This basket is made from two sorts of willow, both grown in the damp fields lower down the hill. One of the names of the yellow willow is crack willow – it is a very vigorous, wild willow, that is exceptionally supple, and of course it has a beautiful colour. The purple willow is a small, farmed willow variety. This is less vigorous, and after a few years of repeated cuttings, the plants have become quite weak. I think they’ll have to be left uncut for a year or two, so not so much basket-making for a while.
