Vego Garden 17" Tall 10-in-1 Modular Raised Garden Bed Kit - Metal Planter Box for Vegetables, Flowers & Herbs (British Green) - Perfect for Backyard Gardening, Urban Farming & Outdoor Decor

I enjoy gardening simply for the fun of it. Five years back, I made two 4' x 4' beds using 2" x 6" untreated lumber; unsurprisingly, they rotted after a year and a half. Why not treated lumber? Safety concerns. Why not cedar? Expensive. So what about the Vego garden? Read on.I recently received the Vego garden as a complimentary product to review. I thought comparing the Vego garden to a wood option would be a good idea in terms of both cost, weight, and safety. For a DIY project, wood is the first option a homeowner will likely purchase. Rather than comparing the Vego's 4' x 8' configuration to a wood 4 x 8' build, I'm comparing the Vego 4' x 8' against two 4' x 4' wood gardens. Two 4' x 4' wood gardens are something more likely that a homeowner would make, especially given the weight of wood.Remember, the Vego garden is 17" tall. To get that same height will require 10" boards, deck screws, and boards on the inside to connect the panels and the corners. Remember, lumber comes in nominal sizes; a 10" board is only 9.25". Stacking two boards will give you 18.5", just 1.5" higher than the Vego garden.Since we have a Menards nearby and it's the cheapest lumber in the area, I used their pricing. Below are three builds: treated lumber, cedar, and Vego. You'll find thoughts at the end of each section. I hope you enjoy this review and the Vego garden even more.***One Vego 8' x 4' garden vs. Two wood 4' x 4' gardens***OPTION: TREATED LUMBERWhile the EPA banned CCA (chromated copper arsenate) in 2003, there are still questions about the safety of the chemicals used in today's treated lumber. The simple fact that you must use specific screws that will not interact with the chemicals in the wood raises that question.Supports Ground Contact: YesDurability: 10+ yearsWeight: 169 lbs per 4 x 4 garden (338 lbs total)Total Cost: $153.24Tools: Impact driver and power saw.Material: Treated Lumber 2" x 10" x 8' ($15.27 / 40 lbs / qty: 8) = $122.16 (320 lbs) 2" x 4" x 8' ($7.68 / 9 lbs / qty: 2) = $15.36 (18 lbs) Stainless Steel Deck Screws (2.5") = $15.72Build Time: 1 daySafety: Suspect.The weight alone is crazy. It also requires some power tools. You either build this where you want it or get some strong friends to help move it. Sure, you can buy nails and use a hammer. You can also buy the boards in 4 x 4 sizes. It doesn't change the time or the cost; it increases the labor. I'll pass.CEDAR LUMBERCedar seems like a good choice. It's natural, non-corrosive, fights off bugs, rot, etc. The problem is that it can't withstand ground contact. A raised garden made of cedar is like burying half of it under the ground. The boards will be much lighter, though, as they are 1/2 the thickness of treated lumber. The downside is that they are expensive!Ground Contact: NoDurability: 10 years?Weight: 42 lbs per 4 x 4 garden (84 lbs total)Total Cost: $406.14Tools: Impact driver and power saw.Material: Lumber 1" x 10" x 8' ($47.19 / 10 lbs / qty: 8) = $377.52 (80 lbs) 1" x 2" x 8' ($5.92 / 2 lbs / qty: 2) = $11.84 (4 lbs) Stainless Steel Deck Screws (1.5") = $16.78Build Time: 1 day.Safety: Excellent.A much better option for safety, but it's not great for ground contact or as much water as you put on it. While the weight is much better, the price is insane. If money is no object and you love the look, go for it. I don't see many people going for this option unless it's gardening and aesthetics.VEGO GARDENThe folks at Vego have done their homework to find something in the perfect range of price + safety. Let's go over the basics.Ground Contact: YesDurability: 20+Weight: 40 lbs total @ 4' x 8'Total Cost: $259.95Tools: Screwdriver and wrench (no power tools)Material: Aluzinc metalBuild Time: 45m - 90mSafety: Excellent.It's half the weight of cedar, supports ground contact, and is safe for food. It also has the added benefit of needing only a screwdriver and a wrench to assemble. It comes in four different colors and has ten configurations. While the manual says assembly time is 45m, give yourself some extra time. If you aren't sure you like where it is, at 40 lbs, move it. Pricewise, it's right in the middle of cedar, treated lumber, and better than both options material-wise.Here are some added benefits:Space-Saving:Cedar is 13/16" thick, and treated lumber is 1.5". The Vego garden is so thin I didn't bother to measure it. It'll fit just about anywhere.No Sharp Edges:Vego has rolled the metal's top and bottom edges. Even the corners and edges that connect aren't sharp. For additional safety, they even include a heavy-duty rubber edged to guarantee you'll have zero concerns.Height:17" should keep the rabbits out. Honestly, most homeowners aren't going to stack their boards to get to 17" anyway; it's too much extra work. That means a max height of 10" - 12" and putting up a fence; more work.The Product Itself:I've included several of the packaging and product. The packaging is top-notch, and Vego has covered each piece with plastic to prevent scratching during transport. You can see the rolled edging and the holes for assembly. The color of my product is olive-green.Downsides:The only downside I could think of to the Vego garden was the potential to scratch it. While I didn't want to try, it seemed that it would be rather unlikely to occur. A scratch would only be an aesthetic issue as galvanized beds are safe for gardens; another good reason to purchase the Vego garden.20+ Years?Will the Vego garden last for 20+ years? I don't know. That's a long time. Even if you get half of that, it's better than the other options available.Final thoughts:I certainly wish I'd known about Vego sooner. It's an excellent product for the price. It requires no power tools and 45m - 90m of your time. The result is that you can get gardening right away.