Willow Edging
The Benefits of Using Willow Edging in Your Garden
Willow edging may be the perfect way to add a border to your garden, especially if it is a garden with plants that remain lower to the ground. To create willow edging takes nothing more than a stack of willow twigs.
If you have the time to invest in creating your own willow edging, you’ll find that it will really offset your garden and help you to create a charming addition to your landscape. Willow edging is created with the same technique used to make willow baskets; you can make an edging fence that is anywhere from 6 to 24 inches high.
- To make a low willow edging of about 6 inches you will need to start by getting some, 18 inch willow branches; these will need to be put into the ground about 2 inches.
- Stake these into the ground at about 3 inches apart; you will continue doing this until you reach whatever length of border you need. For example, if you want a six-foot border that is 6 inches high, you will need 24 willow branches placed 3 inches apart.
- Now you will need some longer willow branches that will be used to twine the staked willow branches. You will need to twine about three rows of willow twigs to ensure that your willow edging is strong and durable.
- When you are done, bend the twig stakes over and drive the open end through the twine and into the ground about 2 inches.
Willow edging can be just as durable as plastic edging, and it’s so easy to make just about anyone can do it. In addition to this, it is a lot more attractive than plain plastic edging. The design of the willow edging can be as simple or as intricate as you’d like; some people prefer the simple version, while others like their willow edging to be very intricate and designed like lattice. Your only limitation will be the time you want to invest in your willow edging project, as well as your skill at weaving.
Willow edging has long been popular in European gardens, and today it is gaining in popularity in placed like the United States due to its simple but elegant quality. This natural and environmentally safe edging can be used as edging for flower and vegetable gardens, as well as walkways, driveways and more. This type of edging will give your garden a formal, as well as a rustic look, depending on the style you choose to use. The basic arched willow edging works great for small gardens where you want a rustic, natural look.
For those times where you need a garden edging that is more formal, there is willow edging available that is so intricately designed that it fits great in a formal garden setting. You may want to use a combination of both fancy and simple designs to fit with different areas of your garden. Before deciding on which type of willow edging is best to use, you’ll want to draw up plans for your garden that includes which areas you want to be more formal, and which areas of your garden you would like to retain a more natural atmosphere.
If you like the rustic look of willow edging but don’t have the time to create it yourself, there are several places where you can purchase a variety of garden edging products, including the type made of willow branches. These products are often available at local landscaping design stores, but if you are unable to find willow edging locally, there are a number of retailers that sell it online.