Lime Bark Container
Lime Bark Pots / Containers
Lime Tree Pot
There are three species of Lime tree in the UK. The Common (Tilia x europaea), Small (Tilia cordata) and Large (Tilia platyphyllos). The Common Lime is effectively a hybrid of the Small & Large and not typically found in the wild in the UK.
All have leaves that are heart shaped but, as the names suggest, differ in size.
Looking at the underside of a leaf is a good way to tell the difference between all three. Common has tufts of white hairs between the vein joints, on Small they are red and Large has hairs all over the underside. Another way is that Small and Common produce suckers from the base of the tree (new twig growth) but Large doesn’t.
Why is the Lime such a good tree for pots? Its down to the inner bark or bast layers which are a bit like multiple layers of tissue paper. These layers have been processed for thousands of years to make into fine, strong natural cordage (that process is for another blog). The Small-Leaved Lime is the king for this, hence the Latin name Cordata meaning rope. In my experience pots can be made from any of them.
The best time for complete pots, that don’t need stitching, is around the start of June when the sap is at its highest flow. However, pots, like the one here, I have occasionally had success with up to August and beyond. It just gets harder as the sap flow reduces.
Gathering your material
Obviously you need the permission of the land / tree owner to gather materials as it does mean damaging the tree. Once you have that you can practice on relatively thin branches. The smallest I have done has been around 6cm in diameter, but the bark is very thin and susceptible to breaking. However, you will get the idea from it without trashing a good branch.
Tools Required
Knife, saw, ruler, pencil, drill (either a hand drill or cordless), fine saw dust or sand, cordage material (raffia works well), thin bit of wire, a stick around 1cm diameter.
Process
Look for a section that is smooth, without any branches or the sign of branches (these will make the removal of the bark harder). Cut your section as neatly as possible. Have a look at the growth rings. The ‘centre’ wont be in the middle! The bark furthest from the centre will be the thickest so this is where you want to cut your bark. Mark top and bottom on the inner wood where your cut will go then make another mark either side (about 1cm from the cut mark) to give you a guide for your stitching holes (image 1 below). This spacing helps reduce the risk of tearing through the bark with the stitching. Also note on the inner core which is the top and bottom (i.e thick to thin). With a pencil draw three lines, down the bark, to join up your marks then mark where you will drill for your stitching. I went for 15mm spacing between each hole. Now drill your holes. Drilling while its all one piece makes life so much easier.
Make your cordage for stitching, I would recommend at least 4 times the height of the pot for straight stitching as I have done and it needs to be thin enough to fit through your drill holes. Finish off with a thick overhand knot so it wont pull through your drill holes. Bend your thin wire to create a hook, or sewing needle (make sure its thin enough to go through your drill holes).
Make a chisel tip on your thin stick. With your knife, carefully score the cut line the full depth of the bark. This should be fairly straight forward as the bark is quite soft. Ease the edge of the bark away from the inner core and slide your chisel stick in. Work it along the edge being careful not to damage the bark (image 2 below).
Work your chisel stick along and under the bark, don’t try prising the bark to much with your hands you can snap or crack it. As you work round to the side closest to the centre point stop and work from the other side of the cut towards it. Remember the bark closest to the centre point is the thinnest (image 3 below).
The bark should, hopefully ‘pop’ off (image 4 below)
Now you can start stitching. Start at the base and work up, getting the join as neat as you can. With parallel stitching (image 5), the cord inside is at an angle and can cause the bark to skew slightly so beware and try and keep the top and bottom level. Tie off loosely inside the pot at the top. You will need to tighten your stitching as the pot dries.
Cut a base from the inner core and carefully trim until it is a snug fit. You will need to cut a recess to fit around your knot and cordage at the base (image 6 below).
Tightly pack the pot with fine saw dust or sand. This will help it keep its shape as it dries (image 7 below). You will find that as it dries it will shrink and the cut will open up more so remove the packing and the base, tighten the cordage to bring the edges together (don’t use pliers as there is more chance of ripping the cordage), trim the base to fit then re pack.
Once dried, (this will take a few weeks) you can remove the packing, do a final tighten of the cordage, give the pot a brush out and hey presto… job done!
Final touches include using Blackthorn thorns to ‘nail’ the base in place. Drill a small hole to start it off and trim any excess thorn carefully with a knife (image to follow when my pot has dried).
Save the inner wood as its great for simple carving projects. Lime is a very low density light wood which is great for starting on carving, so while you wait for your pot to dry its the perfect time to do some carving. Its also a fantastic base / hearth board for friction fire lighting.
