15th March 2026.

Lauriston Agroecology Farm, Edinburgh.

Join Anna Liebmann and volunteers for the first full harvest of the the new ‘perfect, model’ willow bed, planted in 2024 through ecotex mulch mat. We will weed around the edges and amongst the plants and infill any further cuttings that have not taken. This bed produced an incredible amount of growth in its first year and now, after its second full year of growth, it has what I would call a full harvest, a fine example of a thriving one year rotation coppice bed.

The original bed, planted in early 2022, is really weedy and our mulching efforts didn’t come to much- so, more weeding and strimming, and such to get the willows to get away ahead of the grasses. I plan to cut the bulk of this bed on a long leg/ low pollard, to have the new growth each year coming up above the weedline. I may decide to make this intial higher cut this year (2026), or may decide it’s best to wait till next year so that the plants all have a lot of strength in them. These willows are larger varieties, “Norfolks” and “Harrisons”.

It is my plan with these ongoing sessions that we will gather a group together each time, and if there is no work to do we can just have a nice time in the willow patch admiring their incredible growth and flexibility and colours, but by getting some sessions in the calendar we will keep on top of the weeds etc and the willow will thrive!

For more information and to sign up for a session visit the signup website or Anna’s website.