Making a Garden Obelisk

I have always loved the look of the willow and hazel obelisks in gardens with sweet peas winding their way around it or large headed Clematis blooms peeping through the hazel.

They can be expensive to buy, but look so perfect in any situation, whether it's a cottage garden or an allotment.

I thought it would be just lovely to have a go at making my own and grow something up it this year on Lottie!

I was unable to get willow to weave but decided to see what I could do. So I gathered seven long strong hazel sticks, and a collection of thinner sticks and very thin ones too.

So here is how you can make your own rustic but rather lovely Obelisk.

Step 1

Gather or buy your willow or hazel.

You will need long thick sticks for uprights and thin for weaving. Separate the weaving sticks into different bunches, at least three. So medium, thin and very thin. If you have gathered your own, strip off small flexible twigs and set aside. If you buy willow, they may need to be soaked before you can begin.

Step 2

Find a large garden pot with soil in (I used a pot that had daffodils in that had just gone over.) Push the sticks in to the soil on the outer edge of the pot evenly spacing them.

Starting near to the bottom with the thicker of the thin sticks, hold the stick inside one of the uprights at the height you want the first weave to be and take the stick around the outside of the second upright and then the inside of the third and so on.

Step 3

Take your second weaving stick, sitting it on top of the first but not starting in the same place but the next upright one. Doing the same again, carefully weaving in and out.

Step 4

Continue like this until you have started a weave behind each stick in the circle. At this point its a bit untidy because all the new weave ends are sticking out. But that's fine, don't worry about that at this stage.

Step 5

With the next bunch of thin sticks begin a new weave further up the uprights, doing the same again, working your way around the obelisk and now you will see it is really starting to take shape. And then do the same further up with the very thin.

Step 6

With either jute or using the fine bendy twig (which I did ) bind all the upright sticks together at the top and secure nice and tight.

Step 6

With secateurs, move around the obelisk cutting off all the weaving stick ends that are sticking out, so the are level with the rest of the weave. Step back and feel proud!!

I really enjoyed making my obelisk. It's rustic and umm individual! I will leave will it in the pot for a few days as the sticks will dry out a bit and then I will take it to Lottie!

Can you guess what I'm going to grow up it?

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