THE WILLOW TUNNEL

One of the odder features of the garden is the willow structure down in the bottom lawn. The Osiers came from trimmings from Urswick Tarn - just willow sticks - shove them in and wait.

As they grow they were woven roughly into a tunnel and then into a T shape with a bay at the far end. A seat has been placed there as a focus.

The triple image shown illustrates, left to right, the first sticks, growth before weaving and the primary shaping of the tunnel arch.

Unfortunately the trees seem to love it and are getting out of hand.

I have taken prunings and put them in the top righthand edge of the garden as a hedge and in rows in the far garden where I hope, one day, to coppice the stools for firewood.

This picture shows the overgrown nature of the willows now.

You cannot see the clematis and honeysuckle planted to grow through it nor the odd hanging things - chimes, and old pair of goggles, a coat hanger and the filter discarded from the borehole water system. I have a lot of wine bottle corks on my study windowsill with which to make something but inspiration is rather fleeting at the moment so the heap keeps getting larger.

You can see the blue seat at the far end in the willow 'room'.

If the rain would stop (some chance) I could tidy the thing up.

Just in front of this entrance there is a small bridge - a plank and a stone - across out equally small stream - and the stream finally has water in it after the spring drought.

Now we have water it is time for the sun to come out again!

I have just heard that in the Northern Lake District they have flooding today. The hosepipe ban is, naturally, still in force!