che si inclina verso l'esterno sotto il peso del terreno bagnato. Il corten e l'acciaio zincato hanno un bell'aspetto ma arrugginiscono alla base, si surriscaldano in estate e costano considerevolmente di più. I blocchi di calcestruzzo funzionano, ma richiedono malta e un muratore per qualsiasi cosa che non sia un tratto rettilineo.
PolyBrick non risente di nessuno di questi problemi. Non marcisce, non arrugginisce, non scheggia, non si ritira né si deforma; il materiale è inerte e non rilascia sostanze nel terreno coltivato, ed è stabilizzato UV, quindi non diventa fragile né sbiadisce al sole.
Si assembla inoltre in pochi minuti. I blocchi si incastrano a pressione, quindi un'aiuola si costruisce senza attrezzi, senza malta e senza alcuna competenza edile: se si riesce ad impilare blocchi, si riesce a costruirla.
Dove funziona meglio
- Orti e aiuole per insalate
- Bordure ornamentali e fioriere
- Aiuole per erbe aromatiche e orti da cucina
- Appezzamenti in orti collettivi
- Aiuole accessibili e ad altezza vita
- Giardini scolastici e comunitari
- Fioriere per patio e cortili
- Alloggiamenti per alberi e arbusti
Riepilogo tecnico
| Assemblaggio | Incastro a pressione. Nessun attrezzo, nessuna malta, nessun fissaggio |
| Forma | Modulare: le aiuole possono avere qualsiasi lunghezza, forma a L, a gradini o a terrazza |
| Base | Solida e livellata. Aperta verso il terreno sottostante o posata su una superficie dura esistente |
| Contatto con il terreno | Inerte. Non rilascia sostanze nel terreno coltivato |
| Materiale | Polipropilene 100% riciclato, stabilizzato UV, prodotto nell'UE con polimeri riciclati |
| Compressione | Testato a 150 tonnellate/m² sotto carico statico fisso |
| Vita utile | 25 anni di garanzia |
| Manutenzione | Nessuna. Niente trattamenti, verniciature, rivestimenti o sostituzioni |
Scegliere l'altezza giusta
L'altezza dell'aiuola è la decisione che determina quanto sarà piacevole utilizzarla, e vale la pena rifletterci prima di ordinare, non dopo.
Bassa, uno o due corsi, adatta alle piante ornamentali, alle colture da insalata e ovunque si voglia principalmente definire lo spazio e aggiungere un po' di profondità al terreno.
Altezza media è la soluzione pratica per l'orto: profondità radicale sufficiente per la maggior parte delle colture, abbastanza profonda da scaldarsi presto in primavera, e comoda da usare sedendosi sul bordo durante il lavoro.
Altezza vita cambia chi può fare giardinaggio. Niente inginocchiarsi, niente piegarsi, raggiungibile da una sedia a rotelle o da uno sgabello. Se qualcuno che usa il giardino ha mobilità ridotta, questa soluzione è trasformativa, ed è la cosa che più spesso le persone desiderano aver fatto. Mantenere la larghezza ridotta in modo che il centro sia ancora raggiungibile da un lato.
Tenere presente che il terreno è pesante e un'aiuola profonda ne contiene una grande quantità. Per strutture particolarmente alte, comunicarci le dimensioni e forniremo indicazioni precise.
How it goes together
- Choose the position: most vegetables want sun, and a bed against a fence is only reachable from one side, so allow for that in the width.
- Clear and level the ground where the bed will sit. It does not need to be a construction-grade base, but it does need to be flat and firm, because the first course sets everything above it.
- Lay the first course and check it with a spirit level in both directions. On a slight slope, dig into the high side rather than packing up the low side.
- Build up in courses, pushing blocks together and staggering the joints between courses. A tap with a rubber mallet seats them fully.
- Cap the top course for a clean finish and a comfortable edge to sit on.
- Fill: coarse material at the base if the bed is deep, then a good topsoil and compost mix. Fill in stages and let it settle rather than filling to the brim in one go.
Filling a deep bed economically
Buying enough topsoil to fill a tall bed to the top is expensive and unnecessary, because most crops never root that deep.
Fill the bottom third with coarse woody material, turf turned upside down, or clean rubble if drainage is the priority. It breaks down slowly, feeds the bed from below, and saves a great deal of bought soil. Then good topsoil and compost above it, which is the layer the plants actually use.
Expect the level to drop over the first year as the base settles and organic matter breaks down. Top up in the second spring rather than overfilling at the start.
Drainage and the ground beneath
Where the bed sits on soil, leave it open to the ground. Roots can go deeper than the bed itself, worms move in and out, and water drains away naturally. Loosen the soil at the base before you fill.
Where the bed sits on a patio, a path or another hard surface, it needs somewhere for water to go, or the bottom of the soil stays saturated and roots drown. A layer of coarse material at the base helps, and raising the bed very slightly on the hard surface lets water escape at the bottom rather than sitting in it.
Shapes, runs and adding on later
Because the system is modular, the bed does not have to be a rectangle. Turn corners, step it down a slope, run an L along two boundaries, or build a series of narrow beds with paths between them.
It also means you are not committing to a final layout on day one. Beds can be extended, shortened or reconfigured later, and blocks from a bed you no longer want go into the next project rather than into a skip. That is a genuine advantage over anything built with mortar or screws.
Get it right first time
The one thing worth knowing: make the paths between beds wider than you think.
Everyone maximises growing space and regrets it. A path that is comfortable when the beds are empty is impassable in July, when everything is leaning over the edges and you are trying to get a wheelbarrow between them.
Allow enough width for a barrow with room either side, and more where you will kneel to work. Growing space you cannot reach is not growing space, and it is far easier to plan generously now than to move an established bed later.
Ask our engineer
Questions about bed heights, filling, or planning a layout? Ask below, or get in touch directly.
Common Questions
Is recycled plastic safe for growing vegetables?
Yes. The material is inert recycled polypropylene and will not leach into growing soil. Unlike some treated timbers there is nothing applied to the surface that can move into the bed, and unlike metal there is nothing to corrode.
It locks the waste plastic up rather than releasing it.
How long will a PolyBrick raised bed last?
25 years under warranty. There is nothing to rot, rust, splinter, shrink or warp, and the material is UV stabilised so it does not go brittle or bleach in sunlight.
It needs no treating, staining or lining at any point.
Do I need tools to build a raised bed?
No. Blocks push-fit together, and a tap with a rubber mallet seats them fully. There is no mortar, no screws and no cutting, so a bed goes up in minutes rather than days and needs no construction skill.
What base does a raised bed need?
Flat and firm ground. It does not need a construction-grade base, but the first course sets everything above it, so level it properly and check with a spirit level in both directions.
On a slight slope, dig into the high side rather than packing up the low side.
How deep should a raised bed be?
Low beds suit ornamental planting and salad crops. Mid height is the practical vegetable bed: enough root depth for most crops, warms early in spring, and comfortable to sit on the edge while working.
Waist height removes kneeling and bending entirely and can be worked from a wheelchair, which is the single most common thing people wish they had done.
What is the cheapest way to fill a deep bed?
Fill the bottom third with coarse woody material, upturned turf, or clean rubble where drainage matters. It breaks down slowly, feeds the bed from below and saves a great deal of bought soil.
Good topsoil and compost go above it, which is the layer plants actually use. Expect the level to drop in the first year and top up the following spring.
Can I build a raised bed on a patio?
Yes, but the water needs somewhere to go, or the bottom of the soil stays saturated and roots drown. A layer of coarse material at the base helps, and raising the bed very slightly on the hard surface lets water escape rather than sitting in it.
Where the bed sits on soil instead, leave it open to the ground.
Can I extend or move a bed later?
Yes. Because the system is modular and there is no mortar or fixings, beds can be extended, shortened or reconfigured, and blocks from a bed you no longer want go into the next project rather than into a skip.
You are not committing to a final layout on day one.
Do the beds need lining?
No. There is nothing to protect: the material does not rot or corrode and does not need separating from wet soil, which is why timber beds are often lined.
Leave the base open to the ground where you can, so roots can go deeper and worms can move in and out.
