Things to Know Before You Buy!
There are things we want you to know and understand before you buy anything from us. Juniper has incredible features and characteristics, and we are convinced that it is the best wood to use for raised garden beds in most situations. We love the way it looks, how durable it is, and the bigger social and ethical story around how and why it is now becoming available to makers, builders, and people with big ideas. We're excited to be a part of that story, and we hope you will be too. However, Juniper is not ideal for everyone or for every solution - its surface is inconsistent and edges are not always clean; Juniper boards generally are available in widths of 6 inches or less; and the supply chain can be inconsistent. Juniper boards are heavy and expensive to ship, making it not economical, in many cases, to return our products if you simply don't like them. Please read through the information below, before you buy a kit from us. Make sure Juniper is the right wood for your raised bed before you buy.
Aesthetics, Surface Features, and Edges of Juniper
Juniper is a beautiful, often highly figured wood. Finding holes, knots, and bark remnants is to be expected. Crisp edges are unlikely to be found on all sides of all boards. The inconsistencies are one of the characteristics that make Juniper unique and desirable to many of us. Part of our philosophy is to eliminate as much waste as possible, and we try to use every inch of the wood we buy. If you have specific surface feature or edge needs in mind, you may place a special order or request. We'll do our best to accommodate your needs, but we may need to charge an additional service charge to find and cut out of our stock wood to match your request.
Packaging and Installation Instructions
We use simple strapping and wrapped corrugated cardboard, with small amounts of tape, as our packaging. Simply cut the straps and tape, and open. You won't find any special interior packaging, because we want to eliminate as much waste as possible. For assembly, we provide self-tapping, exterior grade screws (2 per corner) and a compatible driver bit with every kit. You'll want to use a drill to drive them. Kits are designed so that long/thin boards go on the outside and screw into the shorter/wider boards. Drive screws 1.5-2 inches from top and bottom edges when possible, directly into the center of the shorter/wider board. Take extra care with Djuna-Per kits, as you are screwing deeply into a 1" thick board. To take advantage of the design of the screws we have selected, we don't pre-drill.
Bigger, Taller and Custom Raised Beds - Yes, Please
Many times, people want raised gardens with taller (than 6 inch) or longer (than 4 foot) sides. Our standard kits have been designed with the possibility in mind that you may wish to stack one on top of another, or even to extend them. Additional items may be needed to accomplish this. Clackamas Corners may be suitable for securing stacked beds. Custom sizes and custom colors of Clackamas Corners can be special ordered. Our Connector Plates create a strong, secure joint for connecting two pieces of Juniper end to end. We can include Juniper wooden support pieces and other solutions upon request (additional charges may apply).