Richard Stewart and Justin Dean of Lost Bridge Beverage Company requested that we will build a willow arch as an entry way to their main stage lawn. This was the final project that Abby Ahrens completed with me as a part of her 2 month willow co-op for University of Cincinnati’s DAAP fine arts program.

The arch is constructed of green wild willow that we didn’t expect to survive—and it didn’t. But on the outer edges of the wild willow, we also planted numerous domesticated willow which will be woven on the wild willow structure, eventually replacing those branches with a living arch.

Update: the grounds crew got overzealous and “weeded” one side of the arch of all of the growing willow. Oops. So, we’ll be replacing those this coming winter with new cuttings. But maybe this will give us the opportunity to weave a cool off-kilter arch that could look pretty rustic in all the best ways for a number of years. #silver linings