Working with willow

I like learning new skills, despite the fact that it often takes a while for my co-ordination skills to catch up with my brain, as was the case with yesterday's new challenge: creating a non-living willow weave fence.

The premise was simple enough - twist two pieces of willow around each other, up then under, around each upright post. It was just that I couldn't quite 'see' it for some time. But as if by magic, after a hearty lunch of homemade soup, pizza and fresh bread, it all made a lot more sense and everything fitted into place. I always do think clearer after being fed.


The fence is surrounding the new community orchard, which we plan to eventually turn into a 'forest garden' (I'll explain more about this in a later post). Ideally, you would normally make a fence like this out of hazel, as willow doesn't last or age particularly well, but as hazel is both difficult and expensive to obtain around here it will have to do for now.

To make the boundary last a bit longer, we plan to plant hawthorn whips along the perimeter, so that when the willow does eventually give up the ghost in about five years or so, we'll have a ready made hedge to lay that can take its place.

James (above), who is a bit of an expert on all things willow, showed us the ropes and did a great job of both the weaving and supervising the less able of us. As usual with these jobs, there were more observers than workers, but David, James, his daughter Jane, me and Peter and Alan all made far more progress than I thought we would before the weather turned from fine drizzle into proper 'wet' rain.

I'm really pleased with how the fence looks, especially the way it curves along the old 'postman's path' down the right hand side. We've got some finishing off to do, such as cutting down the support posts to size and securing the top, but it already encloses the space and gives it a much more looked after feel, as well as hopefully keeping out the dogs.

I don't blame the dogs, as they're just doing what they do, but now we have the bin I've asked for for the last year, it would be nice if their owners could be a little more considerate and clear up after them. Despite the fact that I cleared a large bag full of muck from around the area before we started, the distinctive aroma still lingered on...

On a nicer note, today David and I planted the hazel tree near the native hedge in preparation for work to begin later next month on the bog garden/woodland/wildflower meadow area. I also managed to dig two trenches and plant some potatoes - Nicola (early maincrop) and Charlotte (2nd early).

After leaving the sanctuary of our back room's windowsill, the tomatoes are learning to survive in the outside world (well, the polytunnel) and I planted them out using a Geoff Hamilton technique I read recently. You tie some strong string around the root ball and then plant it in a hole (with a good sprinkle of blood, fish and bone) tying the plant around the string and up to the roof bars. As the plant grows, it can be wound around the string, removing the need for canes which seem to spend most of their time collapsing in on each other (or is that just me?!).