Varieties Grown
At Barfad Willow I currently grow fifteen different varieties.
|
Dark Dicks (Salix purpurea): This is one of my most popular basket making varieties. It is a very fine willow with dark brown-purple-red rods, which dry to a deep purplish brown. Very suitable for beginners.
|
|
|
Green Dicks (Salix purpurea): A fine rod with a pale green stem which changes to a whitish green in the winter. It dries to a pale green. Green Dick is another popular basket making willow and is good for beginners.
|
|
|
Dicky Meadows (Salix purpurea): A waxy, slender, willow, a little more stout that the Dicks'. The rods are pale green near the butts and gradually change to a yellow-brown and then reddish-brown towards the tips.
|
|
|
Packing Twine (Salix purpurea): A popular tough basket making. The butt ends dry almost black and the rods gradually lighten through a greenish brown to become chocolatey brown at the tips.
|
|
|
Irish Brittany Green (Salix purpurea): Slender green stems make Brittany Green another popular basket willow. It produces lots of 6-8ft rods.
|
|
|
Harrisons (Salix Purpurea x Viminalis): A stout rich brown-red,-deep green rod which is popular for larger bakets. It has a smooth even bark. Unfortunately the deer love to eat it.
|
|
|
Brittany Blue (Salix purpurea x Salix daphnoides): Beautiful slender stems with a make this a very popular willow for basketry. Once dry it develops a bluish hue which makes it quite distinctive.
|
|
|
Continental Purple (Salix daphnoides): A stunning deep purple willow which develops a white bloom when dry. It's quite stout and therefore not so popular for basket making - but I can't resist growing it because it is such an incredible colour. Some people like to use it for living willow structures.
|
|
|
Flanders Red (Salix alba vitellina x fragilis): The waxy rods of Flanders Red are green with a red tinge that dry to a rich orange brown. It is quite stout so although suitable for basket making it is mainly used for larger baskets.
|
|
|
Golden Willow (Salix alba vitellina): The rods of Vitellina are not terribly slender, but the distinctive bright yellow stems are stunning. They dry to a deep chocolate brown, black or an interesting motley mixture.
|
|
|
Scarlet Willow (Salix alba chermisina): Chermesina produce remarkably rich orange-red rods which are very popular for their colour. It's hard to grow, produces many small side shoots and unfortunately the deer love to gobble it all up. If I ever manage to produce any for sale it is therefore sold at a premium price!
|
|
|
Chinese (Salix miyabeana): A waxy green stemmed willow which turns orangey-red towards the tips. It can be wavy rather than dead straight. It is fast growing and vigorous. Very popular for living willow structures, soil stabilization and waste filtration.
|
|
Polish Blue: A tall slender deep coloured basket willow. I am in the process of establishing Polish Blue so only small amounts occassionally available at present.
Carl Jenson: This is an very fine, delicate willow. As yet I only have very small amounts available.
Nicholsonni: De Another pale delicate willow perfect for fine basketry. Only small amounts available as yet.
