A LIVING FENCE

14 februari 2025

Pioneering in nature and creating new structures makes us happy.
Along our site runs an earthen embankment that is slowly settling. We saw an opportunity to do something new with this dike.

A sustainable alternative to the embankment

Raising the dike may seem like a simple solution, but in practice, it’s often not the most sustainable choice. It requires a lot of imported soil, which puts a significant strain on the environment. Instead of adding more soil, we saw an opportunity to increase the dike’s height in a different way: by creating a natural, living fence.

Willow branches as a natural fence

On the dike, we are constructing a framework of thick willow branches, planted one meter deep into the ground. This framework is then filled with thinner willow branches collected from pruning. We hope and expect that these willows will start to sprout again, allowing the fence to truly come to life. The structure will attract wildlife and promote biodiversity. Additionally, we’re reusing natural “waste” in a sustainable way, and the tall wall will also serve as a sound barrier.

Local pruning waste and sustainable use

Due to dredging work in a nearby ditch, several willows were pruned, resulting in a large supply of willow branches. This coincided perfectly with our goal of reducing noise near the camping areas along Domburgseweg. In many cases, pruning waste is discarded—but what if we could use this material for our project instead?

The exciting part: the soil

Around the willow fence, we are sowing clover and cardoon to cover the soil. These plants help retain moisture and protect the earth from drying out and eroding. This should significantly improve soil quality and biodiversity. At least, that’s the plan! We don’t yet know if it will work—whether the ground cover will take hold and the soil will stay moist enough. It requires careful observation and, if necessary, adjustments to our approach.

The result?

So far, we’re very excited! Of course, it remains to be seen how the vegetation will develop, but we hope to enjoy a lush, green, living fence by summer. Nature has surprised us many times before, and we’re looking forward to seeing what this new creation will bring.