A Mind-Blowing Vegetable Garden | Joshua Sparkes’ Edible Polyculture Paradise

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  • Опубліковано 18 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 142

  • @woodworks2123
    @woodworks2123 День тому +2

    I love this kind of different growing methods. He said this style was from japan. I'd love to see a little mini series from different parts of the world and how they do things.

  • @normalivengood1197
    @normalivengood1197 2 дні тому +26

    Absolutely fabulous! That's what a yard and garden should be. So much food and much less work weeding. Thanks so much for sharing this!

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +1

      @@normalivengood1197 it's such a pleasure to share this video!

  • @juliesutton4206
    @juliesutton4206 День тому +3

    My mind is blown! This is the most life changing video I have watched in a long time, maybe forever. Thank you!

  • @bowtielife
    @bowtielife 2 дні тому +18

    Great video! 11:39 "No need to weed, no need to mulch." I'm trying to go this way in my own garden. ❤LOVE IT!❤

  • @ThrashingCoyote
    @ThrashingCoyote 2 дні тому +14

    Yes!! I've been trying to visualize his garden ever since you did that interview. Thank you!!

  • @romy2057
    @romy2057 2 дні тому +8

    I love all the different gardens and gardeners featured on your channel. It’s such a good reminder that there is not one right way of gardening and it inspires me to garden more creatively!

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому

      That's so true and so important for people to know!

  • @johnfowler4820
    @johnfowler4820 2 дні тому +6

    If we all farmed like this we would have everything we need. A system that warrants research by our universities.

  • @racebiketuner
    @racebiketuner 2 дні тому +10

    Great job Joshua! I'm doing something similar on an urban lot in a large US city. Amazing reduction in pest pressure when I grew to the point of having 20 different cultivars flowering at the same time.

  • @nking967
    @nking967 22 години тому +1

    Love Love Love ❤
    Exactly how l have started to garden. It's so much fun & exciting to see what you have, you feel like a little kid! The plants, insects, birds, etc.... I realised how much life a hedge sustains & how important they are! & having a little pond...
    Thanks for posting 🙏🙌 & can't wait to see how yours gets on this year too! 🤗

  • @alysoffoxdale
    @alysoffoxdale 2 дні тому +6

    This is so very inspiring! The more I have learned about how plants work together, the more I want my gardening to be like this.

  • @ClumsySmurfett
    @ClumsySmurfett 2 дні тому +18

    What a spectacular example of how to work with nature. I can't believe you've done this in 4 years ♡
    So encouraging

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +14

      I came away from my visit as a completely changed gardener, it was a transformative experience!

  • @Braddy_Daddy
    @Braddy_Daddy 2 дні тому +12

    Love syntropic grows. Haven’t seen many in this growing zone!

  • @thatgirlthatgrows
    @thatgirlthatgrows 2 дні тому +12

    This is incredible!! It has really opened my mind to so many different aspects! Thank you for sharing!

  • @GSDsforever
    @GSDsforever 2 дні тому +3

    I am loving these gardens you are visiting! The food forrest system is the way to go for the future. Keep up the. good work. My thanks . Hello from Kansas USA.

  • @sunitashastry5270
    @sunitashastry5270 2 дні тому +1

    So interesting to see this way of growing food. Using everything we have, chop and drop, letting the weeds work with the food crops. Lots of great ideas for all gardeners.

  • @guylamullins3602
    @guylamullins3602 2 дні тому +6

    I've been trying this on my 3/8ths acres in Indiana in the US. It works.

  • @LynneSmith-x6v
    @LynneSmith-x6v 2 дні тому +2

    Another great video thanks. Great to have the opportunity to see these gardens (and gardeners) and learn from them. Some great ideas!

  • @kerryl4031
    @kerryl4031 День тому

    Super! I can only hope we get this far! I'm liking the chop and drop idea!

  • @tinkeringinthailand8147
    @tinkeringinthailand8147 2 дні тому +7

    I love the idea of permaculture. I currently garden traditionally by growing certain crops in their own beds, but 'm seriously going to try more of this inter planting in the future.

    • @gothic_oma
      @gothic_oma 2 дні тому

      Yes, do it! I started gardening this way, and I can tell you it is so satisfying and beautiful! 😊 All of my plants are so healthy.

  • @buckaroobonzai2909
    @buckaroobonzai2909 2 дні тому +5

    IMO, the best and most fun tool to use in a garden like this is a scythe.
    A sweep from a scythe is probably the best way to chop and drop. And yes, you can get precise cuts with a scythe if you keep it sharp. They aren't hard to use and if you damage the blade, you can usually fix it.
    I recommend a European scythe slightly less sharp than you would have it for grass. (To prevent cracking and bending of the blade.)
    Avoid the heavier American scythes, unless you have a lot of thick brambles and saplings to cut.

  • @fionnaheller1873
    @fionnaheller1873 2 дні тому +3

    This is wonderful - I decided to live with weeds decades ago because I learned that it - ''neat'' - is not a war I either will or should win. I felt that if weeds are as determined as they are, there is a good reason for them to be, and conforming to some artificially created notion of ''neat'' is just that - artificial - and probably ill-advised. Most of the ones that grow are ones I regard, and indeed cultivate, as a crop - for wine, jelly, herbal medicines and fertilizer and I, too, cut them back when they become too exuberant and leave them to return to the soil. Now, in the light of this liberating interpretation of how things grow best, I don't need to feel as if I should feel guilty any longer. I am so very glad you shared this. Thank you.

  • @jackstone4291
    @jackstone4291 2 дні тому +3

    Absolutely amazing Josh. Just great !!

  • @Bloksgaaard
    @Bloksgaaard 2 дні тому +1

    Amazing video. Massive inspiration. Thanks Huw for sharing this. Thanks Joshua for leading the way!

  • @tubalooney
    @tubalooney 2 дні тому +3

    Nice video, the biodiversity is very encouraging. Thanks

  • @beebop3734
    @beebop3734 2 дні тому

    These beds are sooooooo beautiful. From the way they look to the way the plants work as part of the magnificent polyculture developed /restored there. Bravo to all involved

  • @ricos1497
    @ricos1497 2 дні тому +1

    The most beautiful farm you've shown i think. Loved the long podcast too. Still your best one, from a very good selection. I'd love it if Joshua had time to write a book!

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +1

      Thank you so much for your feedback, really appreciate it!

  • @juliahelland6488
    @juliahelland6488 8 годин тому

    Very beautiful! Thanks for sharing this! 💯

  • @catherineperry9513
    @catherineperry9513 День тому

    Thanks Huw, brilliant. And a happy New Year filled with great gardening.

  • @amandadonnelly1679
    @amandadonnelly1679 2 дні тому +1

    This makes me happy :) I have been hoping Huw would give us a video tour of Birch Farm with Joshua! Thank you!

  • @smikewz
    @smikewz День тому

    this makes so much sense. it's exciting and great to see it actually working. i have a couple of allotments, and plan to try this on at least one of them. our management (I'm on the committee) is fairly laid back, but there might be some raised eyebrows, so i have a plan. i aim to mow paths to delineate long beds which will be an arm's length wide. it is a little counter intuitive to 'cultivate' the paths and leave the beds alone, but it will be a visual signal that the plot is being worked. another issue will be weed seed, so i plan to chop most seed heads (but not all) before they spread to other plots. can't wait for the new season!

  • @patriciawalshconcannon7887
    @patriciawalshconcannon7887 2 дні тому +4

    Love it!

  • @ingeleonora-denouden6222
    @ingeleonora-denouden6222 2 дні тому +5

    Polyculture is great! I do my best to stay as close as possible to the way of growing Joshua shows here ... but inside the boundaries (rules, both written and unwritten) of the allotment plot

  • @LesleyCollins-w6h
    @LesleyCollins-w6h 2 дні тому +2

    I can't grow in the ground so I planted up my metal planters filling them with logs and wood, wood chip and leaves before putting on the compost. Apart from being cheaper they have worked very well and the plants have thrived. At the moment the older ones have a leaf mulch. I don't waste anything. I'd love to visit this garden.

  • @MegaLegend76
    @MegaLegend76 День тому

    Very good progress, i too was influenced by the one straw. Infact changed from then on. Look forward to sharing experiencies some day. Uk

  • @1millionpumpkins542
    @1millionpumpkins542 2 дні тому +2

    The more I learn, the more Syntropic seems the way forward. It has all the best attributes of David the Good's "Grocery Row Garden", Permaculture, and Regenerative Agriculture, especially if deployed with alley grazing silvopasture. 💯

  • @bradliston8990
    @bradliston8990 2 дні тому

    I recall hearing the interview you did with Josh... How wonderful to follow up and see his gardens. Awesome.

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому

      Yeah I've been looking forward to releasing this video since the podcast!

  • @johnpritchard311
    @johnpritchard311 2 дні тому +1

    Thanks for bringing this to us Huw! I love the ideas here - I can imagine that this approach might require reeducation of allotment management committees 😂

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +2

      Hahaha that is very true - goodness me what a challenge 🤣

    • @sarahtheorme
      @sarahtheorme 20 годин тому

      I wonder if putting little plastic tags with Latin names on would keep the council inspector happy? I would love to do this.

  • @juliehartley3652
    @juliehartley3652 2 дні тому

    This is very inspiring - I think it's a great idea. I think I shall attempt this kind of growing at my allotment. Managing the land very differently from the traditional methods. Thanks for this it's great.

  • @adriennewin
    @adriennewin 2 дні тому

    This is absolutely mind-blowing! Thanks for bringing this video. It can work on a small scale too. I will certainly experiment with a few dedicated polyculture raised beds on my allotment.

  • @ljudmilabem1098
    @ljudmilabem1098 2 дні тому +2

    Looks beautiful!

  • @spoolsandbobbins
    @spoolsandbobbins 2 дні тому +1

    Fabulous! Love it!!

  • @3_Star_Belt
    @3_Star_Belt 2 дні тому +1

    truly lovely and inspring stuff!

  • @akashmukhopadhyay9335
    @akashmukhopadhyay9335 День тому +1

    Huw won't you upload anymore on the Gardenscapes channel? I loved them.

  • @UllricLex
    @UllricLex 2 дні тому

    That was so cool to watch.

  • @mariep598
    @mariep598 23 години тому

    Wow, inspiring !

  • @realstatistician
    @realstatistician 2 дні тому

    I’m shocked that you have been producing so much after only four years. Your fruit trees can’t be giving a lot yet!
    It seems so well planned! This is very impressive!

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому

      What's so impressive is how quickly things grow in this style! The system matures far more quickly than a food forest

  • @janlewis567
    @janlewis567 2 дні тому

    Hugh, I love all the videos where you go and visit he gardens of others, very inspiring, thanks for making them ♥

  • @lucyb15
    @lucyb15 2 дні тому +1

    some truly different thinking...thank-you!

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +1

      Something a little different indeed!

  • @rebeccamccarthy6594
    @rebeccamccarthy6594 2 дні тому

    This is the first time I've seen a garden like mine. People often ask me why I don't weed. It's hard to convince them that it's better when it's not all in a line with exposed soil. I love the way he has a structure in his layout that follows the contours of his land,

  • @shadigeris9760
    @shadigeris9760 2 дні тому +1

    Thanks Huw. It's great to see the garden after listening to the podcast a few weeks ago. I would be very interested to see how they harvest the crops and what sort of yeilds they get in comparison to a more uniform market garden. Input are lower but I wonder how efficient harvesting would be, how much lower yields are and how much time would need to be spent patrolling the rows chopping, dropping and pruning??

  • @Joe-yo1tm
    @Joe-yo1tm 2 дні тому

    Most syntropics I've seen are closer to the equator. This has been so refreshing. Absolutely love it. I'd already planned to start interplanting with wild edibles this year. I'll include aromatics. This is so inspiring.

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому

      @@Joe-yo1tm isn't it just?! Absolutely fascinating setup, I'm attempting to adapt some of it to my own site!

  • @BonneTerreAcres
    @BonneTerreAcres 2 дні тому +2

    Enjoyed watching this video tremendously. The gentleman did more than say what he's doing, he explained the why's and how's. Thank you for sharing this. From north central Wisconsin, 90 minute drive south of Lake Superior, USA.

  • @racif
    @racif 2 дні тому

    I love this so much!

  • @analomi6955
    @analomi6955 День тому

    Fabulous ❤

  • @LiamHowell-m5f
    @LiamHowell-m5f 2 дні тому

    Brilliant video! Would love to see you go into more depth with this garden.

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +1

      Watch my hour and a half long discussion then with Josh☺️

  • @chezelleconroy2951
    @chezelleconroy2951 День тому

    So interesting!

  • @greensphere
    @greensphere 2 дні тому

    Absolutely genius and efficient polyculture 🙌

  • @Jen_elf1
    @Jen_elf1 2 дні тому

    Thank you so much for this video! I would really like to hear more about this subject. I have a small garden and I struggle a bit when it comes to finding the balance, I do want to create good habitats for birds, pollinators and other animals and let nature regulate itself when it comes to pests etc, but I also don't want to have it too messy in my garden either. I'm thinking about applying this method to a new part of my garden, it will be exciting to try it out and see what happens. Perhaps a hedgehog or two will move in eventually.

  • @2Langdon
    @2Langdon 2 дні тому +3

    It looks and sounds very good. Can you tell me how to convert a grass field that has been sheep grazing to this kind of system?

    • @racebiketuner
      @racebiketuner 2 дні тому +2

      1) Get your fruit trees in first. 2) Start composting on a large scale. You can't have too much. Focus on keeping toxins to a minimum. 3) Study presentations from agricultural universities/extensions and papers published in peer-reviewed journals. You'll need to do this every day for five years to understand the basics. This will be challenging if you don't have a scientific background. Be advised that skipping the "book learning" will cost you a lot of time and money.

    • @1millionpumpkins542
      @1millionpumpkins542 2 дні тому +1

      Search yt for Syntropic. Decide on the placement of your planting lines. Cut the furrow, and plant thickly with seeds for all strata (roots->ground cover-> annual veg -> perennials and shrubs -> mid size trees -> canopy trees, and include fast growing biomass plants as well as expendable nurse plants. Mulch heavily. Irrigate as needed. Maintain by chopping and dropping. Ruthlessly cut down expendables and nurture desirables. I am pumped to do this at my place!

    • @ricos1497
      @ricos1497 2 дні тому +1

      You won't need to study every day for five years. Make sure you plan what you want up front, and get an idea of the contours of the land for water retention etc. Plus, plan for harvesting and access. Those plans can change later, of course, but have an idea of the full design up front so that you're considering placement to maximise (or minimise) solar gain, shade, water etc. Once you're comfortable with the overall design, then plant a part of that design and experiment. Observation is key, just keep an eye on what is working and what isn't. Manage it with a sickle, and gradually build up over time as you gain knowledge and confidence. You'll get things wrong, which you can learn from. If you've done your design work up front, then you shouldn't make any catastrophic errors, where you have to dig up everything and start again! You can retain your sheep at smaller and smaller flocks too whilst you're learning. Take plenty of notes on what, when, where you planted and notes on yields and so on.

  • @jameskerr8339
    @jameskerr8339 2 дні тому +1

    My mind is blown

  • @willow4191
    @willow4191 2 дні тому +1

    This is crazy impressive. I'm interested to know more about how they harvest, and what kind of labor costs there are.

  • @lorimills7158
    @lorimills7158 2 дні тому +1

    Great idea!🎉

  • @mfr58
    @mfr58 23 години тому

    What is the best way of starting beds like that? Planting out plantlets among the weeds? Direct sowing of a seed mix?

  • @brianbarnicle8052
    @brianbarnicle8052 2 дні тому

    Epic!

  • @TheRosangela9369
    @TheRosangela9369 2 дні тому

    I do it the same way, in my garden, I love it! My Neighbours laugh about it, but it works very good. I named it 'Angie hedges'.

  • @MotosAllotmentGarden
    @MotosAllotmentGarden 2 дні тому +1

    Great video, Will not be aloud to to this on my allotment, 🥴

  • @stuarttaylor69
    @stuarttaylor69 День тому

    Can you imagine harvesting for market? great for a home gardener, self sufficiency if that is your thing, but looks extremely labour intensive on a commercial scale.

  • @MonaSVK
    @MonaSVK День тому

    this is my dream! to garden like this. but holly crap, i know so little. its owerwhelming - in a way of thinking - how can i achive this? its amazing job! such an inspiration.

  • @tworkstuffs
    @tworkstuffs 2 дні тому +1

    Very interesting style. Wondering why you collect seeds and then cut it down and repeat instead of just letting the garden stay and self seed itself?

    • @WeAreAllOneNature
      @WeAreAllOneNature 2 дні тому +1

      It gets too shady for things to grow underneath. By cutting it all down after 4 years, whatever, all that plant material ends up back in the soil, which makes it fertile. Watch the first part again, especially when he talks about poplars.

  • @roythecactus6711
    @roythecactus6711 2 дні тому

    Gorgeous

  • @chasethesunriseportugal
    @chasethesunriseportugal 2 дні тому

    How do you even harvest something like this? Is it just like any other harvesting? Excuse my ignorance. This looks amazing, fascinating and like the way of the future.

  • @lukebaker5163
    @lukebaker5163 2 дні тому

    Amazing work! I wonder, I know there are so many benefits to working on the land like this for nature nad humans, but how many hours a week do you need to put into a 1.5 acre site like this?

  • @andrejskoda9610
    @andrejskoda9610 17 годин тому

    I wonder if it would make sense to do this in the backyard.

  • @jtunderwood5545
    @jtunderwood5545 2 дні тому

    Chop and drop. It’s a great way to feed if you’re able to let things grow this way!

  • @Jelekha985
    @Jelekha985 День тому

    Fabulous 😍🤩.. love from Kerala❤❤❤❤

  • @agaba5500
    @agaba5500 2 дні тому

    i'm not a good enough cook to use such a diverse harvest. and is there honey or chickens or hops nearby? do you also grow mushroom logs? and what about deer or a stray sheep or goat waltzing in and chowing down on the rows?

  • @calcran2790
    @calcran2790 2 дні тому

    I love it, so are the herbs/annuals etc chopped and dropped completely every year, or is it just selective throughout the year, depending on what’s dominating etc?

  • @CWorgen5732
    @CWorgen5732 День тому

    I would like to see how the farm looks in the slow season, and I would like to see what this could look like in a harsher climate with hot dry summers and cold windy winters.
    Further, I want to know about his wildlife. Are there digger squirrels putting holes in the ground and eating his onions? Turkeys that fly over the fence and eat all the grapes? Deer that put their noses through the fence and decapitate the flowers and tomatoes? Songbirds that eat all the carrot sprouts?
    I'm not criticizing. I just want to see how this could work in a different ecosystem.

  • @gbcb8853
    @gbcb8853 2 дні тому

    Sounds ideal, if you have the time and the space.

  • @Anjuli72
    @Anjuli72 2 дні тому

    💚💚💚

  • @danielbaronne753
    @danielbaronne753 2 дні тому

    love the video. the sound is very low though

  • @humanbeing4368
    @humanbeing4368 2 дні тому

    What time of the year was this video filmed? I am curious as I as well are in Zone 8.

  • @ArieSlik
    @ArieSlik 2 дні тому +1

    Holy shit!

  • @richardr1971
    @richardr1971 2 дні тому

    Very interesting, but yield must be a compromise. If I remember correctly Huw’s Allotmemt yield was 8kg /m2/year (very similar to another well know gardener). I’d expect a trade off in yield for the other benefits of this system, although costs per kg may be the same or better as not buying in materials or fertility. Is there any data on yield per m2 per year?

  • @jollyjokress3852
    @jollyjokress3852 9 хвилин тому

    This is also 10000 times more aesthetically pleasing than a monoculture- intensively managed field.

  • @guylamullins3602
    @guylamullins3602 2 дні тому +1

  • @mojorising1
    @mojorising1 2 дні тому +1

  • @balibee91
    @balibee91 2 дні тому

    how would one go about planning a garden like this?

  • @SK-lt1so
    @SK-lt1so 2 дні тому

    The hard part is finding edible perennials you can grow, and then finding the plants themselves to get started.

  • @kaittemurry4740
    @kaittemurry4740 2 дні тому +1

    Location?growzone?

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +3

      @@kaittemurry4740 Devon, USDA hardiness zone 8

    • @ingeleonora-denouden6222
      @ingeleonora-denouden6222 2 дні тому

      @@HuwRichards thank you. That's about the same zone as here in the east of the Netherlands

  • @Norbingel
    @Norbingel 2 дні тому

    I'm guessing they plant new crops by transplanting? I don't see how they can plant seeds directly into that mass of growth>
    I know he says it's syntropic and it has a lot of the same principles but it looks very different from all the other syntropic systems I;ve seen. For one, there isn't any discussion on succession of species and strata. Perhaps it got lost in the editing since this channel focuses more on the gardening aspect rather than the agroforestry?

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +2

      The video was focused more on very light introduction to Syntropic, but main focus is on polyculture growing. When there Joshua spoke at length about the succession, layers, etc. Also most syntropic systems on UA-cam are in much warmer climates so have much faster growth and a whole different set of plants

    • @Norbingel
      @Norbingel 2 дні тому

      @@HuwRichards how do they plant new plants into that mass of growth? I have a test garden with mostly just pumpkin, okra, and some weeds and most seeds I plant into that mass don't make it much farther than germination, if that.

  • @САДбезХІМІЇ-ю1ж
    @САДбезХІМІЇ-ю1ж 2 дні тому

    А як уберегти все від зворотніх весняних заморозків?

  • @buckaroobonzai2909
    @buckaroobonzai2909 2 дні тому

    I think the reason people are hesitant to be on board with this kind of gardening is
    1. The initial setup being hard work and/or expensive.
    2. The work to maintain it, while easy, seems confusing to new people who don't know how easy and productive gardening can be.
    3. Lack of understanding when it comes to tools. A lot of people think that you have to send someone out to hand-pick each weed in a garden like that and people also think that an expensive motorized tiller is a requirement.
    Last year, I just threw some potatoes down in the back yard with a shovel and a hoe. I'm renting, so I can't be planting more fun stuff.

  • @syeduddin3114
    @syeduddin3114 2 дні тому

    But it will be hard to find food from the jungle

  • @CWorgen5732
    @CWorgen5732 День тому

    Huw, can you find someone who has a Mediterranean climate? I'm begging.
    Our land is so lush until June, and then it's arid until September. This year, the dry season was a month longer on both ends- no rain in May or November, and we had to feed the cattle starting in August instead of grazing all summer and beginning to feed in December.
    Rain does not fall in our summers. This is NOT an exaggeration, we go months with no rainfall! It hurts me to see Joshua's green land and realize that he's relying on rain in what is our most difficult season.
    Sure, we could irrigate if our creeks weren't going dry in July.

  • @suuzieq3821
    @suuzieq3821 2 дні тому

    Are there any strawberries left to harvest if there is no netting against birds?

    • @racebiketuner
      @racebiketuner 2 дні тому +2

      It's possible for an individual or single family if you have enough plants. I have over 200 that produce enough berries for me, the birds and squirrels. If your goal is to sell them for profit, the answer would probably be no.

    • @ricos1497
      @ricos1497 2 дні тому +1

      I think the strawberries are there to provide cover and prevent grass, as well as attract predators and birds, so I would have thought that any harvest would be incidental, rather than relied upon.

  • @jackstone4291
    @jackstone4291 2 дні тому

    Any American PawPaw or keeping it all uk native…?…

  • @Picci25021973
    @Picci25021973 2 дні тому

    Great system. You just need some nitrogen fixing plants, and you almost close the circle.

    • @HuwRichards
      @HuwRichards  2 дні тому +5

      Josh does include nitrogen fixers, especially alder in the rows, but sadly I couldn't find the whole thing as light was quickly running out!

    • @kaelby
      @kaelby 2 дні тому

      I would imagine the wild natives would likely include things like clovers and vetches as well, although not shown so not certain.

    • @Picci25021973
      @Picci25021973 2 дні тому +1

      @@HuwRichards I imagine. At home I planted goumi, seaberry, alder, clovers, vetch. All of them either go into compost, or as green manure.

  • @louisedumais6496
    @louisedumais6496 2 дні тому

    you need a better microphone as the sound was very low