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There is an irony about travelling to Canada to attend a workshop to learn about a practice that stems from the British Isles. As part of the IPA Canada 2017 conference, Evergreen staff provided a more natural approach to the use of loose parts. Evergreen is a Canadian organisation that is dedicated to making cities flourish through transformation of places into green spaces. It has lots of nature play projects, school yard transformations and other activities happening. 

Whilst we were free to use the abundant supply of willow and dogwood in anyway we wanted, I was fascinated to learn about tree baskets. Root compaction at the base of trees from lots of feet can impact on a tree’s ability to thrive. Likewise it is easy for a strimmer to accidentally whip against a tree when the grass is being tidied. Tree baskets protect the base of trees from both these hazards. They are also good fun to make and can be part of an approach to caring for newly planted trees in your grounds or outdoor space.

The approach is quite straightforward. Using a mallet, tap some low level stakes into the ground. Next find a pair of long willow rods of equal length. If you look at the photo, you may be able to see the 3D technique used. The rods are woven around the stakes, in an in-out manner. However as you do this, the weave also happens vertically, so the rod that is lowest to the ground, becomes twisted to move over the other rod between the stakes. As you add your rods, push them down and  keep tucking in the sticking out ends or snipping them off.

The result is a rather fetching decorative yet functional approach to protecting trees. Perfect for schools and early years settings which have willow structures that will shortly need pruning over the winter.

The stakes should be sawn down so they align with the willow withies

At Inverness Botanic Gardens I came across a similar technique to creating raised beds. So this is also a very cost effective approach that I think older children and young people may enjoy. Also check out the fence – tiny trees are being espaliered to create a natural boundary too.

National Tree Week takes place each year at the end of November. This celebrates the start of the tree planting season. Don’t just plant a tree, care for one too!

This blog post is an updated version of one that was first published in September 2017

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