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Willow resources

**** Our 2007 - 2008 willow season is now over. Harvesting of the new willow
growth will resume in the Autumn, please contact us then ****

Cut & bundled willow

Willow is a flexible fast growing material which is perfectly suited to the weaving properties required in making baskets,
woven fences and screens and garden features such as domes, archways and living seats.

East Ayrshire Woodlands manage a willow crop to provide materials for site planting and craftwork, which is harvested
between late November and mid March.

Future plans for the nursery area include planting a resource of dogwood, which is also perfect in basketmaking, and
provides lovely contrasts of colour.

Our willow crop presently consists of the following species;

Salix viminalis   -   "Bowles Hybrid"                (Heavy weaving & Garden Structures)

Salix viminalis   -   "Mullatin"                (Large structures & woven hurdles)

Salix purpurea / fragilis  -   "Flanders Red"                (Living willow sculptures & basketweavng)

Salix purpurea   -   "Goldstones"                (Large structures)

Salix purpurea   -   "Dickie Meadows"                (Basketweaving)

Salix purpurea   -   "Welsh Dicks"                (Basketweaving)


Salix viminalis "Mullatin" bundled & labelled   Preparing for initial planting   Willow crop


We offer a range of species suitable for planting, weaving and basketmaking.
The crop can be visited by arrangement.

We can arrange delivery of willow within Ayrshire or possibly surrounding counties if required.

For more information or to discuss individual requirements please contact us.

Living Willow Structures

We are happy to provide advice or install living willow structures for schools and community groups,
normally in the form of arbours, tunnels, domes, archways and fences. Design plans are also available and will shortly be on the website as a downloadable resource.

Living dome at Hillside School  Archway, Hillside School   Tunnel kit, built   Archway, Hurlford Sensory Garden

Simple dome kit, built   Side view of tunnel kit      Path Tunnel, Witchhill School

Entrance dome, Auchinleck Nursery    Low, living fedge, Auchinleck Nursery    Large dome & tunnel, St. Xaviers School, Waterside

Small dome & tunnel, St. Xaviers, Waterside  Arbour   Auchinleck Nursery

Auchinleck Nursery  'Crown' dome under construction   Living 5 - a side goal under construction

Crown Dome, Crossroads Primary  Crown Dome, Crossroads Primary  Willow archways - Crossroads Primary

Some of our structures with a few months growth

   

   

Create a Willow Tunnel (pdf)


 

Recently, much of the old willow at sorn has been collected, bundled and cut in to short lengths then fired for a couple of hours to produce artist's charcoal for use in drawing and sketching. This traditional method produces a high standard of charcoal which is excellent for artwork and smudges well. Packets of charcoal will be on sale at forthcoming events in Ayrshire where FEI are represented.

Preparation for burning  Willow before firing  

firing the willow  finished artist's charcoal

Contact us for further information.