Two-thirds (66%) of garden owners in the UK would choose wood when buying new sheds and other garden items according to a new survey by OnePoll for Forest Garden.

The survey also discovered that millennials are the most environmentally conscious garden shoppers with 57% of them choosing to buy wooden garden furniture because it is more sustainable compared to 44% of 25 – 34-year-olds.

Almost half of those surveyed said that they are likely to buy from UK-based garden furniture makers whilst 1 in 10 also admitted that they look for FSC certification and carbon neutral manufacturers when purchasing wooden items for their garden.

People also admitted that over the last two years they have been adding new elements into their gardens such as wildlife ponds, hedgehog feeding stations, wildflower meadows and have generally tried to make their green spaces more wildlife friendly.

Jenny Davis, head of marketing for Forest Garden said: “It’s great that gardeners are thinking to the environment and interesting that it’s the younger adults that are really embracing wood in their gardens as a sign that they are doing that right thing by buying more sustainably. Overall, wood is the preferred choice in the garden compared with 15% that would prefer plastic and 7 % metal. Interestingly over two-fifths (41%) said that they believed wood to be cost-effective.

“It's all about choosing the right products that work for you whilst also having one eye on the life span of that of that product,” she continued. “Many wooden items of quality are pressure treated and have a 15-year guarantee and simple maintenance will ensure a long life. It is a natural resource so, if you choose, it will feed the ground from which it came, unlike plastic, leaving no particles that could be potentially harmful or have a lasting impact on the environment.

“What’s more, you can paint and style wood easily and creatively as fashions change. A wooden shed could become a bar or an office. Other items could be reused and repurposed which is something that 27% of people in the survey admit to doing. Wood is something that can adapt to what it needs to be whilst also looking incredibly stylish according to 71% of 18 – 24-year-olds.”

Forest Garden, the UK brand leading manufacturer of timber sheds, fencing, structures, garden furniture and planters, is the first large-scale producer in the sector to become carbon neutral. Using mainly FSC® certified timber grown in UK and sawn at its own sawmill in Lockerbie, it ensures that everything from sourcing to sawing, manufacturing to haulage is now carbon neutral. 

For full details and to find the nearest Forest Garden stockist, visit www.forestgarden.co.uk