Just what IS a garden trug?
According to Wikipedia
"A Sussex trug is a wooden basket, made from a handle and rim of coppiced sweet chestnut wood which is hand-cleft then shaved using a drawknife. Its body is made of five or seven thin boards of white willow, also hand-shaved with a drawknife. They may have originated in Sussex because of the abundance of chestnut coppice and willows found on the marshes. Eventually, shapes and sizes became standardized, the most well-known shape being the "common or garden" trug ranging in volume from one pint to a bushel."
Like the Sussex trug, the Fernwood Cottage Trug is crafted using native woods. Our Yankee twist on the Sussex uses Maine~native hardwood rims & handles which are steam-bent. "Strakes" (thin boards) are shaped with skilled artisan handwork & layered to create strength. Warm bath soaking of the strakes allow the shaping of the basket. The formed strakes are then trimmed & secured to the rim. Feet are attached to the bottom to lift the basket out of the soil to help prevent damage.
Trugs are working baskets. Lightweight, yet durable, & if cared for properly, your trug can give you years of beautiful work.
Online ordering paused during the Holidays.
Merry Christmas to all! During the holidays we focus on local artisan shows & pause our online ordering. In January, we resume crafting our Kitchen Tools. But, as steam-bending is nearly impossible in the Maine winter, we stop Trug making until Spring. You will be able to put yourself on the Trug Pre-Order list, however, & we will fill your order first thing once we can get back outside! Thanks for your patronage. We are grateful for all our many blessings this year thanks to those who see beauty in practical items.