Make a Living Willow Dome

Living willows lend themselves to being bent and formed into a shape that over time, will grow into a beautiful green structure that becomes permanent. Bonnie Gale of Living Willow designs shapes and structures that are then made with living willow rods. This particular project is called a Carolina Dome and was constructed in in 2006 in Long Island. If you have access to willows then you may want to consider making an outdoor structure for yourself. I can’t imagine a more beautiful, peaceful place to relax outside than under an arbor of live willows and it’s sure to become your favorite place.

Living willow structures are structures (such as domes, arches, arbors, tunnels, fences, hedges and even rooms and small buildings) that are made with large living rods that are pushed in the ground and woven into these forms. The rods then grow and produce a live, green shape. They are wonderful permanent structures that provide shady play structures, places for sitting and contemplation as well as powerful garden elements and accents.

Obviously something like this will take a few years from the time you make it to really grow into it’s full mature shape, but it’s oh, so worth the wait.

Here’s a video of Bonnie with some of her designs and describing how to make them.

These are her crude plans for this dome.

source of Project and Images:  Bonnie Gale of Living Willow