It started as a family project in an East Cork back garden.

Now Brian and Naomi O’Hara, from Garryvoe, have launched Mia, a homegrown Cork company designing and manufacturing aluminium raised garden beds that are built to last and can be assembled in just five minutes.

The idea for Mia (Made In Aluminium) first took root when Naomi wanted raised beds at home so the couple’s young daughters could learn where their food comes from. All the available products on the market seemed to be industrial-looking corrugated steel or heavy timber beds that would require a full weekend to build and then rot within a few years.

“I couldn’t find one that was both easy to build and built to last, so I made one, and it turned into a company,” said Brian.

Designed and manufactured in Cork, the raised beds cost €495 for a Starter Bed, come with a 30-year guarantee and are made using recycled aluminium. According to the couple, each starter bed repurposes the equivalent weight of around 450 aluminium cans.

The family is already putting the beds to good use at home, although Brian jokes that their nearly three-year-old has taken on the role of “chief inspector”.

“She’s mostly busy pulling up beetroot that isn’t quite ready yet!” he laughed.

The couple hope their Cork-made product will encourage more families to grow their own fruit and vegetables while making gardening simpler and more sustainable.

From fresh herbs and salad greens to strawberries, potatoes and tomatoes, they claim that a well-planted Mia bed can feed a family and pay for itself within a season.

Interested in getting your own garden up and running? Check out the Mia range here.