The Willow House in the Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden
The Grand Traverse Area Children's Garden and the Traverse Area District Library are so excited to welcome back the Willow House to the garden. Thanks to Dean Conners of Borealis Design for his concept, design and hard work. Also, a special thanks goes out to all of the GTACG volunteers! Soon the dome structure, made from sheared maple saplings with shoots from the Vermont Willow Nursery, will bloom with 3" giant pussy willows. It will be a perfect spot for reading and having lunch with friends. It's about 5.5 ft. tall with circular windows made from dogwood branches. 
 
The original Willow House was removed a little over a year ago to make way for the Access to Recreation at Boardman Lake project, a project that brought together the Community Foundation, the Grand Traverse Area Children’s Garden, TART Trails, and Traverse Area Community Sailing focused on providing accessible recreational opportunities near Hull Park and Boardman Lake in Traverse City, and due to the fact that the original, created by cuttings from a National Champion Black Willow, grew so quickly that the base trunk could not allow for proper forming. Now that the access to recreation trail is complete, a new and improved willow house has been built for all to enjoy.