Trees with multipurposes - landscaping and biofuel

^-My buddy in my tree pot
While visiting one of my other Prepper friend Nets, I was inspired to talk about my experience with volunteering locally to help learn more about our trees and green space. How important it is as drinking water, and how to not only better appreciate it, but identify some possible problems with my own landscaping plans, and benefits.

Here in NY I was a volunteer with our cooperative agency. They had us plant a bunch of "bio fuel" willows. Many places along highways as windbreaks and in some park lanes. The great thing about these (and they are being studied) is that they grow relatively fast, you can start them by just taking a one ft cutting and jabbing it into some dirt. (I put my cutting in dirt in a pot so I could keep my eye on it! I'm not easily convinced..lol) and when we had to go late fall, in the snow to prune them, I was offered some to take home for baskets or whatever else. So I helped prune and then started making two bunches of the thinner branches and some thick ones to store in my attic like local basket weavers used to do. (It used to be a trade industry here before Chinese baskets and then plastic baskets took over)

In fact I bent and cured a few to make basket handles and just now taking them from the attic. Though I did plan on this as a traditional winter project, my husband got ill so it had to be detained. (thankful he is feeling much more human, but not cured)
I feel its important for you to know about, because they grow so well, and are great for making fuel to run vehicles, as well as warming a stove, maybe you should look into planting a hedge row. They can be very useful windbreaks for other plant protection and typically get about as tall as two persons. You can shape them bushier or more single stem with longer branches. They tend to grow mostly upward instead of weeping. They are a light tan to yellow bark on younger wood to a deeper tan for the central or older bark. If you need sticks of any shape or size for a project, this is the way to get them cheaper and more convenient. Twigs..yes..Twig furniture, baskets, frames, poles for tomato plants (last seasons cut wood) or bean poles..You know how cheap these used to be, but not anymore! or you might want to build a living trellis by trimming the trees (topiary) and then you can twine or graft sections together into an arch..leaving the central part high enough to walk through. In the Spring time while awaiting for the walk through to truely mature, you could plant beans or even morning glories along the outer edge to give a color of blooms or useful food space by going up instead of out. If you like to learn more information, I included some links for you to check out.

http://www.heatingoil.com/blog/middlebury-college-plants-willow-trees-for-biofuel-1020/

Wikipedia has a good explanation also and the plant name identifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_Biomass_Project

Last but not least. What we are doing here in NY state and Central Ny to learn about biomass and supporting local development as well as greener alternatives.
http://cnyrcd.org/
Then I was a volunteer working in contingent with CommuniTree Stewards to help get the willows planted.
http://www.esf.edu/energycenter/salix/willowbrochure.pdf

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