Salicaceae

Using willow as an early source of nectar for bees

Willow blossom proffers a great service during the spring months by providing an early source of nectar and pollen for foraging bees. Without this rich food source many bees would perish.

Growing willows for winter stem colour

The winter and spring are when willows come into their own. Certain willows have striking stem colour whilst others combine this with beautiful catkins. However, since the 1960’s and 70’s when weeping willows got a bad press for causing subsidence problems when planted in small gardens many of these varieties have fallen out of favour.

There is really no need to tar all willows with the same brush though. If you control willows by coppicing every 1 to 3 years you shouldn’t have any problems at all.

The beauty and diversity of willows

Neglected beauties

Resources

Willows in the service of man – Ken Stott OBE.

This article was a huge inspiration for the Wondertree project. It is a scholarly piece that looks at the many uses of the genus Salix.

Reproduced with kind permission from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

Willows: Plant Profile – Kevin Lindegaard

Willow nursery

Thanks for your interest in the Wondertree nursery. We currently sell over 300 varieties that fall into the following broad categories:

Basketry willows

  • Biomass willows
  • Coloured stem willows
  • Dwarf willows
  • Fantastic foliage
  • Ground cover willows
  • Pussy willows
  • Tree willows
  • Twisted trees
  • Weeping willows

Willows for Schools

Create an oasis of willow in your school grounds or garden

Wondertree is a partnership run by Kevin and Sheena Lindegaard. We design and plant willow gardens or structures for our clients. These include schools, gardens, environmental charities and businesses.

Spirituality and religion

Activity 1        Rock a bye your baby in a willow cradle

One of our simplest activities - buy or commission a unique cradle from a local basket maker. A truly beautiful item for your babies’ nursery.

Activity 10      Make a sacred willow stick for a new born child

Survival skills and primitive ways

Activity 22      Make a Willow Whistle

This activity shows you how to create music by making a simple whistle using willow stems. All you need is some coppice willow rods that are straight and free of knots. Try this with different coloured stems in March-May when the bark is easy to peel.

Activity 37      The use of wattle and daub in timber frame construction

Sustainability and the environment

Activity 8        Save a plastic bag and make a fashion statement

Each year in the UK we use 8 billion plastic bags equivalent to 134 per person. The vast majority of these end up in landfill sites and they are believed to take up to 500 years to decompose. With very little effort we could reduce this waste problem simply by going out with a reusable shopping bag like people did in the old days. For maximum longevity and style why not go for a woven willow shopping basket?

Science and botany

Activity 5         Learn to identify some willows

There are hundreds of willow species. These 101 activities use many different species and you might feel a little daunted about where to start. However, the majority of tasks can be performed with just a handful of willows. This activity looks at five species native or naturalised to Britain and five native to North America. 

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