![]() “April, honey, is that an ax? Do I need to worry? Are you safe?” ![]() I didn’t even know if there was cell service out there. I pick it up, tuck it against my shoulder. The rusty smear on the old worn wood of the floor won’t wash away, but I’m almost pleased to have made my mark here. I drop the phone on the table and stick my foot in the sink, running it under the cold well water until the bleeding has stopped. I hiss and pull back, but I’ve had my tetanus shot, so this is just an inconvenience, just the house getting under my skin. I rub my bare foot over the wood boards, press down on a handmade nail with my big toe until it punctures. Hand to the warped kitchen window glass, I’m dreaming about licking ink from his flat stomach when my phone buzzes in the pocket of my sweater. I can’t help thinking about him as an object, from far away. The tattoo over his heart is so wet with sweat that it looks like paint about to run down his suntanned chest. He’s chopping wood by the back door, his long hair pulled back and his plaid shirt peeled down to his waist. Still, it’s romantic as hell, and I will proudly declare that there’s some fellow feeling between me and the manor, or else why would I love it already as much as I love its master? The Willows is less a swooning plantation estate and more like a calico cat, a farmhouse cobbled together of mismatched parts and sprawled out proudly among the fields and forests. The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM).It’s not often a city girl like me gets to haunt an ancestral home as summer dies. It can be grown as a large tree or pruned into a multi-stemmed version. The twisted stems are wonderfully sculptural in winter, contrasting well with the smooth bark, and are great for creating floral art. Salix babylonica ‘Tortuosa’ - with its contorted branches and curly foliage, the corkscrew willow is a great feature plant all year round.A great feature in winter, the silvery foliage that follows is also very attractive. Salix gracilistyla ‘Mount Aso’ – a new variety, this has attractive pale pink catkins in late winter and early spring.A good choice for smaller gardens, it's been given the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. The flamboyant foliage is a variegated mix of pink tips and green and white. ![]() Salix integra 'Hakuro-Nishiki' – also known as the flamingo tree, this is a very ornamental, dwarf variety, usually grown as a standard patio tree in a pot.It's a good choice as a hedge or windbreak when planted in larger areas. Salix alba ‘White Willow’ – this classic riverbank willow has wonderfully textured bark and silvery green leaves with typical spring catkins.The Royal Horticultural Society has given it its prestigious Award of Garden Merit (AGM). Easy to grow, it needs pruning to encourage the new growth and is best planted in groups in larger borders. vitellina ‘Britzensis’ – usually grown for the colourful bark of new stems which are a great asset for the garden in winter. However, it’s a little tender, so if not in a sheltered spot, it’s worth growing in a pot that can be moved indoors in autumn. Pruning it back hard encourages new growth of attractive, large leaves. It can be kept pruned as a shrub or left to grow into a small tree. It’s slow growing, with an upright habit which makes it a good choice for a smaller, sheltered garden. Salix ‘Magnifica Foot’ – a very ornamental variety because of its long catkins.
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