Willow talk
HEFTY PRICE TAG
LIVING willow sculptures, arches, tunnels and other structures are much-loved garden features that are pricey to buy but just as much fun to make for yourself.
You can grow your own withies (long, slim, willow wands that behave like huge hardwood cuttings) from shrubby willows already growing in your garden.
Alternatively, buy them ready to use from specialist suppliers. They are available between January and March but it’s best to order now.
WHICH WILLOW?
Most of the willows grown for basket-making are suitable – normally Salix viminalis cultivars. When the plants are cut down, they generate long, straight, slim stems that are ideal for the job.
Some specialist nurseries can also supply more unusual varieties with coloured bark. Shrubby garden willows with coloured stems such as Salix alba ‘Britzensis’ can be used for making smaller living sculptures, but Weeping willows are not suitable.
GROW YOUR OWN WITHIES
Plant a suitable willow in naturally damp ground. Allow a year to get it established, then in late March cut the whole plant down to about 4-6in and mulch generously.
Feed well in April or May and long straight stems will soon be produced.
Allow these to grow for two or three years before harvesting them. Cut them off 4-6in above ground level any time between January and late March. Use your withies as soon as possible after cutting, as they may not take root if they dry out too much.
PREPARE THE SOIL
Mark out the site for your living willow structure. Clear the ground of grass, weeds and large stones, then work in plenty of well-rotted compost.
Make sure to leave the soil soft enough to push cuttings into.
MAKE A LIVING ARCH
Choose the longest withies you can get and plant a row 4-6in apart along each side of the arch. Allow them to grow straight up, then when they are a foot or so beyond the height you want, bend the tops over and tie them in place to form the top of the arch.
When side shoots start to grow, clip regularly so they thicken and make a more solid-looking arch.
MAKE A TUNNEL
Mark out a straight central path that will go through the middle of your tunnel – prepare beds of soil along either side and plant a pair of very long withies, one on each side of the arch. Continue, spacing each pair a foot or 18in apart.
When they reach the required height, bend them over and tie them together in the centre to make a series of arches. Then tie long, straight, strong, dry willow stems horizontally along the top and sides of the arches to join them together and stiffen the structure.
Once the willow stems are rooted and well established, side shoots will need trimming off to maintain a neat shape.
MAKE AN ARBOUR
Mark out a circle large enough to put a seat inside and prepare the soil round the edges.
Push in long willow withies every 4-6in to make a single or double row around the outside, leaving a gap for a wide entrance.
When the stems have rooted and grow tall enough, tie them together at the top so they form a domed roof.
Once you have side shoots start ing to grow you will need clip the sides so you can maintain a nice tight shape.
FROM ARCHES TO ARBOURS, WILLOW STRUCTURES WILL LOOK GORGEOUS IN YOUR GARDEN – AND WITH A LITTLE KNOW-HOW, YOU CAN GET THE LOOK WITHOUT A