Dirt Locker®, known for transforming steep, erosion-challenged slopes into lush, terraced gardens, is now expanding its innovation to level terrain. The company’s newly released raised bed system empowers city dwellers, renters, and small-lot owners to cultivate vibrant gardens—no digging, tools, or permanent hardware required.
Dirt Locker®’s signature curved rings revolutionized hillside gardening by stabilizing soil and enabling flourishing plant life on slanted, otherwise unusable terrain. As popularity grew, customers wondered whether the same rings could work on patios or flat yards.
“Technically, yes,” explains founder Mark Trebilcock, “but they weren’t designed with flat surfaces in mind.” That prompted the development of a purpose-built system that maintains the brand’s core values—sustainable materials, interlocking modular design, no nails or bolts—while catering to the specific needs of small and flat-space gardening.
Each component is a semi-flexible arc made from post-consumer recycled plastic. Users can connect these arcs into circles, crescents, peanut shapes, or custom curves, then stack them vertically to create a raised bed. This approach draws inspiration from traditional African keyhole gardens, incorporating a compost chamber in the center. As kitchen scraps decompose in this central hub, nutrients and moisture flow outward, supporting healthy root systems and conserving water.
“Nature doesn’t move in straight lines,” says Trebilcock. “Our design works with organic forms, not against them.”
Unlike conventional wooden or metal raised beds—which often require saws, screws, and permanence—the Dirt Locker® raised bed can be assembled by hand and disassembled just as easily. The pieces nest neatly into a car trunk, offering a garden solution that can move with its owner. This makes it ideal for renters, those living under HOA restrictions, or mobile urban farming initiatives.
Each 6-inch-high tier is multifunctional. Upper layers can be lifted off to harvest root vegetables like carrots and potatoes without disrupting the bed. Lower rings are perfect for herbs or flowering plants that can cascade over the edge. The central space can either be used for composting or to support a compact fruit tree.
Raised beds provide better drainage and warm up more quickly in spring, extending the growing season. At the same time, the integrated compost core helps retain essential moisture—especially valuable in water-conscious urban areas.
The concept took root when Trebilcock joined forces with former NFL player Garry Gilliam on a project in Harrisburg, PA, aimed at turning vacant buildings into urban farms. When asked if Dirt Locker® could be adapted to help grow potatoes in small courtyards, Trebilcock realized the need for a deep, modular, and movable garden option for non-homeowners. “That request was the spark,” he recalls. “If we could solve it there, we could solve it anywhere.”
Whether circling a rooftop tree, framing a patio, or creating a garden on a concrete slab, the Dirt Locker® raised-bed system gives underutilized flat spaces new life. Gardeners can begin with a single tier and add on over time. The kits ship flat, require no tools to assemble, and are fully recyclable at the end of their lifecycle.
For Dirt Locker®, this product is more than just a new offering—it represents a broader mission: making homegrown food accessible to everyone, no matter their landscape or living situation. “We helped people make gardens on their hillsides,” Trebilcock says. “Now we’re giving the rest of the world a way to garden wherever they live.”
As cities grow and concerns about food security mount, Dirt Locker® delivers a clear message: if one has a patch of ground—even a small one—one can grow their own food. And when it’s time to move, the garden can go too.
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For more information about Dirt Locker, contact the company here:
Dirt Locker
Caitlin Reid
caitlinr@dirtlocker.com
