Blanket weaving
Fresh willow is harvested between October and April. In fields north of the city, the branches lay in high heaps. They shoot out from stocky, unassuming trunks in every direction, small explosions that hang atop dozens of horizons. Furry buds give way to thin leaves of bright green. Things quickly get out of control and so, fresh willow is harvested between October and April to keep horizons regular, to make sure that they remain down to earth.
Traditionally, fresh willow is made into fences and screens. This happens in several ways. The informal way is a variation on a pile. High posts are drilled into the earth along a property line or waterway on a slight angle. The willow is then laid horizontally and added to every time willow is cut. This method of boundary-making is flexibility solidified: a mass grave of youth. Another, more formal way is through weaving. Posts are installed at a regular pace, usually every 60-80 centimetres. The minimum number of posts is 3 but that really isn’t enough for a good weave. The lengths of willow—varying thicknesses, green and pliable—are gently jogged around each warp, alternating from left to right to allow for each willow branch’s tapering length. A rubber mallet or a good shove is used to keep the weft tight and after the desired height is achieved, small nails are used to hold the top edge like a binding on a blanket. The thin ends of excess are then trimmed. If placed in a vase of water on a window sill, they can generate their own inheritance.
There are seven bundles of willow in the side garden. I moved each piece from the street where an amiable young man who only works outside used a tiny forklift from the back of his truck to place them on my sidewalk. Five meters of willow is longer in the city; each burst of excess growth wrestled against my door frames and kicked at my kitchen counter in passing. When this rain and wind stops, I’ll steer the fresh willow up to the terrace garden. Four posts are waiting. I’ll make some mediation there between the earth and many horizons.