Willow Plant Support Workshop

Willow Plant Support Workshop

Saturday 7 March, 10.30am-3.30pm

Spend the day with Donald and Karen Spy (Silverhare Baskets) making beautiful and functional plant supports for your garden. We will be making two types of plant support; a tall obelisk, perfect for sweet peas, nasturtiums or climbing beans, and a ‘Peony Crown’ for supporting any flowers liable to droop as they grow. These supports will be made with lovely willow grown in Fife and also from Somerset, using simple traditional techniques. This workshop is suitable for beginners and for those who have tried basketry already and want to try something different.

This class is limited to 8 students.

This course is suitable for people who want to try willow basketry for the first time, and also for people who want to further develop their skills and practice.

What to bring

All materials and tools will be provided. The session includes a short break for refreshments. There is tea and coffee available at the centre, but we recommend you bring snacks or a packed lunch.

Please be aware that working with willow is hard work for the hands and brain, so expect to be a little tired by the end of your busy but enjoyable day.

About the tutor

Artist Donald Spy started making baskets in 2020 after 28 years in the Fire Service. Donald is passionate about willow as a sustainable materials describing it as ‘a beautiful material; light, flexible and very strong. Perfectly sustainable; it can be grown as a coppice for many years. It sequesters carbon, encourages wildlife and bio-diversity, and is fully compostable’. Donald grows some willow in Fife and sources the rest from Somerset. Donald uses traditional techniques to make making strong, useful and beautiful baskets with a variety of natural colours and textures. Donald makea one-off baskets for sale and to order which you can find for sale at Pillars of Hercules near Falkland.