Wattles and Coppicing for Modern Gardens

Andrea Cochran's fabulous garden shown here would not be the same without the wattle fence on top of the hill....

What is a wattle fence?

It is essentially fencing woven from green branches of Hazel and Willow trees (oak, elder, hornbeam and ash too ).  This technique has been used for centuries in Great Britain and makes an ideal windbreak and screen.

Wattle also provides a unique and attractive rustic appearance...

Wattle as hand railing - Andrea Cochran Design

But how to get braches for this?

Coppicing is a way to renew trees rapidly.

Coppicing a tree is an efficient way to  provide small banches for wattles.

In historic Britain, much of the economic value of a medieval woodland was in the so-called “small wood,” or coppiced trees rather than in large timber trees.  Although the practice fell into disuse in the first half of the twentieth century, it has been revived in contemporary Great Britain, where there is interest in the conservation of woodlands and in the ecological benefits of coppicing.

from Woodlandatics site

The resulting wattles from coppiced trees look great and are a valuable way to define or enclose  outdoor space. You can even use it to shade a patio..

If you are interested in this latter idea ,  check out the website Casa Sugar (click on it).

Wattle could be a great new industry for the Unted States - some enterprising person can be the wattle provider for Home Depot..