Bendy trees for a canopy?

Morning all,

My main post is here https://permies.com/t/154597/Garden-Scratch-ADVICE but this is quite a specific question…

I was thinking about building a wooden frame around/above a seating area in my garden - a sort of canopy frame that I could grow climbers on and give the seating area a bit of shade and privacy. But then I realised that a lot of the timber on sale is treated with harmful chemicals to stop rotting, and if I use untreated wood I might need to replace it regularly because of rotting.

As an alternative to a wooden frame I was wondering if I could grow some tall bendy shrubs/trees and bend them over the top of the seating area and tie them together in the middle to create a canopy frame. My first thought was hazel, but will it take a long time to grow tall enough? It would probably need to be about 8ft tall before it’s tall enough to bend over and be tied in the middle. I also thought about willow but I don’t know much about willow species - I saw some photos in which the willow branches seems to spread out too widely from the base, whereas I need just a few central branches to grow more or less straight up so that they can be tied together before being bent over the top of the seating area.

Any advice on whether hazel, willow or any other species could be used for this purpose would be very helpful.

I suppose the hazel branches don’t need to be alive, I could just source the right thickness/width from some else and use those? If they’re not buried in the ground they wouldn’t rot…

I feel Willow might be good for what I feel you are trying to do.

This sounds like it will turn out lovely.

This is called Tree Shaping.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_shaping

Here is a thread that might offer you some insight into what I feel you are trying to do.

https://permies.com/t/152593/Living-willow

yup, living willow would be my first choice, too. hazel may work the same way, though.

You certainly can make some excellent structures with willow. I found a few websites in the UK  for organisations that will deliver kits for you to make you own structures to several designs see: https://www.outtolearnwillow.co.uk/ this one  for example. There is a lot of information out there and willow is probably the easiest, since it will grow quickly from cuttings and they can even supply sticks several metres long, so you have a full structure to start with. I found https://www.lowimpact.org/lowimpact-topic/living-willow-structures/ this site also had more information. It sounds like we are coming up to the best time of year if you decide to go this route.

I would think about it carefully however, since your garden is not very big and willow can grow into a big tree and has very searching roots. I suspect that any structure will be a bit close to drains and walls in the long term.  They can be lovely. I have a couple of willow 'fedges' that I train organically and I'm hoping to make a little willow seating area like you suggest in my secret permacuture garden. But I urge you to think beyond a few years time as well.

Any hedgeing can be cut into shapes to give you a seating area, even privet

source Hornbeam, Lime and

Beech can make good hedges. Had you thought of Apple trees?

source

it may be worth rethinking a simple wooden structure however. Sweet chestnut will make a very durable wood outdoors, which may last several decades see http://www.greenmanwoodcrafts.co.uk/63/Bespoke-handmade-wooden-rustic-arch/ greenman woodcrafts for example. It's coppice season just now. I wonder if you could find someone locally wanting help with their chestnut coppice in exchange for some good bits....the Hampshire Coppice Group may not be too far away.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions.

Could I avoid the willows from getting too big by pruning? However, the vigorous roots of willows is possibly pushing me towards hazel,  and I like the idea of training fruit trees along the hazel branches - it seems like a good use of space to get some fruit out of it. I need to think about which fruit - I don’t want me or my guests getting hit on the head by falling apples whilst sitting in the seating area underneath! Also don’t want a fruit that makes a mess of the seating area every year. Plums might work if I pick them at the right time.