Make a Mini Willow Obelisk for Climbing Plants

This is a half-day practical workshop suitable for beginners and people wanting a refresher. You’ll make your own mini obelisk - a beautiful addition to those creative corners of your garden, perfect for supporting those floppy perennials such as dahlias and asters!

We'll cover everything you need for the whole process of obelisk construction. Starting with how to set up the frame, the basics of working with willow, including at least two traditional styles of weaving. We’ll finish with tying off your obelisk and discuss aftercare.

Take home your unique obelisk made by your own hands.

Alhough smaller than our full size obelisk workshop - hese obelisks will be around 3 - 4 feet so please do consider your transport home.

Handled with care, your obelisk will last for a number of years.

This workshop will be led by the wonderful Lucy Kennedy from STAA.

Capacity: The maximum group size will be 8 people.

Tickets: The ticket price includes materials, and all tools will be provided.

Facilities: A compost toilet is available at the Orchard with hand sanitizer for hand washing.

Clothing: Please dress for the weather, and wear comfortable foot wear. The garden is a 5-minute walk from the entrance to the allotments.

Parking: There is plenty of free roadside parking along Ransom Road.

Contact: If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact the organiser Kayleigh at [email protected]

Lucy is a long-term staff member, often found supporting volunteers and welcoming groups. She is the lead for all aspects of horticulture, nature and volunteering.

She is experienced in delivering all kinds of training, and particularly enthusiastic about gardening and nature.

Alongside the day job, Lucy has been weaving willow for over a decade and loves the combination of traditional crafts with gardening and wildlife, especially using natural materials. Lucy will readily digress into side-crafts you can make with offcuts. Whilst Lucy has certainly constructed a basket or 2, she finds the joy of creating plant supports and ornamental structures the most satisfying, and aims to help you find your own style!

This workshop will be run from the garden next to our Strawbale Building on the Community Orchard. This unique building is hand-built from bales of straw and weatherproofed with clay sourced on site. It’s also off-grid, being naturally insulated by a living roof, with solar panels and a log-burner.

The Community Orchard is a garden maintained by STAA for educational purposes featuring a variety of mature fruit trees, many of them heritage varieties, and also includes a pond and a stream.

St Ann’s Allotments are Grade 2* Listed by Historic England, and designated an Area of Importance for Nature Conservation. It is the oldest and largest are of Victorian detached town gardens in the UK, with over 700-years of history, 500 gardens, and 32 miles of hedgerow.

This event is organised by STAA, a small charity that manages a number of highly regarded projects across 30+ plots at St Ann's Allotments that provide community benefit and offering a wide variety of volunteering opportunities.

Host or Publisher STAA