Willow is incredible stuff. It has been planted and used by humankind for centuries; steeped in history it's uses can be traced back to Celtic times. Here at Naturally useful we grow 20 varieties of willow which we coppice every year in January, providing the workshop with 96% of the material for us to make baskets, coffins, hurdles, creels, coracles, hampers, outdoor sculptures, dens, mazes, living fences, bent willow furniture, garden arbours, charcoal, and river stabilization. But that's not all: if left to grow on, willow can be managed to produce logs for open fires or log burners, it can be chipped for boilers and planted to filtrate sewage... it truly is incredible stuff.

Barked willow comes straight from our withy beds. It has a broad variety of colour and texture to work with. Our willow takes longer to soak than buff willow and can be harder to work with but produces a strong basket. Buff has been boiled and the bark taken off. Although it takes more energy to prepare it is easy to work with, less stressful on the hands and can produce a ‘cleaner’ look. Anything you can twist around your hands can be woven into a basket. We use plants from the hedgerows and woodland around the Pole Barn, driftwood and sugar kelp from Findhorn beach.