SIMPLE BENTWOOD GARDEN PROJECTS
'Bentwood'
is the practice of bending flexible woody shoots into useful objects.
Itinerant peoples throughout the world construct bentwood houses,
the first coracles, small boats, were made from a bentwood lattice
of shoots while Bentwood furniture making was a popular garden furniture
style in the USA. This factsheet describes simple bentwood projects
that make use of easily available material and will save you money
as well as make your garden more attractive.
SIMPLE TRELLIS
MATERIAL (* flexible) TOOLS
2 x 3600mm (12') long*, base diam. 45mm.4 x 900mm (3') long, base
diam. 45mm1 x 2100mm (7') long, base diam. 45mm4 x 1800mm (6') long,
base diam. 25mmSelection of nails including 2, 3 and 4" Garden
wirePliersHammer Loppers/Pruning sawDrill & bits
Lay out the two 3600mm uprights 750mm apart. Position the bottom cross piece 300mm from the base and nail it to the uprights. Position the top cross piece 1200mm up from the bottom cross piece and nail to the uprights. Secure the nailed joints with tightly twisted garden wire.
Position the 2100mm centrepiece so the base is 150mm below the bottom cross piece and then bend the top of the uprights to a pleasing curve and wire to each other every 150mm. along the curve. Make sure the centrepiece protrudes slightly from the top of the curve. Nail and wire the centrepiece to the two cross pieces and wire it to the top of the curve.
Position the remaining pieces so they form a pleasing shape and nail and wire them together.
GARDEN BORDER
Use 1200mm (48") flexible shoots with points on either end. Insert shoots securely in the ground and position as in the drawing. Tie the crossover points with garden wire.
CLOCHE/NET FRAME
Use flexible shoots with points on each end and 600mm (2') longer than the bed width to be spanned. Space shoots 300-450mm (12-18") apart, push both ends into the ground ensuring the height at the mid-point is the same. Fix horizontal rods as shown along the top with garden wire. Side rods will give added strength. Remove or cushion any rough bits if it is to be covered with plastic. Pegs made from twig forks can be used to hold down the netting.
GENERAL INFORMATION
· Any flexible woody material of sufficient
length, except willow as it could take root! Hazel will be the most
widely available for sale. Wood must have been cut recently if it
is to be bent.
· Garden wire is the easiest way of joining twigs sometimes
twigs must be nailed together. Nail holes must be pre-drilled with
a drill bit slightly small than the nail to prevent the wood splitting.
· Most bentwood structures when left outdoors last only a
season or two.
· See also the LWPI's Twig Archway Factsheet
· Ref: Long, Jim (1998) Making Bentwood Trellises, Arbors,
Gates & Fences, Storey Books.
The Local Woodland Products Initiative is working to increase the use of sustainable woodland products in the garden. For more details contact Geoff Sinclair (Tel 01473 327 720)/Karen Kenny (Tel 01473 718 874) or www.allotmentforestry.com
This factsheet is one of a number produced to help gardeners use wood more imaginatively and sustainably in the garden. We gratefully acknowledge the help of The Countryside Agency, The Forestry Commission, Shell Better Britain Campaign and Suffolk Environment Trust in the production of this leaflet