The crown is sprouting

Potatoes not bodies!!

Tray of goodies

Spring willow

Sunshine Calendula

Raptor dinner table

This is the third set of feathers I have found so I think a sparrow hawk may be using the meadow as it's dinner table. Only feathers left, no bones and no pellet.

Glad I am not a local pigeon!

New bed dug

Started splitting up the spare crop beds for the year and gave the first a dig over. The area to the left adjacent to the daffs will be the potato bed.

Natural weed suppressant

I have never really had an effective solution to the weed issue in the orchard. I didn't want to sow grass seed as I have no mower to keep it trim, but had an idea today to use the dead grass from the meadow clearance to provide a natural solution, well in part at least.

Herb bed dug with fancy edging

Had a brainwave today. Sometimes the plot seems overwhelming, lots of bare land and no idea where to start. I have decided to try and think like a smaller allotmenteer and then upscale. By creating a series of smaller beds the large area becomes more manageable and can cope with a mix of flowers and veg, annual and more permanent crops. 

This bed will be a herb bed, I already have chocolate mint which has over wintered and is already spreading. I will focus on crops I can use in cooking as well as cutting to complement the flowers for a more rustic feel. 

I have edged with some of the willow off cuts, they may sprout but if nit they at least add some height and interest and make the plot look a little more loved. 

Each bed is a scaffolding board length and two boards wide. There will be a board width between each bed for access. Thus size allows access from each side of the path to the middle of the bed so you never have to walk on the bed to tidy. 

Path tidy and new edging

The meadow had taken over the path so I hand cleared the grass away, underneath there is some black membrane with the bottles to weigh it down, although they can probably be moved now. Just to finish off some willow off cuts from last week. 

Just out of sight on the right is the willow dome.

Golden dome

The golden crown looking resplendent in the march sunshine. 

Evidence of rabbit visitors so glad someone likes it. Maybe they have midnight feasts inside!

Finished rustic dome

The finished article!

 

I am pleased with my work - took about 6 hours in total from cutting to finishing. I will pop back and secure the joins with some additional string, but mainly because it is so windy on the plot and I would like it to hang around for a while!

 

Hopefully the willow will start to sprout soon and it will become a mass of green hair like madness and a fabulous den in which to hide! 

 

It leans a little but I like to think of it as rustic and flexible!

 

 

Any suggested names welcome - currently working with 'The Crown', or 'The Dome of Contemplation'! 

Structure taking shape

 

Main strong straight stems selected and inserted to form the basis of the dome shape.

 

 

To start supporting and joining together, willow is woven around the bottom to create the structure. A couple of additional pegs for support.

 

 

Once the bottom is complete then the weaving takes place half way up to allow the structure to become a little more rigid before the top is tied in.

 

I dont think I will get any commissions of this but I developed my own way of tying in the woven willow using smaller pieces of willow - mainly because, like a numpty, I had left my string at home!

 

After this part was completed I did do a mad dash back to get the string so I could tie in the tops. 

Grading willow

After the hair cut comes the grading.

 

Top picture shows the whippier smaller parts for the weaving.

 

Middle photo shows the stunning yellow stems for the main structure.

 

Bottom photo shows the thicker stems for the structure and some to be trimmed for the weaving.

 

How organised was I?!!

 

Hair cut

The willow has had its first hair cut!

 

The willow was left to its own devices in the first year of planting until now. There are two varieties: yellow and red stems. To be honest the yellow are more impressive in terms of colour and straight stems but the red seems to be reasonably happy and is also growing well just a little disappointing in terms of the colour.

 

Thanks to hubby who suggested I use the loppers, the trimming process was easy but if you are attempting this then a top tip would be to wear some safety glasses - it seriously hurts when the willows smacks you in the eye - several times and usually the same one!!