CREATING LIVING WILLOW STRUCTURES

Willow has been highly valued since ancient times. The Celts considered it sacred. It has been used medicinally, as a dye plant, to make charcoal and as a timber. Today, at the dawn of a new millennium, we strive for green alternatives and willow is undergoing a renaissance. One of its new uses is to create living willow structures. Jojo Norris from HDRA tells you how.

Living willow structures and sculptures are easy to make. Children love constructing domes and tunnels with willow because it requires little skill and lots of imagination. Living willow fences, `fedges', are an attractive alternative to conventional fencing.

Some specialist companies construct willow walls, living willow hurdles filled with soil which make a solid structure with the added bonus of acting as a shield against noise and pollution, but they are outside the scope of this article.

Willow is cheap and easy to establish from cuttings. It is of great value to wildlife, and in Britain is equalled only by oaks for the variety of insects and animals it supports.

CHOICE OF SITE
The beauty of willow is its adaptability. In our climate it will survive anywhere. It will tolerate shade, but grows best in bright sunshine, and will grow on moist, dry or fertile sites as well as in impoverished or polluted soil. Willow does not need fertiliser to grow successfully. This magical plant will actually improve poor soil and clean polluted sites. But the more fertile and moist the soil is, the better the plants will grow.

CHOICE OF WILLOW
Although almost any type of willow can be used for living willow structures, varieties of Salix vimnalis are ideal. This is because this species produces long straight rods which are easier to use for large structures. Order your willow from a specialist nursery (see addresses below). Willow material is sent out between November and April, and structures should be created within this period. Ideally you would use two-year-old rods as uprights, and one-year-old rods for weaving the structure. However, one-year-old rods are the easiest and cheapest to
obtain, and although they are thinner, they are still very strong and soon grow into sturdy uprights.
It is not advisable to plant willows close to a building or drainage pipes. Allow a distance of around 10m.

EQUIPMENT
o Willow rods.
o Weed suppressing membrane such as a woven geotextile or black plastic.
o Metal pegs to hold down membrane.
o Crow bar or strong metal stake to create holes. A lump or sledge hammer if the ground is hard.
o Plastic ties or old nylon tights to tie in willow weave.

GETTING STARTED:
CREATING A FEDGE'
1. Decide on the size and shape of your structure. Mark it out with sticks, sand or, landscape spray paint.

2. Lay and peg down the weed suppressing membrane. The willow is planted through this.

3. Plant uprights every 20-40cm (8-16in). Use the crowbar or metal stake to make holes through the membrane and into the ground. They need to be 30cm (12in) or more deep.

4. Next, plant the `weave'. Plant the rods diagonally between the uprights, two planted between each upright (see diagram). They will cross at the bottom and continue to cross the other diagonal rods and uprights until they reach the top of the structure. They don't need to be woven together until you finish the top of the structure.

5. To finish off the top of your structure, weave and plait one-year-old rods along the top and tie them in where necessary. These horizontal willow rods will eventually die. By the time they are too brittle to be structurally sound, however, new willow growth will have been tied in to secure the structure.

6. Be creative and undulate the top of your fedge. Make holes and windows in it. Be imaginative and follow your fancy!

7. Only tie branches in where necessary. Ties are simply used to secure the structure while it gets established.

TUNNELS
1. Create two fedges running parallel.
2. Essentially the same principles apply except that the tops of the uprights are tied together to form a series of archways.
3. Rods can be woven or tied into the apex of the tunnel. Otherwise it can be left as an open structure and filled in with new growth over the following years.

DOMES
1. To create the basic structure three and two-year-old rods are useful because of the height they give.

2. Plant the three-year-old rods to create the main skeleton of the structure. Decide where you want your openings and doorways. Place the rods at each side, rather like gateposts. Tie the tops together, creating a sort of wigwam.

3. Use the two-year-old rods as uprights and one-year-old rods as the diagonal weave. The top of the dome will be open to begin with. You will gradually close up the gap when new growth can be woven and tied in during winter maintenance in the following years.

Typical weave

MAINTENANCE
Your living willow structure will evolve into new and exciting forms over its lifetime. But to make this happen it is essential to maintain your willow structure during the winter. New growth needs to be tied in or pruned right out.

LOOKING AT WILLOW STRUCTURES
Have a look at various living willow structures around the country to give you some idea of the creative possibilities. The following places have accessible structures that you can visit.

HDRA, Ryton Organic Gardens,
Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry CV8 3LG
A range of structures including a dome, tunnels and fedges used as windbreaks.

The Queens Garden,
RBG Kew, Richmond, Surrey.
A willow backrest and arms for a camomile seat.

Try also contacting environmental education centres, local schools and community gardens.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS
Always plant in the winter. Water occasionally to help the plants establish if there is a dry summer in the first year.
If you are creating a large structure in a public space, such as a school or park, we highly recommend you ask for professional advice. Employ an experienced willow sculptor to either run a workshop or create the structure for you. The techniques developed by years of experience will guarantee a successful, high quality structure.

SOURCES OF WILLOW AND ADVICE

The Willow Bank
Contact: Steve Pickup, PO Box 17, Machynlleth SY20 8WR
Mail order catalogue selling willows for basketry, wind breaks and shelter belts, biomass production, bee fodder, timber, sculpture, and ornamental uses.
Steve runs two-day `Building with living willow' courses at Ryton Gardens, and throughout the country.

HDRA also offer courses phone 024 7630 3517 for details.

Willow Pool Designs
Contact: Steve Fuller, 9 Weston Houses, Dove Nest Lane, Endmoor, Kendal LA8 OHA. Tel: (01539) 567056
Courses on basket making and willow sculpture.

Wally's Willows
Contact: Walter Lloyd, c/o Devonshire House, Finsthwaite, Ulverston, Cumbria.
Willow grower

Peter Ward
Station Farm, 12 Midge Hall Lane, Preston PR5 3TN.
Willow grower

Published with approval from author and HDRA.