plant supports and bird baskets

The birdfeeders I made last week didn't last very long unfortunately - see previous post. I'm not sure how many birds got a meal out of them before the grey squirrels ravaged the feeders. The trick is I realise to hang them on long pieces of string from thin branches, to prevent vandalism from these agile rodents. I salvaged a few of the feeders and hung them back up with peanuts attached to them. Fingers crossed! Having still large amounts of green waste at my disposal, I planned to make a wigwam to support the sweet peas and nasturtiums I want to grow in the allotment. The stakes not being long enough for sweet pea, I made a smaller plant support instead, to hide the manhole cover in the middle of the vegetable patch, which I'll get the nasturtium to grow on. I also twined a few small baskets using the cotoneaster and dogwood and placed them in discreet spots in bushes and trees. Let's see if they get populated by birds on a look out for somewhere to nest...

bird feeders

I found myself clearing out my allotment this week, and making use of the green waste collected by myself by other mobile elephant gardeners at the Heygate Estate to make bird feeders. Inspired by a project of mine at the Tatton Park Biennial in 2008 (feeder with peanuts illustrated above), and a more recent project developed for Practical Basketry Techniques, I made use of dogwood, cotoneaster, apples and corn kernels, to make a few of these and hang them around the place. These were plaited much in the same way as corn dollies. I've kept a few of them for the more rigorous times ahead, in late winter, when our feathered friends will be really hungry.

Practical Basketry Techniques

Having worked over the past year on Practical Basketry Techniques, a teach yourself basketry book published by A&C Black due out in 2012, I thought I would start this blog.

My aim is to log my making and research relating to basketry, and weaving in general, beyond the 16 projects included in the book. The publication introduces traditional as well as non traditional basketry techniques, with a focus (including many tips and botanical references) on sourcing and foraging for natural fibres from your local environment to weave with, as well as recycled materials.

Updating this blog on a weekly basis will hopefully provide me, and you, with inspiration for weaving and basketry projects, some of them seasonal, the whole year round.

For info on other projects of mine, visit my website or other blog.