Today I learned a new skill which is both useful and fun to do.
I volunteer at the Derby College Food Hub at Broomfield Hall and the Food Hub is supporting a Walled Garden project at Markeaton, designed by the Derby City Council/Derby City NHS b-you Team. When the garden is up and running it will offer opportunities for local people to live more active, healthier lifestyles. The garden is currently under construction and today a group of us built some wigwam supports for runner beans and sweet peas.
I began by creating a circular pattern with 7 straight, strong branches. These had been obtained by pruning some over grown trees on the site but tall bamboo canes are also suitable. They formed the uprights and when I had arranged them in a wide circle, I firmed them into the ground. Then I gathered the ‘canes’ together, 4-6 inches from the top and secured them with garden twine.
To give the plant tendrils something to cling to, I wove three different sized hoops made from hazel rods and positioned them over the wigwam of canes. Hazel is very versatile and when used as green wood (freshly cut) it is at its most flexible. The pliability also increases if the rods are soaked in cold water for a few days.
Alice demonstrated the weaving technique and it appeared straightforward. She even showed us how to make a decorative star. But it is never that simple, is it? I soon discovered that despite hazel being very bendy, it does not always bend easily when placed in inexperienced hands. There were one or two embarrassing snaps as another rod refused to yield under my pressure and it was soon apparent that a knee or thigh is a very useful piece of equipment for encouraging the wood to soften and form into neat circles.
However, by the end of the session I had completed a passable wigwam, not a stunner to look at but strong enough to support some plants. I really enjoyed doing it. I think I need more practise though because at my current rate of wigwam production, I would not have time to grow the beans...
Follow the projects at:
http://www.derby-college.ac.uk/index.php/facilities/food-hub.html
http://www.b-you.co.uk/
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