Whats the Best Wood to Burn?

Dorset Log Stores is tucked away in a little wayward corner of the sleepy Blackmore Vale in the centre of Dorset, so you'd think that having lived here for just over a decade I'd know a bit more about the countryside than I do. Don't get me wrong here, I was born in the home counties, know the difference between a sheep and a cow and I am as green fingered as the next Alan Titmarsh, however when it comes to trees identification I find myself sadly lacking.

Luckily, the Bosses can spot a Horse Chestnut tree from a thousand paces and have been working, constructing and building with timber for over fourteen years. As such, they know a little bit more about trees than this humble office monkey. 

We have converted this great encyclopedia of knowledge into a help information page on what sort of wood is best for chopping and storing in your log store for the roaring fires in the cold winter months. 

Log Baskets

• APPLE  - Extremely hard stuff once seasoned. Apple wood burns with a gorgeous aroma and doesn't tend to spark or spit. 
• ASH -  One of the best woods for fuel producing lovely flames and great heat, even as green wood. The branches are often used as kindling. 
• BEECH - Very good firewood that produces both heat and flame. Can be known to spark and must be seasoned for a whole year.
• BIRCH - A good firewood producing a great fire. Burns quickly, even if unseasoned. The branches are often used for kindling. 
• CHERRY - Burns slowly without spitting and giving a pleasant smell, but must be seasoned well. 
• ELM - Needs a long seasoning due to its huge water content. When seasoned it burns slowly giving off a good heat. 
• HORSE CHESTNUT - Requires a long seasoning and spits a lot, however provides both a good flame and heat. 
• OAK - Excellent firewood. Burns slowly giving off plenty of heat. Best left to season for two years or can give off an acrid smell when burnt. 
• PINE - Good flame and scent but spits and leaves oily soot in the your chimney. 
• SYCAMORE - Good firewood burning well, but produces little heat. 
• WILLOW - Burns well if properly seasoned. 

Of course there are far more trees than this list and there is further information on the Dorset Log Stores Wood Burning Guide, which covers more trees that you might want to burn through the winter and importantly the ones that you will want to avoid. 

The Blackmore Vale

With the drawing in of the winter nights and the ever growing need to warm my toes of an evening against the roaring blaze of a crackling fire, I'd better start studying and learning the difference between a Elm and a Sycamore.

Thanks for Reading

James 

Trees in Mythology

Thanks to stories like Alice in Wonderland, with it's rabbit hole under a tree leading to Wonderland (a favourite of ours here at Dorset Log Stores), the Ents of Tolkien's epic Lord of the Rings, even to the contemporary Whomping Willow of Harry Potter, trees have a place in our collective conscience as places of magic and enchantment. In fact trees and woods have featured throughout myths and legends.

Olive Trees

In Ancient Greek mythology, a contest between Athena and Poseidon over naming Greece's greatest city, was won by the goddess Athena after she created and gifted them the olive tree as her gift. The olive tree was a vital export product for the city, providing food and oil, making Athens rich, so it is no surprise that this tree was woven into the very naming of their great city.

Similarly, in Greek mythology, trees were inhabited by demi-goddesses Dryads, beautiful tree nymphs who lives were linked to the their tree.

Ancient Greece even had a myth to explain why the almond tree flowered earlier than others, Phyllis missed her lover who was away at war so much that she was close to pining to death. Taking pity on her, the Goddess Athena turned her into an almond tree. Returning from the war, her lover heard what happened and kissed the almond tree in sorrow. It immediately burst into flower, even though its leaves had not started to bud and has done so ever since.

19th Century Depiction of Yggdrasil by Oluf Bagge

In Norse mythology, a tree is actually at the centre of the whole universe. The tree Yggdrasil is a central cosmic tree who's branches and roots extend far out into the heavens encompassing the nine known worlds of Norse mythology.

In the Jewish and Christian faith the tree plays a central role in their creation myths and as an explanation of the world itself. After Eve and Adam eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, at the behest of the wicked serpent, they are cast out of the Garden of Eden forever.

Trees of peace, such as those believed by the Iroquois Indians to be central to the founding of their confederacy, to groves of sacred trees are known to exist in Asia, India and across Africa, with penalties for those who violate them.

Trees as symbolic, ritual and mythical things stretch far beyond our recent stories, so next time you are filling your log store up ready for a cold evening, be sure to remember a story or two all about trees. 

The Little Okeford Store

Having recently moved in the last few months, my new garden consists of an area of sixteen paving slabs; covered in a table and chairs, fifteen potted plants and trees (including my much beloved Acer tree) and my mini chiminea for lazy summer evenings outside.

The smaller log store

Like many people up and down Great Britain my garden is compact, and here at Dorset Log Stores we have had many requests for smaller stores for gardens with either an economy of space, or to go directly outside the back door. The last thing you want on a cold and windy, rainy night is to trudge down to the bottom of your garden path in your dressing gown and slippers to get some more logs for the fire, or take up half the space in your small garden with a large log store.

Little Okeford Log Store

The Little Okeford Log Store is new to our range for 2014 and is a baby version of our popular Okeford Log Store, measuring 89cm x 60cm x 130cm. A simple, multi-purpose open fronted store, its classic design comes with a removable middle shelf. The Little Okeford has been designed to be used as a log store and has the same 3/4 inch gap between its boards for maximum ventilation, as well as its protective forward sloping roof.

Perfect for the re-cycling box

It has also been designed, using its removable middle shelf to hold two recycling boxes (max recycling box size 60cm x 50cm x 38cm). The perfect way to store those large green boxes out of sight.

It is also an ideal size for ready to use logs when it comes to barbeques, chiminea or fire pits on long summer evenings. These compact garden stores can be used for almost anything you can think of in the garden, and being built from our high quality pressure treated Scandinavian Redwood they will be a feature of your garden for years and years.

The Little Okeford Recycling Boxes

The Little Okeford Log Store is a practical and stylish store, that will fit in your garden and is ready for whatever you require of it, I've already been busy marking out where mine will be going on my sixteen paving slabs.

Thanks for Reading
James