Willow is an extraordinary plant, woven deeply into human history. Used for centuries, its roots in craftsmanship and culture stretch all the way back to Celtic times. At Naturally Useful, we grow 20 different varieties of willow, coppiced every January to provide 96% of the material for our workshop creations. From baskets, coffins, hurdles, creels, coracles, and hampers to outdoor sculptures, dens, mazes, living fences, bent willow furniture, garden arbours, charcoal, and even riverbank stabilisation - this humble plant does it all.

And that’s just the beginning. When left to grow, willow can be managed for firewood or chipped for biomass boilers. It can even be planted as a natural sewage filter. Truly, it’s one of nature’s most versatile gifts.

Our barked willow comes straight from our withy beds, offering a rich variety of colours and textures. Though it takes longer to soak than buff willow and can be trickier to work with, it produces exceptionally strong baskets. Buff willow, boiled and stripped of its bark, is easier on the hands and yields a smoother, cleaner finish - though it requires more energy to prepare.

We believe that anything you can twist around your hands can be woven into a basket. Alongside willow, we work with plants gathered from hedgerows and woodland around the Pole Barn, as well as driftwood and sugar kelp collected from Findhorn beach.