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Living willow
Hullo. For a couple of years we wanted to do a living willow dome. I'm
ready for it. My apple tree is going to the lotty and I'll have enough room for it now in its place. It's my winter project, or at least one of them... From what I have read and searched all I find are kits, sculptures and I think they want my money above all else. As anyone done one and my questions a- is a matting necessary? Do I really need 10m of free ground around it? Should I be best growing my own from cuttings (I'll use the lotty to grow the willows) and coppice it? Is 6ft/8ft branches to do my dome enough, what kind of ties should I be using and finally can I mix two variety for colours the salix alba britzensis and the vitellina? Thank yous! |
Living willow
La puce wrote:
Hullo. For a couple of years we wanted to do a living willow dome. I'm ready for it. My apple tree is going to the lotty and I'll have enough room for it now in its place. It's my winter project, or at least one of them... From what I have read and searched all I find are kits, sculptures and I think they want my money above all else. As anyone done one and my questions a- is a matting necessary? Do I really need 10m of free ground around it? Should I be best growing my own from cuttings (I'll use the lotty to grow the willows) and coppice it? Is 6ft/8ft branches to do my dome enough, what kind of ties should I be using and finally can I mix two variety for colours the salix alba britzensis and the vitellina? Thank yous! I never actually got round to it, but the one I planned had no supports at all -- just the trees themselves, at about one-foot intervals. They'll need to be a heck of a lot more than 8 feet tall if you want to get inside the dome, and by the time they get big enough, the main trunks will have lost their colour. I'd never buy a kit: just take lots of cuttings (now's the time). I don't see why there has to be that much space around it. There's a lot on the Web if you Google "willow dome". -- Mike. |
Living willow
The message . com
from "La puce" contains these words: Hullo. For a couple of years we wanted to do a living willow dome. I'm ready for it. My apple tree is going to the lotty and I'll have enough room for it now in its place. It's my winter project, or at least one of them... From what I have read and searched all I find are kits, sculptures and I think they want my money above all else. As anyone done one and my questions a- is a matting necessary? Do I really need 10m of free ground around it? Should I be best growing my own from cuttings (I'll use the lotty to grow the willows) and coppice it? Is 6ft/8ft branches to do my dome enough, what kind of ties should I be using and finally can I mix two variety for colours the salix alba britzensis and the vitellina? Thank yous! How near the house will this willow dome be? And how near to any drains? -- Rusty horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Living willow
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: How near the house will this willow dome be? And how near to any drains? Very near to the house - about 3m from house wall and 2m from a wooden fence (neighbours). The drains are further - I'd imagine 4m side of the house wall. I've search google Mike, and my questions are precisely what organisations couldn't give me, like JPR Willow, Slimlet willow - only do 'workshop for kids' and sell the kits at 220 squids!! The HDRA have a very useful fact sheets but the questions I need answered are not in their doc. Simply Willow are also very expensive and point out to the Gardeners Wold magazine feature and charge unrealistic prices for their willows. I don't do 'expensive' - I don't buy much really. I recycle and I love receiving and giving gifts :o) I'm sure someone in here *must* have used willows ... |
Living willow
The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words: Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: How near the house will this willow dome be? And how near to any drains? Very near to the house - about 3m from house wall and 2m from a wooden fence (neighbours). The drains are further - I'd imagine 4m side of the house wall. IMO, dangerously close to both. I've search google Mike, and my questions are precisely what organisations couldn't give me, like JPR Willow, Slimlet willow - only do 'workshop for kids' and sell the kits at 220 squids!! The HDRA have a very useful fact sheets but the questions I need answered are not in their doc. Simply Willow are also very expensive and point out to the Gardeners Wold magazine feature and charge unrealistic prices for their willows. I don't do 'expensive' - I don't buy much really. I recycle and I love receiving and giving gifts :o) I'm sure someone in here *must* have used willows ... I don't know - willows aren't housetrained, and undermine foundations, break into drains, and the roots of some of them will extend a quarter of a mile to get to water. Personally, I wouldn't let a willow loose anywhere near the house. Do it with hazel, perhaps, and set some climbers free over it. -- Rusty horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Living willow
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: IMO, dangerously close to both. I don't know - willows aren't housetrained, and undermine foundations, break into drains, and the roots of some of them will extend a quarter of a mile to get to water. Well I thought so to myself - however, the ground is pretty damp there, sheltered from the fence and a hedge, which is not a really good thing as willow like sun, but the sun gets there part of the day. You know, none of the material given on all those willow dome kits on the net mention this? None. Personally, I wouldn't let a willow loose anywhere near the house. Do it with hazel, perhaps, and set some climbers free over it. Ho. What a brilliant idea! I have a white pompom rose climbing on the fence. Huge thing it is now and this year the scent made us dizzy. Perhaps I could train her on the dome from the fence. But it's really going beside my initial project ... a living dome!! I should have married a farmer ... with S P A C E all around :o( |
Living willow
The message .com
from "La puce" contains these words: Jaques d'Alltrades wrote: IMO, dangerously close to both. I don't know - willows aren't housetrained, and undermine foundations, break into drains, and the roots of some of them will extend a quarter of a mile to get to water. Well I thought so to myself - however, the ground is pretty damp there, sheltered from the fence and a hedge, which is not a really good thing as willow like sun, but the sun gets there part of the day. You know, none of the material given on all those willow dome kits on the net mention this? None. Well, they wouldn't, would they? Personally, I wouldn't let a willow loose anywhere near the house. Do it with hazel, perhaps, and set some climbers free over it. Ho. What a brilliant idea! I have a white pompom rose climbing on the fence. Huge thing it is now and this year the scent made us dizzy. Perhaps I could train her on the dome from the fence. But it's really going beside my initial project ... a living dome!! You could coppice your hazel (or willow...) and grow a living globe - but the way to get hazel to do its thing is to have it reaching for a hole in the canopy, so ideally, you'd plant your ring of hazels (or willows) and enclose them in a twenty foot tube. A factory chimney would do, but you'd need to take the top off. Use all the spare bricks thus released for edging and an apple store. I should have married a farmer ... with S P A C E all around :o( If I know farmers, he'd apply for planning permission to extend your dome into a full-sized house. -- Rusty horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Living willow
The message k
from Sacha contains these words: Our local farmer told us a tale or two the other day that indicates planning departments aren't always sympathetic to them. He and his wife have now retired and wanted to add one room to her dead father's two bedroomed bungalow so that they can move in and have a study. The planning officer was incredulous "what on earth do you want with a study? Why can't you put the computer in a corner of your bedroom?" Then their son asked for the same thing to be added to his house and was asked the same question. So he took them into the kitchen and showed them the mountainous pile of paperwork a grateful government expects him to deal with - in his bedroom? The same son wanted to build an en suite bathroom above this study, allowing his wife and he some privacy in the morning and evening rush. The comment was "what on earth does a farmer want with an en suite bathroom" - he said he felt as if he was expected to swill himself off under the yard pump! Another son has five children so wanted to add on a bedroom in his house. Planning officer said he saw no reason for it and suggested the two older children should go down the lane each night and sleep at their grandparents' house! Incredible! Takes your breath away innit. -- Rusty horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Living willow
On 16/11/05 16:33, in article
, "Jaques d'Alltrades" wrote: The message k from Sacha contains these words: Our local farmer told us a tale or two the other day that indicates planning departments aren't always sympathetic to them. He and his wife have now retired and wanted to add one room to her dead father's two bedroomed bungalow so that they can move in and have a study. The planning officer was incredulous "what on earth do you want with a study? Why can't you put the computer in a corner of your bedroom?" Then their son asked for the same thing to be added to his house and was asked the same question. So he took them into the kitchen and showed them the mountainous pile of paperwork a grateful government expects him to deal with - in his bedroom? The same son wanted to build an en suite bathroom above this study, allowing his wife and he some privacy in the morning and evening rush. The comment was "what on earth does a farmer want with an en suite bathroom" - he said he felt as if he was expected to swill himself off under the yard pump! Another son has five children so wanted to add on a bedroom in his house. Planning officer said he saw no reason for it and suggested the two older children should go down the lane each night and sleep at their grandparents' house! Incredible! Takes your breath away innit. Well, it helps to explain why that sort of attitude, plus the treatment farmers get from the govt. and supermarket chains, means that in our area we now have one dairy farmer only and no pig farmers at all. Very soon, this is going to be an island that can no longer feed itself and IMO, that's a treacherously dangerous situation for us to be in. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
Living willow
In article , Sacha
writes Well, it helps to explain why that sort of attitude, plus the treatment farmers get from the govt. and supermarket chains, means that in our area we now have one dairy farmer only and no pig farmers at all. Very soon, this is going to be an island that can no longer feed itself and IMO, that's a treacherously dangerous situation for us to be in. Well, I'm not sure how much a conclusion you can draw from the rantings of one bigoted individual. That's the trouble, of course. All of us represent whatever groups we are a member of - it just takes one of us to behave badly, and the reputation of the whole group is tarnished. -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
Living willow
On 16/11/05 17:59, in article , "Kay"
wrote: In article , Sacha writes Well, it helps to explain why that sort of attitude, plus the treatment farmers get from the govt. and supermarket chains, means that in our area we now have one dairy farmer only and no pig farmers at all. Very soon, this is going to be an island that can no longer feed itself and IMO, that's a treacherously dangerous situation for us to be in. Well, I'm not sure how much a conclusion you can draw from the rantings of one bigoted individual. That's the trouble, of course. All of us represent whatever groups we are a member of - it just takes one of us to behave badly, and the reputation of the whole group is tarnished. One bigoted individual? Which bigoted individual? Do you mean the farmer? He and his wife are neighbours of ours and have now retired. They have farmed in this area for years and years - they have 8 children, many of whom have followed them into farming, some of whom have emigrated to Australia. They're not bigoted, they're experienced in the ways of bureaucrats and farming, if you refer to them. But I do hope that you don't. Or do you mean one bigoted individual from the Planning Dept. of the South Hams District Council? More than one planning officer was involved in this little saga. And you should have met the 'only just started shaving' youth from that dept. who was trying to make his reputation and career on us erecting two signs at the entrance to the nursery. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds to email me) |
Living willow
And you should have met the 'only just started shaving' youth
from that dept. who was trying to make his reputation and career on us erecting two signs at the entrance to the nursery. Whilst I appreciate that in those days you had not 'only just started shaving', this came later, do you state that you were never 'young' and therefore 'knew everything' from the day you were born? Yes I thought so :-(( That's the way you act :-(( |
Living willow
In article , Sacha
writes On 16/11/05 17:59, in article , "Kay" wrote: One bigoted individual? Which bigoted individual? Do you mean the farmer? No, of course not. Or do you mean one bigoted individual from the Planning Dept. of the South Hams District Council? Yes More than one planning officer was involved in this little saga. OK, sorry, I must have misread your account - I thought it was just one guy letting his prejudices show. You know, I have a really good knack of rubbing you up the wrong way, and it's not deliberate! :-) And you should have met the 'only just started shaving' youth from that dept. who was trying to make his reputation and career on us erecting two signs at the entrance to the nursery. Wish we had him round our way. There are currently 3 large advertising signs set up without permission on the park opposite, advertising businesses between 1/4 and 1/2 mile away, attracting drivers' attention on a particularly complex set of traffic lights and crossing point for 3 local primary schools. -- Kay "Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river" |
Living willow
Sacha wrote: Well, it helps to explain why that sort of attitude, plus the treatment farmers get from the govt. and supermarket chains, means that in our area we now have one dairy farmer only and no pig farmers at all. Very soon, this is going to be an island that can no longer feed itself and IMO, that's a treacherously dangerous situation for us to be in. I'd be more positive now. I think it is going to be a slow process but things are changing for the better. But indeed the last 30 years have been bad. The young farmers were not attracted to the hard life their fathers had and the competition became too hard. The farmers are now trying to organise themselves forming cooperatives to compete with supermarkets and looking a cultivation in sustainable ways. The fashion of organic goods is sweeping everywhere which helps in some area to re-activate the farmers market and the scary stories of food additives, herbicides, colorants etc. help us to be more choosy in what we buy and eat and this the govt. realises. Biodiversity is now an important part of our kids GCSE. Conservation is everywhere, from our mountains woodlands to little urban patches of land. All housing developments now establish green corridors to promote sound ecological environments. Farmers get rewards for protecting our environment. There is now a network of some 63 city farms, over 1,000 community gardens, and 72 school farms, as well as an increasing number of allotments groups sprouting (ha!) everywhere. That with the hundreds of healthy eating schemes, the farms adopting a schools etc. we will see before long some changes for the better and this island will be the richest in Europe for it. Now is the right time to marry a farmer :o) |
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