How to create living willow domes


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Living Willow Structure Designs

There are many different types of living willow structures you can build in your garden for fun, as a feature, or as a barrier. Tunnels, arbours and fedges are covered in separate pages on this site, here we consider using living willow for domes, including igloos, seats and other forms.

The basic principles apply for these living willow structures as in constructing a fedge. Mark out the design, remove the vegetation, plant the living willow rods at regular intervals and finally weave the willow to strengthen the living willow structure.

To produce a dome or an igloo, mark out a circle and for the igloo, a tunnel. Roughy speaking, the diameter of the dome needs to be about the same length as the living willow rods you are using. This allows for 12” of planting and for the rods to overlap each other at the dome’s apex. Don’t forget, the maximum height is only half the diameter i.e a six foot diameter dome is only 3 foot high! OK, only for small kids. Conversely for a 6 foot high dome the living willow rods will need to be at least 11-12 foot long.

One design for a living willow seat is shown here. Mark out a square or an oblong for a bench seat, then plant the living willow rods at regular intervals around it. Bend the willow rods at seat height weaving them in and out of each other, backwards and forwards across the seat as much as the willow rod length will allow.

The back and arm rests can then be formed by inserting extra living willow rods. For a more comfortable seat make the back rest angled back slightly.


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