This week is National Gardening Week, and from the 13-19th April we're all encouraged to get outside into our own, and others' gardens.
A garden is a great place to spend time outdoors, play, get creative, and learn the skills it takes to look after a whole host of plants and wildlife. But gardens are full of a lot more than soil and plants - there are the tools you use, the sheds you keep them in and the many other wooden parts, such as fencing and decking, that make up a modern garden. In all, there's probably a lot more wood in your garden than you thought.
Where this wood comes from is important. The rules governing the transport of timber into the European Union doesn't even ensure that everything you're buying is legal, and companies may have absolutely no way of tracing where their wood comes from.
The best solution is to always look for the FSC logo on wood products. Everything you can think of for your garden can be bought made from FSC certified wood, which means it comes from a responsibly managed forest where the environment is protected, the workers are treated fairly, and the community prospers. Every garden center should have FSC certified products. If you can't find them, ask. It would be tragic if when buying something in order to make your own outdoor space beautiful, you inadvertently bought something that resulted in deforestation or was from illegal logging.
If you're planning on ordering online, you can find a whole list of FSC certified suppliers on our database. Simply select 'United Kingdom' on the country tab and 'W13 Outdoor furniture and gardening' on the first product tab and hit search! You can also narrow it down further as there are over 2500 suppliers!