Landscape & Urban Design Issue 28 2017 | Page 54

Natural stone that looks like wood The improved alternative to using reclaimed timber in garden design, new from CED I f you want that reclaimed style in your garden while still benefiting from the qualities of natural stone then try CED Stone Group’s new product, Slatewood – it naturally looks like rustic driftwood! Black-grey in colour and shot through with golden-brown hues, Slatewood is grained and craggy; making it an excellent alternative to using old or weathered timber in your garden scheme. When pieces of 54 Landscape & Urban Design Slatewood are traditionally split, its minerals give it a natural wave, making it look remarkably similar to worn bark. Visually the effect is just as good, if not better, and like any natural stone material Slatewood is incredibly strong and hard- wearing. Being a completely natural, non-processed stone, Slatewood naturally imitates the normal colour variations found in timber materials due to its own organic mineral combinations, making it a more authentic alternative than more commonly used wood replicas that are usually manufactured from concrete or ceramics. Made primarily of Mica and Quartz minerals with smaller amounts of Sericite and Chlorite, the Quartz minerals grow causing the surrounding minerals to deform, creating eye-shaped formations called Augen which have the appearance of wood knots.