Does anyone have a willow structure thingy and if so, if even if you just have a passing interest, please talk to me about it

[fillyjonk]

I have about 12 ft by 12 ft on my allotment that I want to willowise, am thinking something ambitious involving a central dome and multiple tunnels.

What do I need to know?

And is there anywhere cheaper than ebay to get willow wands?

I really only have a passing kowledge of this, but the person who does our garden at the school I work at did a willow wand fence thing round our vegatable garden a couple of years ago - presumably she will know where to get wands - I won't be seeing her till next term (prob Tues/Wed)but I can ask. (We're in Berkshire btw)

ooh ta

do the kids like it?

Blimey, sounds v ambitious, but fun. There are lots of ads in the back of Gardeners' World mag for willow wands. But if you can find someone with a willow on their property, it would be easy to go and cut your own. Eg, local farmers? Or you could ask on Freecycle if anyone has a willow. We only have a tortured willow (with twisty twigs) and I assume that would be crap for structures. Otherwise you'd be most welcome to come here!

I have only seen them do it on telly - but it is usually just a case of sticking the willow wands in the ground in the right shape and then binding/weaving them together at the top.

I guess the garden centre is the place to ask about the wands - or maybe online.

There is one at my boys' school but it was done before they got there so I have no idea how they actually did it.

YOu just stick them in the ground and they take root. You could probably also do it with buddleia offcuts, but they might be less bendy.

ooh saw something like this at Eden Project and fancied it for when we do our garden .

Well, it's nothing fancy, it just looks like a low hedge now, but they were very interested while it was being done. I should think a dome & tunnels would look really good.

pmsl at buddleia structure

We made one of these at a school we attended - we did a whale shape (one large dome, a tunnel for the tail then "wings" at the end for the end of the tail IYSWIM) - afaik it's still standing (bensmum4 ? Is it still up?). We collected willow from a neighbour who had it growing in her garden - would echo the freecycle request as the best way to go about it! From memory, we just stuck the sticks in the ground, and used cable ties to tie them together. The woman who helped us to do it has a website with pics on (not necessarily of the one we made though!) - if I can find it I'll point you to it

If you used buddleia you'd probably get a solid skyscraper within months...

Hate to obsess about this, but am now seriously thinking about building a buddleia structure at the bottom of the garden.

Good luck with your willow one

I did a course at my local agricultral college (lancashire), a few years ago and made a hurdle and a tipee like support thigy.
Structure needs regular trimming as its quite rampant.
The college as large fields full of coppiced willow that we cut down and fashioned in a day.
good fun.

I've done a willow weaving course, Its great fun. Don't use cable ties, thats cheating, you should be able to weave the willow in on itself. I got mine from a grower, but I live in Somerset where there is loads of it on the levels. Only the sections that are pointing upwards or along will grow, so if you made a complete arch with one stick only the upright, and longways will grow, the downhill bit will hold the structure together but won't grow. Agree that they need pruning. You could always make a dome, then after a year use the trimmings to make tunnels etc. Some of the growth can be woven back into the structure to keep it strong too.
Make sure there aren't any underground water pipes nearby as willow oots will seeks it out and grow into the pipe damageing it, also best not to plant it too close to buildings.
Never come across buddleia structures though, but they wouldn't have the flexibility of the willow.
The kids will love it, I've done them with kids in Country Parks and School grounds.