*Willow Cuttings season has ended, orders will open up again December 1st 2024*
Willow Cuttings are ‘slips’ of doormat willow that one plants to establish their own willow garden, coppice, or colourful hedgerow. During the winter months of December and January, I sell these heritage varieties of basketry willow for planting. Orders will be posted out the first two weeks of February.
To view Frequently Asked Questions or if you prefer the old fashioned way of ordering through e-mail and bank transfer click here.
Reconnecting to our Ancient Arts can bring a great richness into our lives. It allows us to listen to the heartbeat of the land, to reconnect to a part of ourselves that is as ancient as the sea. One does not need to desire to be a professional basketmaker to grow willow—willow can create beautiful wreaths for the holidays, garden structures for the summer, living willow structures with larger rods, a colourful hedge for winter, and create an invaluable habitat for birds & early nectar flow for bees.
Many who begin to feel the desire to weave or work with willow, soon find that it is nearly impossible to source Irish grown basketry willow. Importing willow from Somerset in England is quite tricky since Brexit with expensive postage and import fees. Growing your own willow allows you to grow beautiful heritage varieties, reconnect to the rhytms of the land, and keep a precious tradition and beautiful heritage varieties of willow alive. I encourage all people who are interested in the many forms of willow weaving to grow their own garden of willow, whatever the size.
Over the past few years I I have been collecting prized heritage varieties of basketry willow that are perfectly suitable for the Irish climate. I have been given these varieties from my teachers & fellow weavers and growing them organically in West Limerick. What you see here is my personal favourite varieties. Each variety of willow has its own strengths and weakness—some have striking colour, but are low producers; other are a bit plain in colour but are greatly prized for their size, strength and ‘woodiness’, others make beautiful all round weavers with their slight taper, yet would be too fine for frames & ribs for frame basketry. In each basket I make I would have a minimum of three different varieties of willow to encourage the strengths in each of the varieties for different parts of a basket.
The cutting must be stored in long grass until planted in the winter, during the doormat season of the year, until March.
Each cutting is approximately 12-14 inches in length
€ 10 / 12 cuttings (of same variety)
€ 20 / 25 cuttings (of same variety)
€ 40 / 50 cuttings (of same variety)
€ 80 / 100 cuttings (of same variety)
All orders include digital planting guide
Minimum Order of €50 and minimum of 12 cuttings per variety
Each order includes a free willow planting guide, please add this item to your ‘cart’ when ordering!
All orders will be posted out the first two weeks of February
For Irish order, postage & packaging is €15
For EU orders, postage & packing is between €20-45*
for Irish orders, local pick up in Glin, West Limerick or Bantry, West Cork is available upon request
*for EU orders, one will automatically be charged €45 and I will refund you the difference once parcel is posted
Unfortunately, no orders outside of EU due to customs restrictions