Timber Sourcing & Sustainability
We are a small workshop, so we would rather tell you plainly what we buy, how we treat it and how long we expect it to last than make claims we cannot stand behind. Simply Wood is the trading name of Abloom Limited, based at The Former Buffer Depot on Main Street in Wheldrake, just outside York.
The timber we buy
Almost everything we make is cut from solid European redwood pine, a commercially grown plantation softwood used widely across UK construction and joinery. It is a comparatively fast-growing crop rather than a slow-growing hardwood, which is a large part of why it is a sensible choice for garden furniture: it is replanted as it is harvested, it machines cleanly, and it takes preservative treatment well.
We use solid boards throughout, not veneer, plywood or composite. Planter walls are 19 mm and raised bed walls are 22 mm, which is thicker than most of the flat-pack imports sold at similar prices. Thicker boards matter for longevity as much as for strength, because there is simply more timber to weather before the structure is affected.
Why we pressure treat
Every piece is vacuum pressure treated for above-ground outdoor use before it reaches us. The treatment is drawn into the timber rather than brushed on the surface, which guards against rot and insect attack for years without you having to repaint or re-oil annually. The most environmentally useful thing a garden planter can do is not need replacing, and treatment is the single biggest factor in that.
Fixings are countersunk stainless steel, with internal battens behind the joints. Stainless steel will not bleed rust into the timber or fail before the wood does, so the frame stays square and repairable rather than becoming scrap when a screw head shears.
Built in Yorkshire rather than built for a warehouse
Our made-to-measure work is built here in Yorkshire instead of being imported by the container and stored until it sells. The standard sizes in our shop are held in stock, cut and assembled in the same workshop. That means fewer pieces built speculatively, less stock written off at the end of a season, and a much shorter journey from bench to garden. It is also why we are happy to quote for a custom size: a bed that actually fits your garden is a bed that does not get replaced in two years.
How it ages, and what to do at the end
Left alone, natural treated timber weathers to a soft silver-grey over a season or two. That is a surface change, not decay, and no maintenance is required. If you prefer to keep the fresh honey tone, an exterior wood stain every few years will hold it.
When a piece finally reaches the end of its life, the boards are often still sound enough to re-use for edging, compost bays or bracing, and the stainless fixings can be unscrewed and kept. Please note that pressure treated timber should not be burned on a domestic fire, bonfire or wood burner. Take it to your local household waste recycling centre and use the treated timber stream, where staff can point you to the right skip.
Ask us anything
If you want to know more about a specific batch of timber before you order, email support@simplywooduk.com or call us free on 0800 118 5141. We would rather answer the question properly than leave you guessing.