First day of spring - really?

... more like summer. Over 25 degrees celcius here today and everything is oozing summer. The birds are frantic and the frogs in the pond are incredibly loud. Shrubs are starting to leaf out ...

So spring is definitely here and the living willow workshops are on. With this weather I have added this Saturday March 24th to the schedule of workshops so if you cannot wait to garden (but your garden isn't ready yet) come on out and create a masterpiece for the garden.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Internationally known Danish willow artist and basket maker at Lakeshore Willows, Wainfleet, Ontario

The very old craft of willow weaving has during the last couple of decades been revived by enthusiastic weavers throughout Europe. More and more people are making this - once a matter of making practical vessels - into an art form creating beautiful baskets, sculptures, huge land art and living willow installations.

The willow craze hasn't hit North America however, and it seems that willow weaving is still taking the back seat to other basketry forms such as rattan reed, grapevine, pine needles, grasses and sometimes other hedgerow materials including wild willow.

We do have very talented willow basket makers and artists in North America, but they are few and even with the help of the Internet can be difficult to find. Even more than that, you often have to travel far to be able to attend a class. 

Examples of Anne Mette Hjoernholm's baskets

Last year on a trip to Denmark I visited the very talented and accomplished basket maker Anne Mette Hjørnholm. Anne Mette is an internationally known willow artist and teacher and will be teaching a 2 day course here at Lakeshore Willows, Wainfleet, Ontario on May 26 and 27, 2012.

The course is structured so beginners as well as intermediate and advanced basket makers can participate and learn at different levels.

The images are all from Anne Mette's gallery and examples of designs for our upcoming class. Please visit her gallery to see more of her beautiful work.

Anne Mette is also teaching classes this year at Stowe, Vermont in June where all her classes are sold out - with waiting lists.

If you are interested in participating in this class and want to know more, please drop me a line at lakeshorewillows at gmail - but you have to be quick as the class is filling up fast.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Spring 2012 workshops

Living willow workshops for the spring 2012 have now been scheduled. You will have a choice of making the woven "Harlequin tree", the twisted (or roped) tree or both at the workshops.
Kits of rods for both designs will also be available for purchase at the workshops in case you would like to make one or more after you return home.
For more information please look under the tab "Events" at the top of the page.

I am excited to be able to announce the visit here at Lakeshore Willows by the very accomplished and internationally known willow artist Anne Mette Hjørnholm from Denmark. Anne Mette will be teaching a basket class here on the week-end May 26-27 2012 - details to be announced.

This is one example of Anne Mette's beautiful work. If you could be interested in participating, here is a link to the gallery on her web-site. By clicking on an image you will open a related photo album.
Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

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.

Workshop at Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

Saturday March 3rd, 2012 I will be at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens for a workshop teaching a rib style basket made with willow.

We will be working on a model resembling the ones shown here - the colour of the willow bark adding accent and interest. 

For more information and to register, please click here to go to Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens Programmes 2012.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

December willows

Running late seems to be the thing for me in December. This week I finally made my winter planters - just have to ad some lights now.

Inspired by a customer who bought some willow globes from me for her planters, I have placed globes on top of a bed of greens in my planters at the back door. My customer has added strands of lights to her globes and it looks beautiful at night - I may just do that also, if I can find the time for it before Saturday that is. 

For the front door I have used lots of curly willow and dragon willow branches for a look similar to last year.

So far this winter we have only had a couple of days with snow. When we get the snow, however, it always gets caught by the willow in the field and I end up with large, deep drifts of snow among the willows - snow that doesn't melt till long after all the other snow is gone - and I scramble to get the willow harvested before it goes out of dormancy again and the bark loosens from the rods.

This year we have put a snow fence up hoping that most of the snow - if we get a lot - won't get caught up in the willows and I will be able to harvest earlier.

I could harvest at any time now, but am waiting for some frost so that it isn't so wet and muddy in the field and we can bring out the tractor to transport the willow to the barn.

The colours of the willow in the winter always amazes me, so diverse and vibrant.

Today is the shortest day of the year - we're on our way towards spring!
Wishing all a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.

Basketry workshops

As mentioned in my last newsletter, I am now offering my first workshops in basketry.

A beginner myself, I want to start with something simple - more rustic than refined - and a couple of people have asked me to teach them how to make the willow garden globe.

There is a bit of basic weaving on that project and it is something that beginners can participate in.

I have scheduled the workshop for Saturday January 14, 2012 - see details under  "Events" at the top - and that workshop is already filled.

A second workshop will be held on Saturday January 21st, 2012.

Living willow workshops for the spring 2012 will be planned and posted on my blog in January. 

Words and photos by Lene Rasmussen,Willows.