Weave your own Willow Dragonflies

Come and weave your own small rustic garden sculptures. Learn how to sculpt your own dragonfly and flower in a relaxed group setting.

We will have all the materials, tools and guidance for you to make your own one-of-a-kind decorations. These structures require a mix of weaving techniques, so we will take on each one as a group, and you will leave with a whole new set of willow skills!

If you move them inside in Winter, these decorations will last for a number of years, and will be admired by all your visitors!

This session will be led by Lucy Kennedy in the strawbale building at the beautiful Community Orchard gardens.

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 us 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.

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!

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

This workshop will be run from 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.

Host or Publisher STAA