Near the end of Terry Pratchett’s novel ‘Lords and Ladies’ there is a footnote that is completely irrelevant to the storyline and has nothing to do with plants.
It reads as follows:-
“The Monks of Cool … have a passing out test for a novice. He is taken to a room full of all types of clothing and asked: Yo, my son, which of these is the most stylish thing to wear? And the correct answer is: Hey, whatever I select.”
So really – *that* – a footnote and not always entirely relevant to the main storyline. If I’ve written the blogs properly the words should stand on their own, or, you could even do your own investigations if you want to check what I’ve written.
I can also be found on Twitter @botanicalmartin generally chatting about plants and on Facebook as Martin J Allen Botanical Artist posting about botanical art.
Website www.martinjallen.com
The Intermingled Pot 
Hi there, would love to know how to keep a willow sculpture happy in the garden and how long can I expect it to last. Can it be caught in the rain for example?
Hi Linda
In the UK if you leave a sculpture outside all the time you can expect it to last two or three years before it starts to decay. If you spray it with wood preserver as soon you have made it then it, may last a few more years before it rots. I think it is best to see them as ephemeral and just make a new one every autumn.
If you want to make it last a bit longer you could always put it somewhere dry over the winter and then back out again in the spring.
Hope that helps
Martin
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