Weave a Living Willow Screen

Slimmer than a hedge and just as easy to create, willow screens are ideal for garden room partitions or wind breaks.

Excerpted from How to Grow Practically Everything
Filed under: Trellis, Fences, How To

Make a Tunnel

Natural and inexpensive, a willow tunnel takes no longer to make than a screen and can be used for children's play areas or in a cottage or informal design. To create a living tunnel, buy longer "rods" instead of setts or cuttings.

Mark Out the Site

Prepare the site and soil as for screens. Measure the length of the tunnel and calculate the number of rods you will need: they are planted in pairs 12 inches apart or closer if you want a dense effect. You will also need a few spares. When the rods arrive, plant as for setts but in trenches that are 12 inches deep.

Form the Arch

Plant rods in matching pairs on either side of your marked-out tunnel. Bend each pair over to form an arch and twist them together. Secure with rubber plant ties. Plant some rods between the other stems and weave them across the structure to help strengthen it. Tie these rods on either side of the arch stems.