December/ January: The willow harvest

Each winter, during the black moon, when the leaves have fallen, we cut the willow to the base leaving a stump that will regrow in spring time.

December/January : the willow harvest

Harvesting the willow

Willow bunches, ready to be sorted in catergories

Willow culture

Our baskets are made from the willow we grow on our land . We have two small willow fields ( 13 varieties) that we planted in 2020.

The wicker object is the final product, before that there are various necessary steps to prepare the willow: planting, weeding, harvesting, sorting, calibrating and organizing the willow that we store in our barn where it is dried for 9 months before it can be soaked again to make baskets.

WILLOW

BASKET

January/ February/ March: Sorting and Calibrating

Each wicker strand passes through our hands several times before becoming part of the basket. The strands are sorted into categories: thick strands, dry strands, branching strands are eliminated.

After careful sorting, the strands are calibrated according to length and bundled into bunches. The different colors/varieties of willow are not mixed; each variety is calibrated separately.

The willow bunches are stored in a dark, dry place. They are left to dry for 9 months to a year before being used to make baskets.

Sorting the willow in categories

Sorted willow bunches

Calibration I

Calibration II

Calibration III

willow ready to be stored inside the barn

APRIL: White willow

Some of the calibrated willow is left with its feet in a basin of water for around 3 months. This willow is used to make living willow structures, or it is peeled and used to make “white” baskets.

A few strands of willow are taken at a time and passed through a machine that removes the skin. The thin part is fed in first, the strands are turned and the feet ( thick part) are stripped off. If the strands are not held together tightly, they will be swallowed by the machine and break.

Once the willow has been peeled, it is washed with water to remove any remaining skin. To avoid insect attack, the willow is sulfured, dried and stored in a dark, dry place.