NEWS for the New Year

On the first day of the year 2018 I want to wish you all a WONDERFUL, HEALTHY, HAPPY AND SUCCESSFUL NEW YEAR!

Always lots of thoughts, plans and expectations for the new year. On this day we also have some for sure great news for everybody who loves working with willow.

I believe that we - when we teach willow basketry - need to make sure that our followers also are able to purchase dried willow to work with on their own. That has been very limited in North America. Some of you are able to grow basketry willow for your own use. That is wonderful and I am excited to be able to provide you with dormant willow cuttings of some great basketry willow for planting.

For those of you who are not able to - or don't want to - grow your own basketry willow this is the good news:

After two years with less than desired harvests due to drought and unusual high temperatures during the summer, we finally have a normal harvest in sight. This means that we are able to take orders for our own dried basketry willow again. 

Our willow is grown without use of any pesticides, harvested, sorted and dried WITH the bark on. That is how I get the natural colours and shine on my baskets which is not treated with anything - but loving thoughts while being created! No dyeing, wax or lacquer!

Note that the colours you see on just harvested willow (or willow cuttings for planting) is not the same as you get in your basket. The willow changes colours several times. In winter, when it is dormant around harvest time, the colours have intensified. Then the colours will change dramatically during the drying process. Then they change again during the re-soaking process and finally they change when they dry again. In addition to that the growing conditions make a difference and sometimes you will see that one variety doesn't look like it did from other years' harvests. Or like the same variety growing on your friend's property!

A few examples of natural willow colours. 

SO THIS IS EXCITING NEWS, BUT THERE IS MORE!
We now have imported BUFF AND WHITE willow for sale!

 

Although I love my natural willow with the bark on, I do realize that debarked willow - BUFF AND WHITE - do have advantages in some ways and that that will appeal to many basket makers.

Here are a few comparisons:
SOAKING TIME:
NATURAL WILLOW: days or weeks depending on a few factors.
BUFF AND WHITE: less than an hour
LEFT OVER WILLOW AFTER BASKET IS MADE:
NATURAL WILLOW: you don't want to re-soak as there is a big risk that the bark will get loose. If you have room in your freezer, you can keep it there.
BUFF AND WHITE: you can re-soak the willow with no risk.
UNFINISHED BASKET:
NATURAL WILLOW: if you cannot finish your (stake and strand) basket and don't have room in your freezer for it until you have time, it is impossible to finish it later. If you try to re-soak the whole basket, bark may come off and then it is not so beautiful anymore.
BUFF AND WHITE: you can just put it aside and re-soak the top or the whole thing when you are ready to finish it.
COLOURS:
NATURAL WILLOW: you have a variety of the most beautiful natural colours.
BUFF AND WHITE: the golden brown of the buff willow. The white willow can be dyed with natural or commercial dyes.
PREPARATION/WAIT TIME:
NATURAL WILLOW: when you decide to make a basket, you have to wait several days before the willow is soaked.
BUFF AND WHITE: you want to make a basket, put some willow in water for less than an hour, and you are ready to weave.

For more information about dried willow for sale, take a look at my website here.







Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Dormant willow for planting

Winter has been unusually warm and friendly here this year and we are enjoying not to have to plow snow. That also means that we are able to harvest willow earlier than normal (unless we get a big storm) and I expect to have dormant willow available for sale during the first 2 weeks of March.

Willow cuttings

An assortment of willow cuttings for propagaion

The willow cuttings are approximately 10 inches long and ready for planting as soon as you can get them in the ground.

Use them for planting a willow bed for basketry or just for some beautiful willows in your garden.

For information and to order please go to our website here.

Willow rods (whips)

Example of dormant willow rods for propagation

Salix koriyanagi 'Rubykins'

The rods are approximately 6 feet long and can be used for living willow projects such as

Play huts and tunnels

Just installed play hut

Living willow fence (Fedge)

Living willow fence June the second year after installation

Woven trees in pots and in the garden

Trees just made

 First summer

After 5 years

Come and make your own tree - several designs available - in a nursery pot ready to take home. You can keep it in the pot on your patio for the first growing season and then transplant it to the garden in fall.

For information about 2016 spring workshops making living willow trees in pots please go to our website here.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Dormant willow cuttings and rods for propagation

Winter, snow and ice
of course, it is January in Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada so no gardening for us yet.


There is no doubt though, that gardeners and the like are thinking about the coming spring as we have orders coming in for dormant willow cuttings for gardeners and growers.
So whether you are looking for willow cuttings to plant for ornamental use in your garden, plant a larger willow bed for basketry, or creating living willow structures such as living willow fences, play domes and tunnels - NOW is the time to plan and to secure your order.

Orders are placed as they come in for delivery later in spring so although we haven't harvested the willow in the field yet, it is time for you to get your orders in if you plan on planting willows come spring.

For information about our willows and ordering dormant materials visit Lakeshore Willows website.

To see earlier posts about propagation, cuttings and rods click here.
Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Hello to the New Year 2014

2013 was an exciting year here at Lakeshore Willows with workshops and new developments.

Now that the Christmas markets, events and workshops  are done - the photo above is from the Christmas event at Vineland Estates Winery in December - and as the year is coming to an end, it is time to make some plans for 2014.

The garden globe has been popular at workshops here and is offered as a project to do at a one-day workshop again next year.
For other workshop projects available check out "Workshops and Events"

In January and February a workshop on the Tatza basket is offered at Vineland Estates Winery in combination with a delicious lunch at the winery restaurant and also winery tour and wine & cheese pairing seminar. Scheduled dates are January 25th and February 22nd. Further information to be announced at our website and also at Vineland Estates Winery's website.

From lush and green to naked with changed colour palettes the willow is now ready to be harvested. We expect to start sometime in February - weather dependent - and living willow for propagation and living willow structures will be available after harvest. 
Orders are coming in and filled as received for shipping later in winter/early spring after harvest.















A few workshops have been scheduled for January, February, March and April and information can be found on my website www.lakeshorewillows.com under "Workshops and Events".
In addition to that we are very excited about willow basketry classes in May and June with 3 of Denmark's most talented, internationally known willow artists.
Detailed information about these classes will go out in a newsletter in January as well as being posted here at the blog and on the website.
In the meantime I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2014.
Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Time to order willow cuttings and rods for the spring

Winter is here and we are not even thinking about harvesting for another 3 weeks or more. By the middle of February, however, we will be looking for days suitable for harvesting the willow - meaning no snow in the field.

Even though you are not thinking about planting any willow for the next couple of months, it is time for you to put in an order for cuttings or rods if you are planning to plant this spring.


Reservations are made as orders are received and orders processed and shipped as soon as we have started harvesting and usually up until the end of April.




The best time to plant willow cuttings and rods for hedges, huts, play tunnels etc. is early spring. 

Order early to make sure that we have what you want - whether you are planning to plant just a few cuttings in pots for later transfer to the garden 

a willow bed for harvesting willow for basketry or other use 
or your garden needs a living willow fence.











As the last two summers were both extraordinary hot and dry, we will have less of the longer rods available this spring, so again, order early for delivery later.




Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

END Of THE WILLOW WINTER COLOUR

The season for dormant willow cuttings and rods is over for this year at Lakeshore willows and the last shipments were sent out April 30th.
The beautiful winter colours on the cuttings are slowly fading on the willow that is drying in the barn for basketry.




Soon new colours will be visible in the field as the foliage on the plants start to show.


Is your garden too small for planting willows? It may be; but it is also very likely that it is not – you just need to know how to do it.
For ideas on how to ad year round colour from willows to your small garden I will be writing a couple of posts over the next few weeks.

Taking orders for Willow cuttings and rods 2012

The winter - so far - has been mild with weather conditions changing almost daily. During January we had temperatures ranging from 15 degrees Celsius to -17 (+ the effect of the wind chill), sunny days, rainy days, snowy days, very windy days and a few days like today starting out looking like a dense snowstorm, then suddenly more and more blue appearing in the sky with bright sun and temperatures just above freezing. The snow probably won't stay long this time either.

These conditions have made it possible for us to start harvesting the willow already and we are now taking orders for willow cuttings and rods. Delivery can take place anytime you wish until the end of April. If you order - and receive cuttings before you are ready to plant them - don't worry, they will keep just fine wrapped in dark plastic and stored in your fridge. Prices and information about availability and kits for living willow trees can be found at the top of the page under "Cuttings and whips"!

The fairly wet snow coming down this morning blanketed and hugged the willow in the garden. Beautiful!

The smaller willow Salix eleagnos (often called rosemary willow, but it is not Salix rosemarinifolia) has narrow green leaves resembling the leaves on rosemary. Cuppiced each year the shrub grows to a height of about 75cm (under 3 feet) and I grow some as a low, natural hedge. The winter bark on S. eleagnos i very dark  brown almost black with dark red bud scales.

The trunk of the woven willow trees lend themselves to some beautiful snow covered images. Salix x acutifolia is a more vigorous willow, its first growth in spring a bright wine red with almost lime coloured new leaves. Later the foliage colour gets a bit darker, but the branches stay a wine red colour during summer. As the leaves fall the colours of the bark change to a dark purple, almost black. The following year the bark on last years growth develops a bloom that gives them a whitewashed look. Older bark  is black as seen on the image on left. The branches on the image to the right show winter bark on one year old shoots. 

A woven or twisted tree looks especially

beautiful in this variety of willow and grown as a shrub in the garden it ads beautiful colour year round. 

Salix alba 'Sericea' has intense dark orange coloured  winter bark. As other alba hybrids it tends to grow with lots of side branches (even when coppiced) so it is not the best willow to grow for basketry. It is great though, to have a few bundles of rods to ad some colour variations to certain baskets. For that purpose I have to cut the side branches off for use as weavers - and I only get a few for my own use. It is far too much work!

Living willow fence in snow.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Willow cuttings and dormant rods update

As the season for willow cuttings and dormant, living willow rods is approaching, I have just updated the "tabs" at the top of my blog with information about willow cuttings and living dormant rods (for Living Willow Fences (Fedge), huts, arbors, tunnels etc., and of course also for Living Willow Trees planted in pots or directly in the ground) for sale here at Lakeshore Willows, Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada.

For anyone interested in Living Willow workshops there is an overview of upcoming workshops etc. under the tab "events".


Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.