Wisley has welcomed some willow sculptures.
Since early April some new and interesting additions have arrived in the garden. A 6ft high pear, a 5ft giant apple sliced in two, and a 7ft tall mushroom accompanied by smaller ones to make a fairy ring. And outside the Model Vegetable Garden are 10ft high inverted roots arching over the entrances.
These semi-permanent structures are courtesy of the skill of visual artist Tom Hare. They are based on a steel skeleton and then tightly woven in basketry willows. Over the Easter holidays children joined in to help Tom finish his creations – whole families were involved.
Once completed, the children are still enjoying them, and hopefully will continue to do so for around the next three years. I love the pear (behind the Fruit Mount). It has a tunnel through it, and I’ve seen children of all ages crawling and walking through. And you can see the pips in the sliced apple.
Down in the Pinetum, the mushroom fairy ring will play host to storytelling sessions in the holidays. And still to be installed are two 10ft high ‘flying helicopter’ maple (Acer) seeds in the Arboretum.
