Greenwood can be used to make all sorts of structures, including plant supports, pergolas, trellis, indoor and outdoor furniture, playhouses, yurts and permanent buildings. The most flexible species, notably willow, can be used for sculptures, baskets and many other items. For voluntary groups, selling material from local woodlands for garden and other uses can help provide a source of funds, as well as being environmentally sound. There have been some very successful community schemes set up linking woodland management groups with allotment owners and green woodworkers. For the full-time coppice worker, being able to add value by making a range of products is vital for the viability of the enterprise.
There is always a market for simple plant supports, and during the current gardening boom, a very good market for all kinds of garden structures such as arches, gazebos, sculptures and so on. Yurts have also become popular, and have proved a lucrative market for some coppice workers. With the aid of a steamer, all sorts of bentwood furniture and other items can be made. Details of simple DIY steamers are given in Tabor (2000).
There are several organisations involved with traditional building techniques using green oak and other timbers, and some beautiful buildings have been constructed over the last decade or so. Others are looking at the use of small roundwood for building construction, by developing innovative building techniques. This may provide new outlets for the future which will help sustain broadleaved woodlands.
This section gives basic details on a selection of greenwood structures. Many ideas can be gained from Wood Fairs and other events where greenwood workers and other craftsmen gather.
Plant supports
Details for pea sticks, bean poles and plant stakes are given here. A range of plant supports can be made, from temporary wigwams and frames for annual climbers such as sweet peas, to pergolas and arches for perennial climbing plants.
Small wigwams, trellis and other items can be made by the coppice worker, and sold ‘ready for use’. Larger items are difficult to transport, and are best either supplied in kit form, or made up on site by the coppice worker.
Wigwams
Straight, slender coppice poles are needed for the uprights, and long flexible rods for the weavers. With hazel or willow uprights and willow weavers a strong, durable wigwam can be made that will last several years, and can be moved as necessary. For wigwams made up in situ or for temporary structures, other flexible material can be used for the weavers, including dogwood, bramble, old man’s beard or various garden plants such as clematis or Virginia creeper.
The general pattern is to use an odd number of uprights, with thin bands of weavers sufficient to keep the structure rigid. Spiral or diagonal bands of weaving can also be used.
For a wigwam 400mm (16”) diameter at the base, and 1.6m (5’6”) high, use 7 uprights, each about 12mm (1/2”) diameter, sharpened at the base. Make a mould from a piece of plywood or similar, and drill holes 180mm (7”) apart in a circle to take the base of the uprights.
- Insert the uprights into the mould.
- Start with two long rods, woven as shown in a locking weave. Add in new rods as necessary, making sure the ends are hidden on the inside. Build up a band about 100mm (4”) high. Various other patterns of weaving can be used as desired.
- Tie the rods neatly at the top with strong twine.
- Start a second band of weaving about half way up the uprights, using willow or other flexible material. A simple weave, made by threading a single rod at a time, is easiest. Tuck the ends in to keep it neat.
- Remove the wigwam from the mould.
From this basic pattern, variations can be made. By leaving the top untied until the end, stronger or more decorative weaves can be used for the middle band. Instead of twine, the top can be bound with willow. Structures larger than the dimension given above are best made in situ, as they are awkward to transport, and need to be strongly made to survive the journey! Space the uprights about 150-200mm (6-8”) apart around the base, with thicker uprights required for bigger structures. The mould is not needed. The materials can be supplied in ‘kit form’ with instructions for people to make up in their own gardens.
Trellis and other plant supports
Various patterns of trellis can be made for supporting climbing plants or as a screen. Trellis can be fixed to a wall or fence, or fastened to posts to make a screen. To reduce rotting at the base, attach the trellis out of ground contact. Use hazel and willow for perennial climbers, and other material for shorter-term use.
Arch
Hazel, willow or other pliable material can be used for arches and other structures. Binding with a soft, workable wire is the easiest method of fastening the rods into the required shape. Black wire (16 gauge) is suggested. Bright nails 11/4” to 11/2” (30-40mm) are also useful. The lack of galvanising is not important, as rusting makes no difference to the life of the structure, and rusted nails are almost invisible. Some smaller nails may also be handy, as they are easy to drive, and the tips can be bent over as necessary to fasten.
These structures will be durable for a few years, and can be used for annual climbing plants, or perennials that are pruned low each year, for which the arch can be replaced as necessary.
Uprights: 6 x 16’ by 11/2” diameter
Selection of other wood about 1” diameter, 4 x 4’, 10 x 3’, 8 x 2’6”
Metal stakes: 0.9-1m (3-4’) for securing in the ground
- Lay two of the uprights in a line, thin ends together and overlapping by about 600mm (2’). Join them together about every 200mm (8”) with a length of wire, twisted tightly as shown.
- With another person helping, bend the length into an arch, and temporarily secure it with wire into an arch. Make a second or more arches as required.
- Drive the metal stakes into position, and attach the arches to the inside of the stakes, as shown, with the bottom of the upright 25mm (1”) clear of the ground to reduce rot.
- Wire the remaining pieces in place.
Pergola
Larger structures such as pergolas or arbours are best made out of oak or chestnut, as other woods will not be sufficiently durable without preservative treatment. Use the straightest poles you can find, squared off to produce uprights at least 100 x 100mm (4”) section, and secure with bolts or dowels to cross pieces of cleft timber. Smaller round or cleft poles can be used for the rafters. The weight of the timber, and the plants it may support can be considerable, so construct all joints with care. Wire can be used, running the opposite way to the rafters, for additional plant support. Set the uprights in concrete, or use additional side bracing as necessary if the structure is in an exposed position. Vines, wisteria, roses and other plants can be trained over the structure.
A temporary structure, for shade or for growing annual climbers, can be made out of hazel, willow or other suitably straight material. Fasten the main joints by wiring tightly. The structure should be replaced after about two or three years, as it will become unsafe as the wood rots.
Dwellings
Yurt
Yurts have been the traditional dwellings of the nomads of Central Asia for the last 2,000 years. A yurt is a round, domed tent, made of a light but very strong wooden frame, covered with woollen felt or other material.
Coppiced willow poles are the best wood to use for the roof ribs and wall trellis, with hazel also suitable. Ash is recommended for the roof wheel and door frame. For a 4.8m (16’) diameter yurt, the following are needed:
Roof ribs: 40 green poles, 2.6m (8’6”) long, 40-50mm (11/2-2”) at the butt end and 25mm (1”) minimum at the tip.
Wall trellis: 80 green poles, 2m (6’6”) long and 20mm (3/4”) at the tip.
Roof wheel: Knot-free straight ash pole, 2.1m (7’) long and 100-200mm (4-8”) diameter.
Door frame: 2 straight ash poles, 1.7m (5’6”) long and 40mm (11/2”) diameter, one ash pole 1m (3’) long by 100mm (4”).
The roof ribs are steamed in a simple DIY steamer and then curved to the required shape. The various parts of the frame are laced together with cord, allowing it to be partly disassembled and folded up for storage or transport. For full details see How to Build a Yurt (Centre for Alternative Technology Factsheet, 1997).
Tipi
The traditional tipi, lodge or wigwam of North America is built of very long, straight poles, from the Lodgepole pine and other pine species, chosen for their slender form and light weight. For a full-size tipi, at least 14 poles are needed, each about 6m (19’6”’) long and preferably no thicker than 100mm (4”) diameter at the butt, tapering to 50mm (2”) diameter measured 1m (3’) from the tip.
Thinnings from conifer plantations, either pine, fir or spruce, are the best material to use to build a replica. Choose the straightest and thinnest poles available, and sned off all the side branches. Carefully remove the bark without damaging the wood, and leave the poles to season in a cool, shady place for about three weeks.
Using a surform and then sandpaper, sand the poles carefully to give as smooth a finish as possible. Take care to smooth out any notches or scratches. This is important to avoid snagging the canvas, and to allow rain water to run down the poles without dripping off into the interior. The tipi is erected by lying three poles on the ground and tying at the top with one end of a 10m length of stout rope, using a clove hitch followed by a reef knot. The poles are then hoisted up to make a tripod, and the remaining poles leant up against the tripod, evenly spaced. The ground plan of the poles is not a circle, but egg-shaped, with the door at the narrow end. The rope is wound around the poles four times and anchored to a peg in the ground. The canvas is then attached to the ‘lift pole’, raised up and unfolded into position. Lengths of hazel, 50mm (2”) in diameter, can be cut and shaped to make the tent pegs. 300mm (1’) lengths of thinner hazel, 10mm (1/2”) in diameter, can be used for pins to lace the canvas. The pins should be pointed and peeled of bark, apart from a band at the top, in which patterns were traditionally cut. For full details, see How to make a Tipi (Centre for Alternative Technology Tipsheet).
For smaller tipis or wigwams, long straight coppice poles can be used, such as ash, hazel, willow or sycamore, although these will be heavier than similar size conifer poles.
Baskets and woven structures
The weaving of flexible rods of willow or hazel is a basic technique which has been used for centuries for making baskets and containers of all sorts, screens, walls, and many other structures. Willow is the main group of species, both because of its flexibility and because of its prolific growth, but other species can be used.
Baskets and other containers can also be made out of cleft wood, of oak, chestnut, ash and other species. The garden trug is the best known type, but oak swill baskets and other traditional patterns are also found. Tabor (2000) gives details on making trugs, swill baskets and other cleft baskets, as well as pottery crates which include cleft and round material in their construction.
Woodland plants for weaving
Willow or osier is the best material for weaving, and is grown in osier beds or as a commercial field crop. However, there are many woodland plants which can also be used for weaving, as listed below.
Generally choose straight, one-year-old growth, with as few side shoots as possible. Cut between November and March, and tie loosely into bundles. The bundles can then be stored in a dark, cool place outside for a few weeks, such as under a hedge or bush, where they will slowly dry out without becoming brittle, and so remain pliable. If they become too dry, the bundles can be soaked in water for a day or two, and then wrapped in damp sacking to keep them flexible.
Bramble (Rubus spp): Remove the prickles by rubbing the stems with a handful of rags. Stems have a uniform thickness, and are commonly found in lengths of 3m (10’) or more.
Broom (Cytisus scoparius): Shrub of heaths and open woods on acid soils. Green shoots which darken with age.
Dog rose (Rosa canina): Remove the thorns in the same way as for bramble.
Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea): Common in woods on chalk and limestone. Coppiced plants will produce long purplish-red rods.
Hazel (Corylus avellana): One year shoots are pliable. Older stems can be split.
Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum): Climbing plant, common in woods and hedgerows. The bark tends to crack and peel away, so is best removed before use.
Ivy (Hedera helix): Evergreen climber, abundant in many woods and gardens. Long trailing and climbing stems of uniform thickness.
Traveller’s joy or Old Man’s Beard (Clematis vitalba): A climbing plant found mainly on chalk soils, and which can become a rampant weed in neglected woods, on railway embankments and elsewhere. The thinner stems can be used for weaving, with the joints giving a pleasant texture to basketwork. The thicker stems may find a market with floral artists.
Willow
Willow for basket-making is grown commercially as a field crop in Britain and elsewhere, with different species and varieties grown for their colours and other qualities. Salix triandra (almond-leaved willow) is the main commercial species, grown as short-rotation coppice, and harvested every one or two years to produce tall, slender rods. Salix viminalis (osier) and Salix purpurea (purple osier) are also good for basket making.
For conservation groups, a small area of willow or ‘withies’ not only provides a valuable wildlife habitat, but provides a crop of rods which will extend the range of products which they can produce from their woodland.
Willow rods can be cut between January and March, tied into bundles and stored in a cool, dark place such as a shed. Before use, the rods must be soaked in cold water for a few days to regain suppleness.
The bark can be left on, which produces ‘brown willow’, of varying colour according to variety. ‘White willow’ is produced by cutting in mid spring when the sap is rising, which makes it easier to remove the bark. ‘Buff willow’ is produced commercially by boiling the willow with the bark on, which releases the tannin and stains the stems a rich rusty brown. The soggy bark is easy to remove.
Willow basket-making and other willow weaving are described in detail in several publications, a few of which are listed in the bibliography. The growing of willow for basketry and other uses is concentrated in the Somerset Levels, where there are several companies which can supply materials and information on willow.
Living willow
Building structures and sculptures with living willow has become popular in recent years. The rods are simply inserted into the ground where they take root and produce vigorous side shoots. It’s best to use freshly cut rods, cut when not in leaf. One, two or three year growth, up to about 50mm (2”) diameter will sprout, so there is plenty of scope for creating different types of structures, including fences, arches, bowers, wigwams, tunnels and playhouses. Rods which are set diagonally will produce side shoots all along the stem. The structure will need pruning every year, or the new shoots training or tying in as desired. For further details see Warnes (2001).
