Did you know that teak has been used worldwide since its use in shipbuilding in the Middle Ages? As popular as ever today, we take a closer look at teak garden furniture and teak throughout the ages

Teak grows in most areas between the Tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. There are three species: Tectona grandis, Tectona hamiltoniana (Dahat Teak) and Tectona philippinensis (Philippine Teak).

Used for centuries in shipbuilding, it was in the late 1800s that teak began to be used seriously for garden furniture. Heavily admired in its native India, teak soon travelled to Victorian England, where teak benches and chairs became the perfect compliment to an English garden. Popular in the 1950s and 1960s in a style often known as Danish modern, teak garden furniture had a second boom in popularity and now teak is one of the most sought-after types of vintage furniture. Today teak is still used for shipbuilding, the construction of homes and in the creation of beautiful, durable indoor and garden furniture sets.

Teak has many amazing qualities which make it popular with garden furniture manufacturers and homeowners alike. It is the platinum of the wood world. It is so sought-after, in fact, that until recently it was under threat of extinction due to excessive deforestation. It is becoming much more important to consumers to know where and how their food and household products are sourced. It is no different for consumers of teak garden furniture. Consumers of teak garden furniture, like to know that the teak used to construct the furniture has come from properly managed plantations, where the amount of wood that can be felled is strictly controlled.

The world's first teak plantation was raised at Nilambur during the 1840s, paving the way to ensure a steady supply of teak timber in the face of dwindling resources in the natural forests. Since then, teak plantations have spread steadily not only in its native range, but also in other tropical regions across the world, such as Java. When Indonesia was the Dutch East Indies, the far sighted Dutch colonists established vast teak plantations, as they realised that in the good soil of Java it could become a highly valuable cash crop. After independence in 1945 the government nationalised the teak plantations. A government department (Perum Perhutani) still controls them. They restrict the annual cut to the amount that they actually replant. Seedlings and saplings can be seen in areas all over the teak ‘forest districts’ as they are called.

If you are looking for quality teak garden furniture sets you should take a look at our extensive range. Call us now on 01726 817656.