willow structures

charlie · Post: # 50335Post **charlie** » Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:44 am

They're fantastic!

red · Post: # 57211Post **red** » Sun May 13, 2007 9:45 pm

here is my willow tunnel, 'in the green'

still living! (unlike the wooden chair in previous pictures of mine.. i sat on it heavily after cutting the lawn.... its now a pile of handy firewood)

Cornelian · Sun May 13, 2007 10:27 pm

That looks great! It wouldn't actually load for me here so I had to go to your website to view it, but it looks lovely. What are the pink feathery things to the right?

red · Post: # 57219Post **red** » Sun May 13, 2007 11:02 pm

Cornelian wrote: What are the pink feathery things to the right?

dunno!- we have been calling it 'the badly pruned tree' since we moved in in September - it just had green featherly leaves - looking like a tree made out of fennel (but not smelling of fennel!) then in May - it flowered all this pink feathery stuff - if you can name it I would like to know!

flower · Post: # 57222Post **flower** » Mon May 14, 2007 1:00 am

willow structures are lovely but remember that willow roots actively search for water.
Be careful to site them far away from your house and also check whether water mains, sewers or water waste pipes run beneath your lawn.

Willow roots are awesome....they will get into any little crack and force it wide open. They can travel a long way from the plant too.

Since I have a water main under my garden, I might try a similar structure but use ivy over a base of hazel.

Millymollymandy · Mon May 14, 2007 5:46 am

It looks like a Tamarisk. What's the blue flowering shrub behind the willow structure? Rhodo?

Anyway the willow tunnel looks great, but as for the poor old chair - you weren't supposed to sit on it, you know!

red · Post: # 57247Post **red** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:07 am

Millymollymandy wrote:It looks like a Tamarisk. What's the blue flowering shrub behind the willow structure? Rhodo?

Anyway the willow tunnel looks great, but as for the poor old chair - you weren't supposed to sit on it, you know!

yep - thats it - a Tamarisk - thanks for that! praps I'll photo all my unknown plants and post them here!
the low blue flowering stuff in background is forget-me-nots - and the whiteish looking stuff behind the arch is hydranger - I hate hydranger - particularly the old faded traditional colours.. so its going.

and of course - the chair was for looking at... doh! silly me!
as i fell through it. all I coud think was 'who saw me look a fool?!'

red · Post: # 57249Post **red** » Mon May 14, 2007 10:10 am

flower wrote:
Since I have a water main under my garden, I might try a similar structure but use ivy over a base of hazel.

if you are going to use a climber.. there are lots of choices.. you could use cucumber! or kiwi fruit.. or runner beans.. - i saw once a garden that had arches over the path and cucumbers hanging down.. like that idea..

Thomzo · Post: # 57255Post **Thomzo** » Mon May 14, 2007 11:00 am

I'll second the Tamarisk. A lovely tree.

I really fancy a covered walkway between two island beds but I worry that willow might suck the moisture out of the soil for the other plants.

Zoe

red · Post: # 57281Post **red** » Mon May 14, 2007 1:32 pm

our willow thing is in middle of lawn, far from house and veg beds.. so should be ok....

Millymollymandy · Mon May 14, 2007 4:29 pm

Well I thought it was a hydrangea at first but surely it isn't flowering already?

Mine have only tiny buds!

PurpleDragon · Mon May 14, 2007 5:41 pm

Someone local to me (who is also a NEEP) was telling me about plans for their hmm - not outside toilet - one of those loos like they had on INEBG but without the shed around it.

They live on a smallholding, and he is going to plant a load of trees for privacy and also for helping the waste to be used.

I can't remember all the details, but it was fascinating

red · Post: # 57346Post **red** » Mon May 14, 2007 9:34 pm

Millymollymandy wrote:Well I thought it was a hydrangea at first but surely it isn't flowering already? Mine have only tiny buds!

nope - those are last year's dead flowers. - the bush is going.. so i have not been quick off the mark at dead-heading. Actually the whole flower garden is being a bit ignored at the mo for the sake of veggies...

red · Post: # 57348Post **red** » Mon May 14, 2007 9:35 pm

PurpleDragon wrote:Someone local to me (who is also a NEEP) was telling me about plans for their hmm - not outside toilet - one of those loos like they had on INEBG but without the shed around it.

They live on a smallholding, and he is going to plant a load of trees for privacy and also for helping the waste to be used.

I can't remember all the details, but it was fascinating

hmm kinda like the reed beds for water cleaning... willow trees for compostable loo processing.. it could work.. unless those roots seek water so much they end up in the bowl!...

ohareward · Tue May 15, 2007 12:12 am

Hi all. Here is some info on the tamarisk.

Tamarix (Tamaricaceae)
Genus of deciduous or evergreen shrubs and trees, grown for their foliage, habit and abundant racemes of small flowers. In mild areas is wind resistant and thrives in exposed, coastal positions, making excellent hedges.
Fully to frost hardy. Requires sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Prune early-spring flowering species to about half after flowers have faded; late spring and summer-flowering species should be pruned in winter.
Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in late spring or autumn or by hardwood cuttings in winter.

Tamarix aphylla. (Athel tree)
Vigorous, evergreen, erect tree, fast growing in warm climates. H8-12m, S3m. Frost hardy. Has greyish bark and greyish-green, scale-like twigs. Tiny, whitish-pink flowes occur in spikes, 5cm long, in summer-autumn.

Robin