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cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 04:12 PM
8307

Feeling very proud of myself! It's living willow so should become a lovely and bushy den over the summer. Talked my oh into gathering willow over the weekend for a small den big enough for one or two toddlers but somehow it ended up 7ft across and about 12ft high! Wonder what he'll say when he gets home!!!

sing-low
14-04-2014, 04:15 PM
Looks amazing! I'd love one of these but no way DH would go for it. A large enough garden to have space is on the wish list if we move. I've also seen a similar idea but with sunflowers (on Pinterest, of course!).

Vikki5531
14-04-2014, 04:24 PM
<img src="http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8307"/> Feeling very proud of myself! It's living willow so should become a lovely and bushy den over the summer. Talked my oh into gathering willow over the weekend for a small den big enough for one or two toddlers but somehow it ended up 7ft across and about 12ft high! Wonder what he'll say when he gets home!!!

Wow I love it! I want one! X

karen2010
14-04-2014, 04:26 PM
That looks amazing !! Well done you !! Xxxx

cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 04:51 PM
You can make small wigwam ones too with garden canes and sweet peas - bet they smell lovely! Thank you for all your nice comments - somehow don't think oh will be so positive about it! Frantically making a cottage pie (his fave) to soften him up lol xx

munch149
14-04-2014, 05:19 PM
I wish I was this creative

ginag
14-04-2014, 05:24 PM
That is brilliant! Well done! I would love to make a willow tunnel, you've inspired me to have a go!
Gina x

PeekABoos
14-04-2014, 05:35 PM
Oh wow!!! Love it, where did you find the willow? Looks amazing would love that in our garden. Especially as it doesn't block sunlight for the grass :D Xx

amyp
14-04-2014, 06:16 PM
Amazing! I have just painted my stumps ready for my sweet pea den too!!! Where did you get the willow? I have a pre made iron one but prefer your style!!

8308

FloraDora
14-04-2014, 06:17 PM
Lovely well done you!

cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 06:43 PM
[QUOTE=FloraDora;1356623]Lovely well done you!

cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 06:48 PM
Amazing! I have just painted my stumps ready for my sweet pea den too!!! Where did you get the willow? I have a pre made iron one but prefer your style!!

8308

They look lovely! I planned painting mine but never got round to it and they're too old now! I was so lucky with the willow - a friend of ours grows it and had just coppiced it but had no outlet so we were told to help ourselves before it all gets burnt! :jump for joy: I know you can buy it online but they recommend planting it early spring - hope mine takes ok! xx

cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 06:50 PM
Oh wow!!! Love it, where did you find the willow? Looks amazing would love that in our garden. Especially as it doesn't block sunlight for the grass :D Xx

I was lucky - a friend of mine grows it and let me help myself! You can buy it online but it really needs planting by early spring to take! It was very easy to build though:thumbsup: xx

cupcakencookie
14-04-2014, 06:52 PM
That is brilliant! Well done! I would love to make a willow tunnel, you've inspired me to have a go!
Gina x

You should go for it! If I can do it anyone can! Must warn you though - I had planned letting the LO's help but haven't got them this week and didn't want the willow to die before they come back...just as well as I think they would have learnt some rather colourful language had they been here today!:laughing:

miffy
14-04-2014, 09:38 PM
It looks great - can't believe your friends were going to burn the willow!

Miffy xx

amyp
15-04-2014, 05:41 AM
I am on the internet looking for willow! I'm jumping on your train!! Thanks for the gorgeous idea!! Ps- it's not cheap- you were very lucky!!!

sing-low
16-04-2014, 09:40 AM
What did your DH say? Did the shepherd's pie work?!

cupcakencookie
16-04-2014, 10:37 AM
What did your DH say? Did the shepherd's pie work?!

I think what he said may be censored on here lol! Made a lovely shepherds pie for him but when I went to put it in the oven the oven door fell off in my hands!:panic: I spent the best part of an hour putting it back together again! He told me I had to lower it to a maintainable height - it was over 12ft and willow grows very quickly (the whips I used were between 1 and 2 years old and are about 18ft long!) I lowered it to about 8ft but will be back out in the garden lowering again this afternoon to about 5ft so I can trim it easier when it grows! Good job I've no children this week! xx

cupcakencookie
16-04-2014, 10:40 AM
I am on the internet looking for willow! I'm jumping on your train!! Thanks for the gorgeous idea!! Ps- it's not cheap- you were very lucky!!!

Yay! If you do get some try and get it asap - it needs planting early spring to grow! xx

cupcakencookie
16-04-2014, 10:49 AM
It looks great - can't believe your friends were going to burn the willow!

Miffy xx

They've got a willow fence along the perimeter of their land (approx 1 mile!) and as it grows so quickly they have to coppice it yearly. I think usually they sell it on but this year the people who cut it didn't come until late and it needs planting before end of April to grow (preferably earlier than that really) so they'd struggle to sell it and if you leave it horizontally on the ground it will still root and grow! The whips I used were about 18ft long and only 1-2 years old! xx

smurfette
16-04-2014, 11:37 AM
How much did you need to do it?

smurfette
16-04-2014, 11:42 AM
Have seen these

http://adverts.ie/4788638

Or these

http://adverts.ie/5146540

cupcakencookie
16-04-2014, 02:19 PM
Have seen these

Willow Rods Basketryweaving For Sale in Ayrfield, Dublin from Ciara15 (http://adverts.ie/4788638)

Or these

Living Sculpture Willow For Sale in Manorhamilton, Leitrim from djmacm (http://adverts.ie/5146540)

Just been out and counted! I used 58 rods - 18 uprights that I tied at the top and inbetween them 2 rods that I crossed over each other and wove at a diagonal between the uprights. And 2 that I twisted together for the entrance. That made for a big sized den but I'm sure you could get away with using more especially as it grows so quickly and you can cut it after a year and keep adding to it. Not sure if I explained that very well though! These are the websites I used:

How To Build A Willow Den (http://www.littletrekkers.co.uk/fun-stuff-to-do-and-download/step-by-step/item/den-building-full-step-by-step-2.html)
How to build a living willow dome playhouse for under £40 « Becoming Domestic (http://becomingdomestic.com/2007/04/03/how-to-build-a-living-willow-dome-playhouse-for-under-40/)

I found it really therapeutic although I'm ashamed to say I didn't let the children help me:blush: I did get very OCD with my tape measure! I'd be careful about the first link - if they bought it over a year ago I don't know if it would still grow? Maybe worth googling to check. Most sites I saw estimate around £30-£40 total cost but might be worth checking out your local area if there's a good sized willow tree anywhere nearby that someone might be willing to let you prune for them!
Will you be building it this year or waiting till next? Some of the sites I read said it had to be planted before the end of March but I ignored them and hoped the one site I found that said April would be ok was right! Time will tell but it was worth the risk for me as I didn't have to pay out for the willow - if you do buy it now it might be a good idea to ask if the willow comes with any sort of guarantee as it's alot to pay if it doesn't grow. xx

wee_elf
16-04-2014, 08:56 PM
wow that is absolutely fantastic! I need to do this next spring :)

LauraS
16-04-2014, 09:37 PM
I have wanted one of these for a while but was concerned about planing something fairly permanent like willow in our smallish garden. I've made a wigwam-like structure out of canes and grown runner beans and sweet peas up it instead - might be worth considering for anyone who is too late for willow this year x

amylouise867
16-04-2014, 10:51 PM
<img src="http://www.childmindinghelp.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=8307"/> Feeling very proud of myself! It's living willow so should become a lovely and bushy den over the summer. Talked my oh into gathering willow over the weekend for a small den big enough for one or two toddlers but somehow it ended up 7ft across and about 12ft high! Wonder what he'll say when he gets home!!!

That is seriously seriously amazing!!!!!!
Well done to you!!!!!! x

ja-lula-belli
17-04-2014, 06:12 AM
Wow how clever ! X