As well as tidying up the nursery and gardens the other big task at this time of year is weaving the willow fence in the wildlife garden. This double row of willow encloses the wild life garden with it's colourful woven hoops, providing shelter for wildlife and an interesting, good looking feature in the nursery gardens. It's a lot of work to weave it and keep it maintained but I feel it's well worth it for those reasons above.
 |
| The neglected willow on the wild life garden |
When we bought the nursery in June 2015 the willow was very neglected and although we could see it had been woven into hoops at some time, it hadn't been done for quite a while. When I first tackled it in January 2016 the first thing I had to do was cut down a lot of the massive top growth, the equivalent of small trees, at least 10 feet tall. Once this was out the way I could begin the renovation. This follows several steps, none set in stone, as it varies with the amount of growth and the shapes of the plants as I go along.
 |
| Starting the willow weaving |
I tend to work on a 6 foot length of hedge at a time. The first step is to cut out any dead wood, there always is some, some years more than others. This year there is more and I think this is due to the long hot summer we had, which was lovely but it does have an impact on plant growth. A lot of the new rods I planted last year didn't come away because of the hot weather. Frustrating but what can we do. At least they are easily replaced by the new growth produced last year.
 |
| Working on the willow, as long as it's not too cold it's a job that can be done even with snow on the ground |
Once I've removed the dead wood from a length of hedge I start weaving in some of the bigger longer lengths. Some of these are not pliable enough but make great new rods to fill in gaps, so I cut them off and put them aside to use later. Some areas of hedge have a lot of growth and some don't so it's about making the most of the material and not cutting any off until I'm sure I don't need it. Sometimes if there's a lot of dead wood, it can leave quite a gap so it needs a lot of work to pull it back together and weave back in. This is when the new rods are useful to fill in.
 |
| Close up of a newly woven area of willow |
In the photo above you can see the new rods in place. These are planted with the bottom six inches into the soil using a spade to make a cut in the soil then pushing in the rod. It's a simple as that and generally the success rate is high 90's %, unless you get a hot summer of course. Once in place the new rods are woven as normal into the other willow. I make sure there is no more than a 6 inch gap between rods all the way along. This helps make it farm animal, dog and child proof!
 |
| The Quirky Bird gardener doing the willow weaving in January 2018 |
Once I've used all the material I need to complete a section I cut all the excess off. I keep any useful large, long rods and discard the rest which will go for chipping. People ask about being worried the willow will snap as it's woven. It does happen, but it's very much about working with the willow and getting a feel for what it will do and letting it go the way it wants to.
 |
| A completed section, 2018 |
When I'm working on a section I work from both ends, this means I can choose from the best material at either end and it makes the whole thing stronger. It also helps tie the whole thing together and locks in branches together so it doesn't unravel.
 |
| The beauty of the different colours of willow woven together |
Some of the willow that has been planted produces very short growth and isn't really suitable for this and I may replace it at some time in the future. This will give me an opportunity to plant some different coloured willows which will be interesting and colourful.
 |
| This is what I call the willow's hairy caterpillar stage |
In all working a few hours a day, but not every day it can take about two to three weeks to do all the willow weaving. I really enjoy it and find it quite therapeutic and a lovely, satisfying way to spend a few hours. The end result being an aesthetically pleasing feature, a quick and cheap boundary to the nursery and one that is cheap to maintain year on year.
 |
| The willow and everything else coming to life in April |
In January 2019 we held out first willow weaving workshop which was great fun and those that attended enjoyed their two hours, despite the weather. We'll definitely do more workshops next year.
#willow #willowweaving
If you want to find out what's been happening in our garden at home like our Facebook page
I'm climbing Ben Nevis in June 2019 to raise money for Macmilla Cancer Support
If you to see whats new and looking good at the nursery like our Facebook page
Find out more about the nursery here - our web site: www.quercusgardenplants.co.uk
Follow us on Instagram @quirkybirdgardener
Follow us on Instagram @quirkybirdgardener
All contents and photographs © Rona, unauthorised reproduction & use of these images is strictly forbidden, thank you
Comments
Post a Comment