It's snowing outside so a good time to think about projects. A few of these willow obelisks would be great for snowpeas, or sweetpeas, or morning glories. Tall ones might be good for beans. I have a tall willow hedge that needs pruning each year. It grows about six to ten feet a year. That will be the source for green willow sticks. There is also a timber bamboo grove in the chicken yard. It needs thinning, so is a source of garden poles anyway each year. It would be fun, making some rope baskets. I might start with something technically simpler, that uses the sewing machine. It looks pretty easy, sewing mats or bowls from cotton clothesline. When I was a boy scout, my dad taught me macrame which has been the source of all sorts of things over a lifetime. The last think I macrame'd was a doggie tug-o-war toy, also made from clothesline. Rufus likes that a lot.
This sounds like something interesting. I have never heard of using willow in this way. I posted a thread on here once about making woven willow hurdles. https://www.gardenstew.com/threads/how-to-make-a-woven-willow-hurdle-screen.27996/#post-254480 We have many knotwilgen alongside canals and they must he pruned in a certain way each year, so there are always switches available to fulfil project dreams. Good luck Daniel…and as always, keep us posted with piccies and commentary, please.
Thanks for the comments @eileen and @Logan. Today I did an inspection of the willow hedge. There should be lots of sticks the right size for weaving, but not enough for the long poles. Yesterday's snow knocked over a big bunch of bamboo, which I think will be the right size for a few espalier poles plus a few obelisks. Nature provides . The bamboos are in the chicken yard. I have a feeling they grow so large and fast because of the constant supply of fertilizer from the hens.
I also ordered a roll of 1/4 inch cotton rope. I will make a pie basket, sized for a pie plate. It's strange how many times I have a pie to transport and nothing the right size to put it in to keep it safe.
I made a Willow tunnel for a support for my peas. When I left Dorset it was happily growing on the veg plot. I wonder if it's still there
Some years ago I cut a load of 'sticks' to support my peas in the veg patch. Something ate the peas (might have been mice) but I ended up with an amazing little Fuchsia hedge
My willow hedge was just sticks, pushed into the ground, in March. They all grew. I've also had Asian plum, figs, and forsythia do that. Roses, too. I usually lay willow poles on the ground to mark garden rows, Those sprout too, with growth at every node and roots all along the stick.
I looked at rope and clothesline at several stores - they were all plastic. So I went onto Amazon and ordered all-cotton rope. I'd rather see it before buying, but it is what it is. All of the local hospitals are filled above capacity now, so I'm being especially careful to avoid holiday store crowds. They sent notices, basically saying don't get sick. At least we have Amazon.
The same here to. I still wear a mask and carry hand wipes . It’s the trippledemic…in the US. Even patients are flown out of state to other hospitals for care the hospitals are over crowded worse than during the COVID pandemic. Stay well everyone… Speaking of willow and bamboo. I have a lot of black bamboo to harvest 20’ tall and inch to 2” diameter and smaller sizes from A-Z. ….. Not sure what to do with it all. Any ideas? ?? I had several beautiful clumps of black bamboo in various areas in the garden for years .nice screens.. Last spring all of a sudden all the bamboo thruout the garden flowered all at once in different areas on three acre garden then went to seed. I didn’t even know bamboo flowered. Flowers ..Not that pretty..I do like the dried look for dried floral arrangements. It turns out to be a unexplained phenomenon why bamboo for no reason all of a sudden flowers and go to seed. interesting article on this subject below. https://www.amusingplanet.com/2015/09/the-mysterious-phenomenon-of-bamboo.html
If you have lots of it Pacnor you could build a house. It makes a nice strong material for that purpose, and you can find examples if you look online. Build a potting shed maybe? If looking for a smaller project you could make an insect home for the bees. Bird houses - another idea. Found this one for example
Bamboo is very nice to have. I use it a lot for trellises, tomato poles, bean poles, and would love to have more, to make bamboo fencing.
