Episode 6 Willow Tree
Latin Name: Salix fragilis
‘The Tree I fell out of’ by Andrew Carter, below is the print and above the inspiration. You can see more of Andrew’s work on his website and via this gallery. You can also follow him on instagram @andrewcarteramc
You can find out more about James Firman’s work here. And you can read about Coates English-Willow and buy a kit to build your willow bower here.
Andrew also mentioned three artists:
Thomas Bewick and you can see many of his prints on Instagram @bewicksociety
William Morris and see the willow bough wallpaper here
John Constable and the willows he painted at Flatford
How to grow a willow bower - advice from Nicola of Coates English Willow
When to do it?
Sometimes I've heard people say that you should do these things in the winter time. We would never ever do that, it's almost cruel because the willow is just going to sit in cold ground and be miserable. If you do it in the springtime when the ground's warm it's ready to grow, it wants to grow and off it will go.
Where to put it?
First of all obviously pick the right place, the right spot for it. If you've got a wet patch in your garden then that's probably a good place, if you've got an area that's particularly dry then you definitely need to be prepared to keep it well watered, that is a real key, especially in the first year or so when it's getting established. You also need to consider when it grows, how you're going to maintain it and make sure that you're happy with it to have maybe quite deep roots. People are often concerned about drains and things like that, so be really careful where you put it.
How do you create it?
Mark out a circle into whatever diameter you want, probably round about six feet across or maybe even larger, and then you have a metal tool, maybe a metal bar or something similiar, which you push into the ground to make a hole for planting. About a foot deep. Perhaps put a little bit of compost down in the hole, then the important thing is to put the rod into the hole without removing the bark - if you push the bark away from the main wood of the rod that will kill it instantly. So that's why you prepare - making a hole first of all and then just heal it in.
Then it's up to you really how you make a criss-cross or a straight square pattern, but the rods that have gone into the ground are the most important ones, so then you bring those all over into the centre and secure them, usually with cable ties or twine.
Then we'll put another one either in the same hole or in another hole close by and take that off diagonally and start to weave them between the uprights so that those rods then will start to push out side shoots, that'll start to give you a little bit of growth around the midsection of the bower. Obviously leave a door or you might want to weave in some windows.
There's no set pattern if you've made a mistake you can correct it as it's growing.
How do you care for it?
Once everything starts growing make sure it's really well watered, especially during that first season of growing because obviously there are no roots on the rods that have gone into the ground. they need to establish the roots and then once they have established a good root system they can find their own water. I think the thing is not to be afraid of it, if a couple of the rods die that have gone into the ground, get some fresh rods and push them into the ground and have another go. You know there's no hard and fast rules, so long as you remember that in the wintertime when the plant's dormant it's probably the best time to do any sort of major surgery to it.
How long before you can sneak in and read a book!
A couple of seasons. If you plant them in the springtime, by the end of that season, there should be leaves on all those structural rods.
Best of luck if you have been inspired to build your own willow structure having listened to this programme. I certainly look at Willow trees in a new light thanks to Andrew’s plant story.