Inspiration - The Willow Tree

Willow Tree in Bushy Park Woodland Gardens

One of my favourite pieces in the leaf jewellery collection is the willow leaf. When I was little there was a huge willow tree at the bottom of our garden which hung over a newt-filled pond. My friends and I raced newts under the pergola by the willow tree (not advised now, since there aren’t so many now, though they seemed to love it as much as we did!). My dad found an old rope and threw it over one of the high branches to make a swing that lasted decades. Next to the willow tree a plank of wood was set precariously over the pond, and led to an old woodshed which my eldest brother artist Matt Harvey used as his first studio, chipping away at his stone carvings.

The willow tree was a place to hide (behind it’s wide trunk), swing from (you have to gather several boughs together so they don’t break, if the rope swing was already in use), and a perfect shady spot on a summers day.

Willow trees have always been part of my life, my mother had the willow pattern China at one point, a classic I’ve detailed below. We also had a William Morris willow bough table cloth and I’m sure I’m not the only one who has willow in their bones.

The willow has long been held a symbol of fertility and new life and resurrection. If you cut a branch from a willow tree and plant it into the ground it will spring to life, growing its own roots and forming a new tree. It symbolises surviving and indeed thriving in challenging circumstances. We have all seen how versatile its beautiful falling branches can be, humans weave furniture and wands from it, sculptures and garden climbers. They are a good base for making wreaths too. Willows usually grow by rivers so are associated both with water and the moon, and therefore the feminine.

The Willow Pattern

Traditional Willow Pattern originating from China. Made in England since the 1790s by Spode and others when Chinoiserie became popular here. The pattern shows people enjoying a Chinese garden with a river and pavilions and a willow tree. It is said to be the subject of two star-crossed lovers eloping together.

William Morris - Willow Boughs

Designed by William Morris in 1887, one of his own favourites. I grew up with it on the table cloth in the kitchen like many others I am sure! Morris himself was inspired by his country walks and will have seen the boughs sweeping the riverside near his home in Oxfordshire.

My life is rather less grand than Morris’ (though he was a socialist and wanted to bring beauty to the masses, - you can read more about that here or more from the V&A above). I am happy to be near a river and walk by willows every day with my dog. This is where I found the original willow leaf I use for my willow designs. (Willow leaf necklace, bangle and willow ring.)