IN a shallow bowl dug out of a Worcestershire hillside stands a small forest of willow: tall, slender withies shade from pale green to russet tips, yellow to chest nut, sage to purple, rustling and sighing in the winter breeze. Half the beds have been harvested and a blonde figure in boots and waterproofs is bent over, sorting the bundles before tying two fine rods of willow around each one.
Jenny Crisp has been cultivating willow and making basketwork for 30 years: 'We grow our own because I like to have what I need to hand for particular constructions. It also helps to understand the material and achieve a different palette.' She will sell one-third of this year's produce to other makers: 'It's a growing market.
These days, Mrs Crisp works with her daughter, Issy Wilkes, in a partnership, Willow with Roots. As a former theatre designer, Mrs Wilkes often used willow to create the carcase for stage figures. 'It has such light, workable properties,' she explains. She now makes large pieces to commission, such as hanging lampshades, colourful woven play pods and wedding arches in which willow has the starring role.
Denne historien er fra October 02,2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra October 02,2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
