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A "sedge" or living willow fence completed by trainees on one of Mary Zammit's previous workshops for Glasu.

There's the chance to find out more about ways with willow at a series of events in Powys over the next few months, starting with an Open Day in Newbridge on Wye on March 29 and continuing through to the Smallholder show.

A growing interest in the use of willow, for craft, living willow structures, willow coffins, biomass and river stabilisation, has been encouraged by a successful project run by Glasu, the Leader+ rural development programme for Powys.

The project's Willow Open Day at Llysdinam Field Centre from 9.30am to 5pm on Saturday March 29 will demonstrate the value of willow and some of its uses. There will also be the chance to buy cuttings or willow rods. And for anyone who has ever wanted a willow dome or arbour in their own garden, there will be hands on taster sessions to get them started. These will be led by Mary Zammit, who changed careers four years ago to work with willow and run workshops, after attending one of Glasu's first courses in September 2003.

Said Lee Price, from Glasu: "The Willows in Powys project has involved looking at ways to grow new willow varieties in Mid Wales and at its potential uses. Researchers at Cardiff University have worked with us to test more than 40 different varieties, looking at features such as the length of willow rod, the number of rods per stool, the branchiness of the willow and its survival rate."

"If anyone wants to find out more about the work of the project, they can visit us at the Open Day or seek out our stands at a number of forthcoming events - the RHS Show in Cardiff from 10th -13th April, Wonderwool Wales at the Royal Welsh Showground on 26th and 27th April, the RHS Show at Malvern from 8th - 11th May or the Smallholders & Garden Festival at the Royal Welsh Showground on 17th and 18th May."

The project has provided willow-related workshops and training sessions for more than 1000 individuals in skills of all types, including basket making and making garden structures and living willow structures. Mary Zammit attended one of the first courses in 2003, and now tutors willow workshops herself and makes high quality willow products for the home and garden. "Without the Glasu project I wouldn't be doing what I am now. I'd had a long-standing ambition to work with willow, and I made my first basket in September 2003, on one of the courses which Glasu ran initially to help generate interest and potential custom for willow. I then took every course of theirs that I could and then they encouraged me to start teaching one day garden willow workshops."

Mary, from Builth Wells, now runs extremely popular Willow Workshops for Coleg Powys.

The project also helped Nicola and Robert Luxton establish their business Cambrian Mountain Willow, growing and selling willows.

The Newbridge on Wye business has benefited from the research conducted at Cardiff University, which involved an experimental field site growing many different varieties of willow, and a trial into the commercial feasibility of growing willows in the uplands of Wales.

Rob was initially working on the project at the University: "Many different varieties were tested, covering many end uses from ornamental and biomass to basketry. After four years of management and study it was clear that a large proportion of the varieties could indeed be grown commercially in Powys. Finding my contract at an end with Cardiff University I decided along with my wife to investigate the possibility of starting our own small business growing and selling willow from the established research field."

Cardiff University agreed to the proposal and, supported by Glasu, the business began trading in 2006. Added Rob: "Glasu has provided us with the opportunity and means to market our products through supporting our attendance at agricultural and horticultural shows as well as organising open days for the public and providing advertising for the courses that they have helped us to run. Their constant support and upbeat professionalism is something that all new business could benefit from and we have been very lucky to experience their enthusiasm first hand. "

For more details about the Willows in Powys Project or the Open Day on 29th March, or to book a place on the Living Willow Structures Taster Session on that day, contact Lee Price on 01982 552224 or email: leepr@powys.gov.uk.

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