Читать книгу The Organic Garden - Allan Shepherd - Страница 49

Green oak is used in ecological building not only because of its strength but also because it is a home-grown resource. Oak woodlands are a natural feature of the British countryside and provide valuable habitats for wildlife. A single oak tree can host hundreds of different species of wildlife and the loss or decline of many species in Britain can be directly linked to the loss of oak woodland. Oak woodland can be managed sustainably so that any trees felled are replaced by new trees. Oak has been an undervalued resource in the modern age because of the availability of man-made resources for building. By using green oak you can help to provide an economic reason for keeping old woodlands alive, protecting them from the bulldozer. Of course, there is a balance to be struck with the use of woodland resources – demand for oak should not be so great that it encourages unsustainable practices. Green oak is not the only timber that can be used to make sheds and other garden structures. Larch is often used for garden construction, and this is grown widely in the UK. Other woods suitable for heavy construction include beech, pine and Douglas fir. These are conventionally grown in plantations, which are less valuable habitats for wildlife. Whichever wood you choose to use for your shed look for the FSC symbol and, whenever you can, buy from local woodlands or plantations.

complete protection from the rain, a single layer of breathable waterproof membrane has been placed beneath the shingles.

Leave the room and go back along the boardwalk and you come to the stage. This is topped by an amazing parabolic curved roof, an inspiring twist of a roof that really makes you feel as if you’re in a unique space. The stage is all green oak, apart from the balustrades, which are made out of locally cut hazel with the bark stripped off to make them last longer. The balustrades are fitted in a pegged frame. The pegs can be removed, the frame dropped and the hazels replaced every ten years before they begin to rot. The green oak will not rot. It does not need weather-proofing with a chemical treatment, lacquer or paint, which is not the case with the kind of softwoods normally used in manufactured sheds (another environmental saving).

The frame for the stage was made flat on the ground and raised with block and tackle, just like the famous barn-raising scene in the Harrison Ford movie Witness, except without the costumes. Jenny and Mehdi’s friends came to help, pulling the frame up by hand and inching it into place. A frame-raising is a real cause for celebration, a staging post in the building process. It’s a joy you just don’t get with concrete blocks.