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Weave a Willow Swallow Workshop at The Walled Garden

A day of willow weaving and creativity

As summer draws to a close, our swallows prepare for their long journey south to Africa. Join us for a Weave a Willow Swallow Workshop at The Walled Garden, Helen’s Bay.

Enjoy a relaxed and creative day with willow sculptor Heather McDermott. Using traditional willow-weaving techniques, you’ll create elegant natural sculptures to take home and enjoy long after the swallows have flown south. Hang them from a tree, perch them on a wall or nestle them among your borders.

Create a small flock to bring a touch of summer to your garden long after the real swallows have left. 🕊️

What’s included in our Willow Swallow Workshop?

The workshop takes place in our beautiful Victorian Walled Garden in Helen’s Bay, County Down. Alongside your willow weaving, you may have time to explore our Salley Garden and discover more about the willow we grow here.

Willow is a wonderfully versatile and sustainable natural material. It is fast-growing, renewable and can be coppiced repeatedly. For centuries, willow has been used in traditional crafts, basketry and garden structures. Today, it remains a beautiful material for creating natural garden sculpture.

Heather will guide you through each stage of the process. You’ll learn how to shape and weave the willow to create your own swallows. Depending on your pace and the size of your pieces, you can make two or more willow bird sculptures during the day.

No previous willow weaving experience is needed. A little manual dexterity is helpful, but most importantly, you just need to be willing to have a go and enjoy making something by hand.

Your £85 per person workshop ticket includes:

• Expert tuition from willow sculptor Heather McDermott
• All willow, materials and tools
• The opportunity to create two or more willow bird sculptures
• Homemade morning and afternoon tea
• Freshly baked scones and cake
• A delicious seasonal lunch
• An introduction to the sustainable qualities of willow
• A full day of creative making in the beautiful Walled Garden

A relaxed day in the garden

This is a workshop to enjoy at a gentle pace. Come on your own or bring a friend. Enjoy a day of creativity, good food and time in the garden.

You’ll spend time both indoors and outdoors. Therefore, please dress suitably for the weather. Comfortable footwear is also recommended. 🥾

Whether you are an experienced crafter or completely new to willow, you’ll be made very welcome.

Finally, you’ll leave with your own willow swallows to display at home. They will be a lasting reminder of summer and a lovely connection to the natural world around us.

So come along and weave your own little flock of swallows before they make their journey south. 🌿