Willow Weaving Course at TASK Academy

/ karen

For 20 years I’ve worked alongside skilled willow weavers. I’ve watched them create fences around the gardens I’ve designed. Clematis and roses climb through woven tripods and willow animals ‘scamper’ across the lawns. I’ve always wanted to try my hand at weaving, but never had the chance. I wouldn’t have dared to interfere with their work. We are all on a deadline to complete the gardens. Time is money, and my job is to set out the plants and try to keep ahead of everyone planting them! This week though, I’ve finally managed to get my hands on some willow and have a go! I attended a one-day taster day for land-based skills at TASK Academy in Worcestershire.

Our project was to make a small woven cone out of year-old willow that had been soaked for four days. I loved the contrast between the red and yellow willow.

Our teacher Mel Bastier holding the willow cone I made.

Mel Bastier explained the basics and showed us how to make a small woven structure which could be used as a bird feeder. I decided to use it for floristry. I’m always trying to find new ways of displaying flowers without using florists’ foam.

First we fed willow through holes in a base form which held the willow in place for us to work on. The base form would be much larger for plant supports, but it’s the same principle.

We wove more willow in and out of the uprights until we had made a collar. Then more willow was twisted up to the tip to secure the structure. Finally we added a handle. Mine was quite long as I wanted to hang the cone on my farm gates and amongst the orchard trees.

At home, I collected some moss from under the apple trees. I wrapped it around a jam jar and secured it with garden twine, kokedama style.

The moss makes a natural ‘nest’ for a flower posy. You’d never know there was a jam jar inside.

I pushed the jam jar into the top of the cone and filled it with cold fresh water. Then I wandered around the garden collecting the last of the snowdrops, (if you pull them, they have long stems) the first daffodils, hellebores and primroses.

I stood the flower arrangement on the potting shed windowsill to add some hazel catkins. The flowering cherry just opening is Japanese cherry, Prunus Kojo No-Mai.

Hellebores are seedlings of five plants bought from Ashwood Nurseries. I must have nearly 100 plants around the garden, all offspring of plants purchased 10 years ago.

Although it’s not as showy as the rest, I love this small pink hellebore with its lime green markings.

Daffodils came from Taylors Bulbs. Good strong varieties that come back into flower reliably each year.

I’m very pleased with my willow cone. I loved making it. It’s a very calming thing to do, learning a new skill, among friends, with kind and patient teachers. Mel made the willow crown sculpture at RHS Wisley for the King’s coronation, and she’s also made many structures for flower shows and private gardens.

I would love to return to TASK to make some plant supports like these.

I must admit I fell in love with this hare. Maybe, in time, I might be able to make something similar! If I do, it will be all thanks to Mel and the team at TASK.

TASK Academy is run by award winning landscaper Rupert Keys. If you’ve looked on in wonder at the lovely greenhouse owned by Frances Tophill on Gardeners World, Rupert and his team made it! Frances won Platinum and Best in Show for her garden at BBC Gardeners World Live in 2022 and Rupert built the garden and created the greenhouse out of recycled window frames. I lost count of how many awards he’d won to be honest. Safe to say, he knows what he’s talking about and has the experience.

TASK run land-based courses for the landscaping industry and also for anyone wanting to learn how to create dry stone walls, learn garden design, bricklaying and willow weaving.

I can wholeheartedly recommend them. I loved learning something new and found the team very kind and encouraging. Experts who can also teach with patience and understanding. A perfect day that I’ll always treasure.

Find out more at https://www.taskacademy.co.uk/

Thank you also to Emma Mason PR for inviting me along!

Have you recently attended any courses of any kind and learned a new skill? Let me know how you got on!

Also see Common Farm Flowers for floristry courses where I learned how to make my jam-jar posies and bouquets and grow cut flowers all year round.

See Cathy’s In A Vase on Monday here :

https://ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com/category/gardens/in-a-vase-on-monday/

22 thoughts on “Willow Weaving Course at TASK Academy”

  1. I love this, Karen. It’s wonderful from start (willow-weaving) to finish (the floral flourishes)! I have to say, I fell for that woven willow hare too. 

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    • Thank you Eliza. It’s nice to make something useful for the garden. I’m looking for a shepherds crook now to support the cone. I want to put it in the front garden where I’ll see it as I come and go from the front door. Thanks for your kind words Eliza. Much appreciated. Xx

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  4. What a great day that must have been, Karen, and it was good that you were able to make your choice of structure, knowing that it could be put to immediate use in the garden, with your lovely selection of blooms. It was a brilliant idea to use the moss covered jam jar for it too. I once made some very basic obelisks from willow, which were supplied by mail order

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  6. I absolutely love this and would love to make one. Maybe there will be a class around me at a garden center. The moss is definitely the ticket. A beautiful vase and display.

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    • Thank you Donna. I hope you get the chance to make one. It’s very straight forward once you’ve got started. The moss is thick under my fruit trees. Thanks for your kind comments. They are much appreciated.

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    • It was a fantastic day out Noelle! Enjoyed every minute of it. Now looking for a shepherd’s crook to hang the flower arrangement in the garden! Thanks for reading and for your kind comments. It’s much appreciated.

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  9. your floral designs are, to my eyes, are incomparable. Now, in your personally made willow cone, you have added an extra touch of natural extra glamour. How do you protect your creation on the branches from high winds and storms?

    my new/old learning and development is a different art and craft. Digital editing and photography.

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    • Thank you! I must admit, the flowers are taken into the potting shed at night like babies! And brought out at dawn. The orchard is sheltered by a shelter belt of trees we planted 30 years ago. Fingers crossed we have no more storms . We have had quite enough wind and rain this winter! Your new/old art and craft sounds fascinating. I love taking photos, but don’t have the technical know how to edit them. Have a great day! Karen

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    • Thank you Cathy! Yes, it was a very special day. I was pleased to have enough energy to keep up with everyone. It was quite meditative working with both limestone walling and natural willow. Thoroughly enjoyed the day and wanted to go back the next day!

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