Our Willow Den One Year On
The Willow Den in the background will get much leafier this summer
Last March we bought the willow withies to make a willow den for the children as our garden has no shade after midday during the summer months. Withies can be bought from November-March in the UK when the wood is dormant.
We followed the instructions found in a great book called ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?: Great Gardening for Green-Fingered Kids’ and within a few weeks of planting at the beginning of April, the willow had taken root and formed a superb play den in the corner of the garden.
Now it is a year on and I’ve been asked to show a picture of just how leafy it is. We’re not sure whether the maintenance of tying in the bows at the top of the dome will be an annual job. It may be that using the recommended rafia twine was a bad idea for long term growth as it just rotted during the winter and the vigorously growing willow burst its joins. Bealers is going to use more sturdy non-biodegradable ties when he has the time to bend the open roof branches over again.
Not a very good picture as the plum tree growing behind makes it look very tall!
May 7th, 2008 at 10:02 am
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bealers/2320540815
Shows it early March this year with no growth yet & all sprouting everywhere. In the photos above I’d already weaved in all the side panels and started tying the top in. As Cathie says the rafia stuff we used rotted over the winter so the roof particularly needs re-doing.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:11 am
I found the lovely photo of your Willow den whilst looking for suppliers of withy wood for an art project – I want to build a house and cover it with tissue paper. Could you tell me where you were able to buy it or did you collect it? ps my daughter is called Willow so that’s a good start!
Regards
Jane