Willows can weave some real magic...
USE THE BARE STEMS OF WINTER TO YOUR ADVANTAGE BUT CHOOSE THEM WISELY
AS the leaves continue to drop from the trees, we are left with silhouettes.
While these can sometimes seem gloomy in winter, there are some species such as dogwood that only now reveal their hidden beauty. Stripped of leaves, we notice their colourful stems. The ruby red stems of Cornus ‘Sibirica’ spring to mind. Willow is also a good example of this, displaying vivid yellows, orange and reds depending on the variety.
In years gone by, willow was grown locally and used for mainly domestic purposes. The long stems were used for making fishing traps, baskets, fences and hats for protection from the sun.
In the modern world, new materials and the evolution of synthetic plastics have meant that many of these natural materials have been replaced, and some are rarely used at all.
A number of craftsmen have e carried on the tradition that, for many, had been handed down the h generations.
In place of the practical day-today items, they have entered a new era and helped to create some of the most elegant garden structures, using willow in new and exciting ways.
Willow has a unique look with long smooth stems and long thin leaves that produce a wonderfully light shade in the garden.
In order to obtain the long flexible branches, the trees need to be coppiced. This means pruning hard, right back to the plant’s main trunk at the right time of year. The tree reacts to the hard pruning by sending out large numbers of long thin stems, which are then harvested for weaving.
These stems are often referred to as unrooted rods or wands, and it is these that are planted into the ground between the months of November and March.
In the following season, they will burst into life to produce fantastic living structures.
Salix viminalis (known as common osier) is an excellent species for this purpose.
Its coppiced stems have an amazing rooting ability and it is used to create ingenious woven play areas and wigwams for children as well as tunnels, domes and arbours in which benches or other garden
seating can be placed for a restful retreat.
Willow fencing and screens can be surprisingly robust if constructed well and of course there is no need to cover them with climbing plants to green them up.
Some pruning and weaving in of new branches will be required to maintain the look of the willow, but there is the obvious advantage of not needing to treat it with wood preservative or indeed, the need to replace it as is the case with most wooden fences. The beauty of a willow fence is that it can be easily shaped to fit into a space, around a grassy mound or playhouse. It is also simple to incorporate arches or round windows within the weave so get creative!
Other species of willow can be used for differing effects. Salix tortuosa or the corkscrew willow creates a dense shelter that looks fascinating in winter. Salix purpurea has a purple to blue tinge and Salix alba ‘Chermesina’ has rich scarlet stems.
There are so many more so do a bit of research before you decide what you want and try to find some pictures of the species in leaf so that you get a good idea of the final construction before you start.