Living Willow Structures

One of the more recent uses for willow is to create living willow structures.

Living willow structures and sculptures are very easy to make. Children love constructing domes and tunnels with willow because it requires little skill and lots of imagination.

Living willow fences, ‘fedges’, are also an attractive alternative to conventional fencing. Some specialist companies construct willow walls, living willow hurdles filled with soil which make a solid structure with the added bonus of acting as a shield against noise and pollution.

Although almost any type of willow can be used to create a living willow structure, varieties such as Salix Viminalis are ideal. This is because they produce long straight rods without many side shoots which are easier to use for large structures.

Living Willow Kits

Our living willow structure kits include:

Sketches and photos of all stages of build.
Detailed written instructions.
Appropriate numbers & sizes of Willow rods for design.
Weed suppressing membrane, heavy duty type that lets water through is ideal.
Pegs to hold down membrane.
String and fine cable ties to tie in the willow weave.
(n.b. You may find you need a bar or metal stake to help create holes if the ground is hard, we do not provide these.)

We also offer service to come and build these for you, example below is for 3.0m Diameter Willow Dome with Willow Window and connected 3.0m long Willow Tunnel. Less than 2 hour drive from OL14 8RS then fixed price for these is £595. We will travel further, however this effects price. ** WE NOW TRAVEL UK WIDE, PLEASE CONTACT US FOR QUOTE **

You can find our range of willow structure kits and more in our Online Shop.

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Living Willow Dome

We offer three basic sizes of Living Willow Dome Structure kits (2.0, 2.5m & 3.0m Diameter), these can be built with various add ons in the shape of round windows, and connected Living Willow tunnels, any number of entrances can also be added.

Living Willow Wigwam

We offer two basic sizes of Living Willow Wigwam Structure kits (2.0 & 3.0m Diameter), these can be built with various add ons in the shape of round windows, and connected Living Willow tunnels, any number of entrances can also be added.

Living Willow Tunnel

We offer four basic sizes of Living Willow Tunnel Structure kits (1m high, 1.5m high, and 1.8m high {all 1.0m wide}, and a 1.8m high 2.0m wide option).

Living Willow Arch

We offer two basic sizes of Living Willow Arch Structure kits (1.8m high 1.0m wide, and a 1.8m high 2.0m wide option).

Living Willow Arbour

We offer two basic sizes of Living Willow Arbour kits (2.0 & 3.0m long)

Living Willow Bespoke Structures

Designing your structure

You can design almost any shaped structure you wish, however there are of course a few restraints. We supply willow that is all new growth, i.e. less than 12 months old, that means it is very supple and ideal for weaving and building. These can be any length up to 4.0m.

Not all the rods in the structure need to be pushed into the ground, however any that are not will of course die away eventually and will need to be replaced by new growth being weaved in over time.

Your living willow structure will evolve over time, but to make this happen it is essential to maintain the structure during the winter, new growth needs to be tied in or pruned right out.

What is required:

Sketch/design so you can work out rods required, allowing at least 15-20cm pushed into the ground.
Appropriate numbers & sizes of Willow rods for your design.
Weed suppressing membrane, heavy duty type that lets water through is ideal
Pegs to hold down membrane
Bar or metal stake to create holes & a large hammer (only needed if ground is hard)
String, gardening twine or cable ties to tie in the willow weave.