Handcrafted Forager’s Basket
As a lifelong resident of Wisconsin, I’ve come to enjoy all four seasons. And as a forager, I also find things to harvest in all of those seasons. Collecting willow and making baskets has been a springtime activity of mine for quite a while; I go out when the snow is gone but the buds haven’t broken, usually in March or April. I prefer leafless willow shoots (so I don’t have to strip leaves off later), and I look for places where the plants have been cut back regularly, such as the ditches along roads and waterways. That’s where I find the long, straight shoots I need to make baskets.
Not all willows make good baskets. Many species of , the willow genus, are too brittle for the work. For species that will work well, see “Choosing Willow for) is a nice addition to a willow basket, as you’ll see in this article.
