Willow Growing Day
Friday 20th February 2026
9.30am – 4pm
Held at Cherry Tree Willow, Ainsworth, Bolton.
Rainy has been growing and using willow for almost 20 years. From making willow bases and others items for floristry and decoration, to sheep fodder, living structures, fencing and logs for the fire, she will share her experiences of growing willow on a small but functional scale.
This day workshop is ideal for anyone curious about willow and how it can be used, whether thats for basketry, living structures, pretty catkins in your floristry, garden hedging or bank stabilisation. At the end of the day you will have sufficient information to confidently create your own willow bed or plantation suited to your own specific needs.
Arrive to a welcome hot drink and homemade pastries, before we wrap up and head outside to see the willow in situ. Here we'll look at and discuss the structure of a large living willow structure, take some cuttings and plant some cuttings in a prepared bed.
Back inside to the warmth of the Aga, a little rest, chat and a homemade vegetarian lunch and dessert.
During the afternoon, inside, discussion will take place around willow varieties and their uses and we'll take a look at willows place in the history books.
We'll also look at :
willow for floristry and craft [discussion only]
coppicing and pollarding
plant health
grading
prepping planting areas
site considerations
biofuel
As the group will be small there will be plenty of opportunity for questions.
We will be working partially outside where it will almost certainly be cold and wet. Please dress appropriately.
You will take home lots of new knowledge, the Cherry Tree Willow booklet and 10 willow cuttings of your choice to plant at home.
This is NOT a willow weaving workshop.
All food is prepared in a domestic kitchen that has been inspected by Bury Environmental Health department and given 5 stars. As a wide variety of ingredients are used here, we cannot cater to specific diets.
Directions and more details will be sent upon booking.