So good to read this Tonya, that's exactly what the channel is about. We've got so many like-minded people here, all trying to do what they can with the space they have, but all with the goal of improving things for creatures desperately in need of our help. So glad you're on board, and thank you for your support and encouragement - best wishes, Joel
Hi Norman! Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. It was really enjoyable to go back and see how everything's improved, much down to the clients of course and having such a wonderfully untouched area, if my work didn't dictate that I need to be centrally based to be able to reach everyone then Scotland would be high up on one of those dream places to live in the UK :) Hope you're doing ok, thank you again for all your support - best wishes, Joel
Hi Tracy - love that you're watching all the way from Cape Town, it's so good to know there are so many like-minded people across the world who want to make a difference, and are :) Thank you, I really appreciate the support and encouragement, it makes a difference - best wishes, Joel
It is indeed Mark, I'd love to live somewhere like this, but having to work all over the country means I have to be pretty centrally located, not sure I'd find it as easy to visit everyone if my starting point was Aberdeen! ;) Hope you are doing well - best wishes, Joel
I love old pines. They remind of my childhood. Your videos make me want to grab a shovel or whatever and get my hands dirty creating habitats for wildlife.
Hello! So glad you enjoyed this - it was so good to be back here Marek, it's taken 3 years to get back but I am determined to drop in on more previous clients and see how their projects are going too. I do get updated by them regularly on what wildlife turns up etc but it's so much nicer to see it in person :) Hope you're doing well! Best wishes - Joel
Not sure, George. Where’ve you been?! 😆👍 Don’t worry - I don’t expect everyone to see every video religiously - we all have busy lives to live outside UA-cam! 😆👍
That flower is Lysimachia europaea, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower according to Wikipedia. It's super common here in Sweden.
What an amazing place and credit to the home owners for utilising the area to favour wildlife. I've been waiting for a video of you visiting a previous piece of work. Really enjoyed this one Joel. Keep them coming my friend.😀
Again not sure where your reply is Joel although I know you did. Scotland is a fantastic place. The problem is if you relocated to Scotland you'd be inundated with work in Essex 😁👍
Thank you :) Much appreciated. It's certainly a wonderful area for wildlife, the clients have done a fantastic job over the years and the rewards are clear. Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton (my other account) - YES, if every decent sized property made something suitable for wildlife we could make a hell of a difference to biodiversity which is being destroyed by mono-culture and urbanization.
Super garden Joel, so natural and wild absolutely beneficial to wildlife. That hide will be fantastic. Thank you for sharing this. A beautiful garden you could never get bored in... the stuff you would see!
Couldn't agree more! I spent a lot of the time wishing this space was my own... it's a perfect habitat all round and hats off to the clients who have kept this place intact over many years :) Best wishes, Joel
It is indeed a wonderful place - and such an important habitat for so much wildlife - really glad you enjoyed this video :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Fantastic pond transformation and meadow habitat, now both great wildlife corridors❤👌. Also love the untouched boggy area that would be so helpful for so many needed birds, critters, insects, plants and mosses. Great video, Joel. Have a great weekend.
Thank you! I just saw the rescue of the wallaby baby, Peanut - well done to you guys and the wildlife lady involved - such a shame re the mum etc but she will do fine now :) Hope all is good where you are - best wishes, Joel
Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave encouragement, it makes a difference :) I hope that the channel is enjoyable and helpful. Best wishes to you and yours, Joel
Every time I visit here Marion, I have to drag myself away again, the couple here really do put nature first and they're a pleasure to work for. This is where I built the bird hide/garden room last year :) Hope you're doing ok - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I can imagine Joel. Perfect antidote to all the “bad stuff” we hear about almost daily. We do our best to look after nature here in our small garden and are also lucky enough to have a plot of land nearby (approx 3.5 acres) where we’ve planted hundreds of native trees and hedging. This is where we hope to have a wildlife pond in the future. Might need some expert advice when the time comes! 😉 Best wishes Marion
@@marioncriswell3408 Fantastic Marion, absolutely brilliant - you'll be rewarded for every ounce of effort :) Feel free to drop me a line at enquiries@hazelwoodlandscapes.com if you need help with the pond, I don't always manage to keep up with all the notifications here in a timely manner :) Hope you've had a good weekend and enjoying the extra hour's light :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel. We’re very lucky 🍀 and the wildlife I get on my trail camera in just one corner of the plot is amazing. It is exciting to think we are making a difference. Light until 7.30pm was rather nice! Hope you’ve had a good weekend too. Best wishes Marion
Hi Joel, thank you for the tour into this fantastic wildlife garden. Really fascinating! I can't imagine how many small vertebrates and invertebrates there are in that pond! I follow all our video: you do my dream job but in Italy there is not demand for this type of garden. Maybe in the near future...I hope. Keep making videos, thanks
Hi Riccardo, thank you so much - I appreciate your kind words. I hope too that the message will continue to spread world wide, I hope to visit Italy in the next few years to see the natural areas as there are some lovely wild habitats, hopefully we can meet up and by that time you will have your own customers that want you to help them help wildlife :) Thank you for your support, it means a lot - best wishes, Joel
@@riccardom.2908 I'll remember that Riccardo :) Thank you - and it goes both ways... if you find yourself in England let me know! :) Best wishes - Joel
What a beautiful area and I bet that pond is just teaming with life!! I love hearing all the birds in your videos!! I'd find a cozy spot and just spend hours sitting and watching. I did receive your post about 2? weeks ago and I love it. Tucked safely into my book and it's perfect!! And you have an open invitation!!! ❤️
That's great to hear - sorry it took a while to get to you! The pond is amazing, and of course so natural as it had been there for many many years, just overgrown. The work the clients have done is admirable. As soon as there's a chance I'll be taking up that invitation ;) Hope all is well your side, best wishes - Joel
Thanks Jerry - much appreciated :) It was a long time of course since I'd implemented the works and I had seen photos in between of course, but to see it again was wonderful, it really is a beautiful spot - just wish I could have stayed longer but there were other clients to see - it won't be too long before I'm back hopefully and building the bird hide. Thanks again for your support - best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel. You get to see some lovely places. Hope our garden looks a bit like that soon. On a slightly smaller scale though. And free of bindweed!!!! One of our water lilies is flowering. Not had time to get out there yet but will keep you updated.
Hi Joel, a great video, the next best thing to going for a walk with you in the wild .Co-dominant tree a term I'd not heard before so I've learn't something. Great garden, i wish i had that much space. I did Some big butterfly counts at the start but weather has been horrendous for them this year. It will be interesting to see the results. Just been planting out some Verbena I've grown from seed, in a bed with some lavender i'd grown from plugs. I do go on don't I lol. You are an inspiration to many. Regards Keith
Hi Keith - can you guess I'm going through comments in reverse order during a quick bite to eat?! ha :) Yep, here too in my garden there didn't seem to be as many early butterflies but I did manage to count 4 Red Admiral, two peacocks and the usual whites thronging around the buddleja over the weekend. Verbena won't let you down and it's relatively easy to grow, it does prefer well-drained soils as it's of Mediterranean/warmer climates. Best of luck - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton i see that lol. Thanks for sharing your valuable time it is much appreciated. Weather permitting hoping to do another long cliff top walk to St Margarets from Deal, and see how the Blues are doing, also hoping to see a Wall Brown. Still haven't seen a Small Tortoiseshell or Painted lady, must try harder.
Hello! Great to hear from you - if I could live in this part of the country and it still be viable to get everywhere else, I'd certainly be looking to swap locations! ;) I can't wait to start the hide, I'll be sure to video it for you guys. Hope you're both doing well - catch up real soon, best wishes - Joel
Hello! sorry for the delay in acknowledging your comment, it's the busiest time of the year at the moment - but it was a fantastic place to see again - I hope you are doing ok! Best wishes, Joel
I really loved watching this video! I wonder what wildlife they have gotten to live in their pond now? This is the closest so far that I can compare with the summer cottage garden/nature except it is considerably drier than this and on a slope, and most of our trees are pines. But part of what makes it so magical with wildlife is that there is a small bog just behind it, it’s a part of the managed forest. Although it is just horrible that most of the forest is now cut down for the first time in my familys lifetimes the little strip of bog behind us is left untouched including trees that have fallen over with big root falls, trees that have died and partly fallen over leaning on other trees. The little white star flower grows in the bog, I looked at them this summer. I love the mosses, specially the soft cushions of those you talked about. We got lichens on all our older trees too. I’m always scared to lose the bog or that the forest will disappear and be built houses on, part of it has been since I was a child. My dad tried to buy the bog behind us a long time ago to preserve it and I have tentatively talked with the current owner, but it is not for sale and for the time being it is safe as the landowner said it would be left unmamaged. I still wonder if or how it would be possible to have some meadow, it would mean removing heathers but when there is a drought I notice how much insect life comes to some of our heathers when they flower in late summer because I have watered them. Also there is almost no soil depth except the small areas my grandfather made around the house. But the local meadows have disapperead in an alarming rate so that makes me a bit obsesed about how I could get more wildflowers. Keep up the great work Joel!
It's a wonderful place, it really is. Am quite envious to be honest and wish I didn't have to be so centrally located to be able to get all over the country, otherwise I think I'd be Scotland based (ask me that again in winter! ha!) - best wishes, Joel
I have to say I have the greatest admiration for anyone that can live in such a cold cloudy and wet area in the UK, I think the solar panels are supreme optimism that far north, that said, for wet loving wildlife this must be a marvellous place to be, and the transformation you have made in just 3 years is fantastic, are there any Red Squirrels around there ? I think there will be many peat flies taking advantage of this area. A big advantage here is that the soil must be very fertile. Stay safe ! Chris B.
Hi Chris - sorry for delay, just trying to catch up with everyone. Apart from that day we had several wonderfully warm and sunny days and I understand it's even "nicer" on the west coast of Scotland - they say that they have an undeserved reputation for bad weather but it isn't necessarily the case, it's just that it can change dramatically pretty quickly. Am going back towards end of August... let's see what the weather brings then! ;) The clients have done amazing things on this site, maintaining everything but keeping it as intact as it would be in nature of course. Yes, they do have squirrels in this area but not sure if they've ventured into the rear part of the garden, I think it probably highly likely though. Best wishes as always, Joel
Hi Lana - so sorry for the delay, it's the busiest time of year at the moment so I am just trying to catch up with everyone over a quick lunch-break. Just wanted to acknowledge your comment and to thank you in particular for your support and kind words, they really do make a difference :) Lots more videos to come, get ready in Autumn when I should have more time to upload them all! I'll be putting up videos before then of course but it's just finding time to edit etc - Best wishes to you and yours - Joel
I'm so pleased - and convinced I have already responded to many comments but it appears that they are missing - I do hope this comment doesn't mean a repeat for you, but I want to ensure everyone is acknowledged :) I am, as always, so grateful for your support and hope you are doing fine - best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel, Im curious.. what is wrong with the broadleaf dock? I am used to people not wanting it in their garden but thought it would be fine out in nature. Is is not native? or is it just a bit of a thug? Thanks for everything you are doing for our planet.
Hi Greg - broadleaf dock is pretty prolific in that it seeds voraciously and can soon "overtake" other plants so it's best kept in check, it's also a sign of fertile ground and can create a bit of a monoculture, similar to hogweed and some of the willow herb species. It is, however, sometimes a secondary larval food plant for the Small Copper butterfly. Hope this helps :) Thanks for your kind words and support - best wishes, Joel
It’s fantastic to see the projects when they’ve had chance to settle in. Just in awe of the work you do. So inspiring. Joel do you sell wildflower turf at your nursery ? I’m in the process of doing my front garden @ was looking at laying some wildflower turf. Is there a certain time of the year it needs to be laid ?
Hi Lynette - sorry for the delay, just trying to catch up with everyone. We don't sell the wildflower turf at the moment, purely because we're waiting on a turf that has matting that is totally degradable, some claim that it degrades after 5 years but of course you have that "membrane" for 5 years and it can prove quite a task trying to "in fill" the area with seeds or 9cm plants etc later - it's difficult for the manufacturers as the root system is not as "tight" as general grass turf and they need it to be able to hold together, but they are great if you want an instant meadow of course. Hope that is helpful :) Best wishes - Joel
Hi Mike - broad leaf pond weed is definitely a recommendation and amphibious bistort the same :) They will both create some really nice clumps in time - not sure if you've bought them already but we do have them at www.wildyourgarden.com ;) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I’ll be sure to check that out! On clearing my existing pond and draining it down ready for an upgrade, I found 3 common frogs (1 huge female and 2 large males) hibernating in the sludge. I’ve taken them to the hibernaculum in the corner of my garden and let them crawl in between the logs, I then covered it with some more dead leaves to help insulate them for now. Will they be alright?
@@prisonmike1798 Hi Mike - I should say that of course (if you didn't know already) the pond plants will mainly be available in April - this is the case for all sellers - as they are currently still "asleep"! The frogs will be absolutely fine, they usually only use water sources in Spring, same as newts, for breeding and then they will go off into the undergrowth to hunt etc - but they'll surely be grateful for your new pond come Spring and you'll see them again :) Best wishes, Joel
I love your work brother! How did you get into designing wildlife gardens? I am considering starting my own garden scaping business over here in canada. I don't know where I should begin.
Hi Francis - sorry for the delay - just catching up with everyone during lunch! I started the business over 16 years ago now, after working for a large landscaping company (it was just new build housing areas, bark and shrubs of no value etc) - I lasted a year before I decided to set up my own business, it was a while before I could encourage clients to have their gardens designed with nature in mind but of course in the last few years this has become more and more popular. I grew up relatively surrounded by nature as a child and was pretty close to it of course, which spurred me on to continue to make habitats that I could see were being lost in everyone's back yards with new fashions etc. I'm still learning now but the principles should be the same in Canada, just the plants may be different, but as you know all creatures need water so it's a good place to start. I hope you find the channel helpful, but if you need any further help/advice then please do email me at hazelwoodlandscapes@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to help when I get a chance - it's just the busiest time of the year at the moment, but please don't hesitate - best wishes, and thanks for your support - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you very much for your reply. I really appreciate that. I am currently volunteering in gardens around my area to learn the ins and outs of the plants that thrive in my climate. I'm also I the process of making a forest style garden on my property. I am also planing on making a wildlife pond in the future and I'm learning a ton from these videos. I saw in one of your videos of you burying several dead logs in a vertical manner. Was this done to provide habitat for insect and fungi?
It certainly is - it has a reputation for being rainy a lot of the time, but that would account for a lot of the greenery and I have to say that during the week I was visiting clients in Scotland the weather was glorious - the West coast of Scotland is somewhat warmer and sunnier I believe but I'd put up with some colder weather if it meant looking out on this :) Best wishes - Joel
Lovely pond and property! Thank you for sharing your love and work. I’m inspired to get to work on my property!
So good to read this Tonya, that's exactly what the channel is about. We've got so many like-minded people here, all trying to do what they can with the space they have, but all with the goal of improving things for creatures desperately in need of our help. So glad you're on board, and thank you for your support and encouragement - best wishes, Joel
So this was the wildly area made for the bird watch hide. Looks amazing. Really can’t believe I missed this one
This was a great watch. Your enthusiasm is catching!
Hi Norman! Thanks so much, I really appreciate that. It was really enjoyable to go back and see how everything's improved, much down to the clients of course and having such a wonderfully untouched area, if my work didn't dictate that I need to be centrally based to be able to reach everyone then Scotland would be high up on one of those dream places to live in the UK :) Hope you're doing ok, thank you again for all your support - best wishes, Joel
Love these videos all the way from Cape Town
Hi Tracy - love that you're watching all the way from Cape Town, it's so good to know there are so many like-minded people across the world who want to make a difference, and are :) Thank you, I really appreciate the support and encouragement, it makes a difference - best wishes, Joel
Superb natural garden and pond in a beautiful part of the country. A perfect spot for a bird hide 🦉
It is indeed Mark, I'd love to live somewhere like this, but having to work all over the country means I have to be pretty centrally located, not sure I'd find it as easy to visit everyone if my starting point was Aberdeen! ;) Hope you are doing well - best wishes, Joel
I love old pines. They remind of my childhood. Your videos make me want to grab a shovel or whatever and get my hands dirty creating habitats for wildlife.
Hello! So glad you enjoyed this - it was so good to be back here Marek, it's taken 3 years to get back but I am determined to drop in on more previous clients and see how their projects are going too. I do get updated by them regularly on what wildlife turns up etc but it's so much nicer to see it in person :) Hope you're doing well! Best wishes - Joel
How the ell did I miss this video 😮
Not sure, George. Where’ve you been?! 😆👍 Don’t worry - I don’t expect everyone to see every video religiously - we all have busy lives to live outside UA-cam! 😆👍
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton This is my religion 😄
purple loosestrife is one of the ebst polinating flowers around and so lovely near the pond I have 2 clumps and always full of insects,
That flower is Lysimachia europaea, called by the common name chickweed-wintergreen or arctic starflower according to Wikipedia. It's super common here in Sweden.
What an amazing place and credit to the home owners for utilising the area to favour wildlife.
I've been waiting for a video of you visiting a previous piece of work.
Really enjoyed this one Joel.
Keep them coming my friend.😀
Again not sure where your reply is Joel although I know you did.
Scotland is a fantastic place.
The problem is if you relocated to Scotland you'd be inundated with work in Essex 😁👍
Good one - it's always great to see a project which creates a magnet for all manner of wildlife.
Thank you :) Much appreciated. It's certainly a wonderful area for wildlife, the clients have done a fantastic job over the years and the rewards are clear. Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton (my other account) - YES, if every decent sized property made something suitable for wildlife we could make a hell of a difference to biodiversity which is being destroyed by mono-culture and urbanization.
Super garden Joel, so natural and wild absolutely beneficial to wildlife. That hide will be fantastic. Thank you for sharing this. A beautiful garden you could never get bored in... the stuff you would see!
Couldn't agree more! I spent a lot of the time wishing this space was my own... it's a perfect habitat all round and hats off to the clients who have kept this place intact over many years :) Best wishes, Joel
We have mountains like that all over around here in Appalachia.
I remember seeing a documentary on the Appalachian Trail a few years ago, breathtaking journey with unrivalled stunning beauty :) Best wishes, Joel
Wow.. Very beautiful.. 👍👍
It is indeed a wonderful place - and such an important habitat for so much wildlife - really glad you enjoyed this video :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Fantastic pond!
I absolutely love living in Aberdeenshire. Our place is very much like this, minus the pond.....Feel very blessed 💜
Fantastic pond transformation and meadow habitat, now both great wildlife corridors❤👌. Also love the untouched boggy area that would be so helpful for so many needed birds, critters, insects, plants and mosses. Great video, Joel. Have a great weekend.
Thank you! I just saw the rescue of the wallaby baby, Peanut - well done to you guys and the wildlife lady involved - such a shame re the mum etc but she will do fine now :) Hope all is good where you are - best wishes, Joel
Beautiful, thanks for showing us.
Thank you, I really appreciate you taking the time to leave encouragement, it makes a difference :) I hope that the channel is enjoyable and helpful. Best wishes to you and yours, Joel
Green with envy! What a fabulous place. I wouldn’t get anything done living there 😊 Just sit, watch & wait, soaking it all in. Bliss.
Every time I visit here Marion, I have to drag myself away again, the couple here really do put nature first and they're a pleasure to work for. This is where I built the bird hide/garden room last year :) Hope you're doing ok - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I can imagine Joel. Perfect antidote to all the “bad stuff” we hear about almost daily. We do our best to look after nature here in our small garden and are also lucky enough to have a plot of land nearby (approx 3.5 acres) where we’ve planted hundreds of native trees and hedging. This is where we hope to have a wildlife pond in the future. Might need some expert advice when the time comes! 😉 Best wishes Marion
@@marioncriswell3408 Fantastic Marion, absolutely brilliant - you'll be rewarded for every ounce of effort :) Feel free to drop me a line at enquiries@hazelwoodlandscapes.com if you need help with the pond, I don't always manage to keep up with all the notifications here in a timely manner :) Hope you've had a good weekend and enjoying the extra hour's light :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel. We’re very lucky 🍀 and the wildlife I get on my trail camera in just one corner of the plot is amazing. It is exciting to think we are making a difference. Light until 7.30pm was rather nice! Hope you’ve had a good weekend too. Best wishes Marion
Hi Joel, thank you for the tour into this fantastic wildlife garden. Really fascinating! I can't imagine how many small vertebrates and invertebrates there are in that pond! I follow all our video: you do my dream job but in Italy there is not demand for this type of garden. Maybe in the near future...I hope. Keep making videos, thanks
Hi Riccardo, thank you so much - I appreciate your kind words. I hope too that the message will continue to spread world wide, I hope to visit Italy in the next few years to see the natural areas as there are some lovely wild habitats, hopefully we can meet up and by that time you will have your own customers that want you to help them help wildlife :) Thank you for your support, it means a lot - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton if you come to Italy, you will be welcome. 🙂 Keep up the good work.
@@riccardom.2908 I'll remember that Riccardo :) Thank you - and it goes both ways... if you find yourself in England let me know! :) Best wishes - Joel
Greatly enjoyed your enthusiasm
Thanks Grahame, welcome to the channel :) Best wishes, Joel
What a beautiful area and I bet that pond is just teaming with life!! I love hearing all the birds in your videos!! I'd find a cozy spot and just spend hours sitting and watching. I did receive your post about 2? weeks ago and I love it. Tucked safely into my book and it's perfect!! And you have an open invitation!!! ❤️
That's great to hear - sorry it took a while to get to you! The pond is amazing, and of course so natural as it had been there for many many years, just overgrown. The work the clients have done is admirable. As soon as there's a chance I'll be taking up that invitation ;) Hope all is well your side, best wishes - Joel
Thanks Joel! That was wonderful. It really shows that wild is beautiful and better for our environment and wildlife friends.
Thanks Jerry - much appreciated :) It was a long time of course since I'd implemented the works and I had seen photos in between of course, but to see it again was wonderful, it really is a beautiful spot - just wish I could have stayed longer but there were other clients to see - it won't be too long before I'm back hopefully and building the bird hide. Thanks again for your support - best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel. You get to see some lovely places. Hope our garden looks a bit like that soon. On a slightly smaller scale though. And free of bindweed!!!! One of our water lilies is flowering. Not had time to get out there yet but will keep you updated.
Hi Joel, a great video, the next best thing to going for a walk with you in the wild
.Co-dominant tree a term I'd not heard before so I've learn't something. Great garden, i wish i had that much space.
I did Some big butterfly counts at the start but weather has been horrendous for them this year. It will be interesting to see the results.
Just been planting out some Verbena I've grown from seed, in a bed with some lavender i'd grown from plugs. I do go on don't I lol. You are an inspiration to many. Regards Keith
Hi Keith - can you guess I'm going through comments in reverse order during a quick bite to eat?! ha :) Yep, here too in my garden there didn't seem to be as many early butterflies but I did manage to count 4 Red Admiral, two peacocks and the usual whites thronging around the buddleja over the weekend. Verbena won't let you down and it's relatively easy to grow, it does prefer well-drained soils as it's of Mediterranean/warmer climates. Best of luck - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton i see that lol. Thanks for sharing your valuable time it is much appreciated. Weather permitting hoping to do another long cliff top walk to St Margarets from Deal, and see how the Blues are doing, also hoping to see a Wall Brown. Still haven't seen a Small Tortoiseshell or Painted lady, must try harder.
Thanks a million Joel, beautiful
Hi Phil - thanks so much for your support and really glad you enjoyed this - hoping everything is good where you are, stay safe - best wishes, Joel
What a fantastic garden!! The bird hide sounds like a very exciting project.
Have a great weekend Joel
Hello! Great to hear from you - if I could live in this part of the country and it still be viable to get everywhere else, I'd certainly be looking to swap locations! ;) I can't wait to start the hide, I'll be sure to video it for you guys. Hope you're both doing well - catch up real soon, best wishes - Joel
What a beautiful lawn and wildflower meadows! Really love it😌😍🍃
Hello! sorry for the delay in acknowledging your comment, it's the busiest time of the year at the moment - but it was a fantastic place to see again - I hope you are doing ok! Best wishes, Joel
I really loved watching this video! I wonder what wildlife they have gotten to live in their pond now? This is the closest so far that I can compare with the summer cottage garden/nature except it is considerably drier than this and on a slope, and most of our trees are pines. But part of what makes it so magical with wildlife is that there is a small bog just behind it, it’s a part of the managed forest. Although it is just horrible that most of the forest is now cut down for the first time in my familys lifetimes the little strip of bog behind us is left untouched including trees that have fallen over with big root falls, trees that have died and partly fallen over leaning on other trees. The little white star flower grows in the bog, I looked at them this summer. I love the mosses, specially the soft cushions of those you talked about. We got lichens on all our older trees too. I’m always scared to lose the bog or that the forest will disappear and be built houses on, part of it has been since I was a child. My dad tried to buy the bog behind us a long time ago to preserve it and I have tentatively talked with the current owner, but it is not for sale and for the time being it is safe as the landowner said it would be left unmamaged.
I still wonder if or how it would be possible to have some meadow, it would mean removing heathers but when there is a drought I notice how much insect life comes to some of our heathers when they flower in late summer because I have watered them. Also there is almost no soil depth except the small areas my grandfather made around the house. But the local meadows have disapperead in an alarming rate so that makes me a bit obsesed about how I could get more wildflowers. Keep up the great work Joel!
magnificent video Wild Your Garden with Joel Ashton. I crushed the thumbs up on your video. Keep up the really good work.
Cheers from Denmark 💚
Just found your videos, wonderful. 🤗
Hi Helen 😃 Really pleased about that, thanks so much for your support - I hope you enjoy the channel, many more videos to come! Best wishes, Joel
Awesome job a wildlife paradise 👏
Thank you Peter :) Really appreciate your support - best wishes, Joel
Fantastic Joel... what an amazing garden ... great footage.. hope your all well 👍
It's a wonderful place, it really is. Am quite envious to be honest and wish I didn't have to be so centrally located to be able to get all over the country, otherwise I think I'd be Scotland based (ask me that again in winter! ha!) - best wishes, Joel
Great stuff. Thanks Joel.
You're very welcome Mark, thanks for your continued support - I owe you! ;) Best wishes, Joel
I have to say I have the greatest admiration for anyone that can live in such a cold cloudy and wet area in the UK, I think the solar panels are supreme optimism that far north, that said, for wet loving wildlife this must be a marvellous place to be, and the transformation you have made in just 3 years is fantastic, are there any Red Squirrels around there ? I think there will be many peat flies taking advantage of this area. A big advantage here is that the soil must be very fertile. Stay safe ! Chris B.
Hi Chris - sorry for delay, just trying to catch up with everyone. Apart from that day we had several wonderfully warm and sunny days and I understand it's even "nicer" on the west coast of Scotland - they say that they have an undeserved reputation for bad weather but it isn't necessarily the case, it's just that it can change dramatically pretty quickly. Am going back towards end of August... let's see what the weather brings then! ;) The clients have done amazing things on this site, maintaining everything but keeping it as intact as it would be in nature of course. Yes, they do have squirrels in this area but not sure if they've ventured into the rear part of the garden, I think it probably highly likely though. Best wishes as always, Joel
What an awesome, special place - thanks for sharing with us! =D I love the message you're sharing and the fantastic work you're doing! =)
Hi Lana - so sorry for the delay, it's the busiest time of year at the moment so I am just trying to catch up with everyone over a quick lunch-break. Just wanted to acknowledge your comment and to thank you in particular for your support and kind words, they really do make a difference :) Lots more videos to come, get ready in Autumn when I should have more time to upload them all! I'll be putting up videos before then of course but it's just finding time to edit etc - Best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Really loved the video. Thank you
I'm so pleased - and convinced I have already responded to many comments but it appears that they are missing - I do hope this comment doesn't mean a repeat for you, but I want to ensure everyone is acknowledged :) I am, as always, so grateful for your support and hope you are doing fine - best wishes, Joel
Great
Hi Joel,
Im curious.. what is wrong with the broadleaf dock? I am used to people not wanting it in their garden but thought it would be fine out in nature. Is is not native? or is it just a bit of a thug?
Thanks for everything you are doing for our planet.
Hi Greg - broadleaf dock is pretty prolific in that it seeds voraciously and can soon "overtake" other plants so it's best kept in check, it's also a sign of fertile ground and can create a bit of a monoculture, similar to hogweed and some of the willow herb species. It is, however, sometimes a secondary larval food plant for the Small Copper butterfly. Hope this helps :) Thanks for your kind words and support - best wishes, Joel
Nice video and great work ! A good place for grass Snake, isn’t it ?
Hi Vincent. Thank you very much! Yes it would be a good place for a grass snake, but sadly they don’t get this far north in the UK.
It’s fantastic to see the projects when they’ve had chance to settle in. Just in awe of the work you do. So inspiring. Joel do you sell wildflower turf at your nursery ? I’m in the process of doing my front garden @ was looking at laying some wildflower turf. Is there a certain time of the year it needs to be laid ?
Hi Lynette - sorry for the delay, just trying to catch up with everyone. We don't sell the wildflower turf at the moment, purely because we're waiting on a turf that has matting that is totally degradable, some claim that it degrades after 5 years but of course you have that "membrane" for 5 years and it can prove quite a task trying to "in fill" the area with seeds or 9cm plants etc later - it's difficult for the manufacturers as the root system is not as "tight" as general grass turf and they need it to be able to hold together, but they are great if you want an instant meadow of course. Hope that is helpful :) Best wishes - Joel
Adding some deep water floating plants to the new pond, any recommendations for or against either broad leaf pond weed or amphibious bistort?
Hi Mike - broad leaf pond weed is definitely a recommendation and amphibious bistort the same :) They will both create some really nice clumps in time - not sure if you've bought them already but we do have them at www.wildyourgarden.com ;) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I’ll be sure to check that out! On clearing my existing pond and draining it down ready for an upgrade, I found 3 common frogs (1 huge female and 2 large males) hibernating in the sludge. I’ve taken them to the hibernaculum in the corner of my garden and let them crawl in between the logs, I then covered it with some more dead leaves to help insulate them for now. Will they be alright?
@@prisonmike1798 Hi Mike - I should say that of course (if you didn't know already) the pond plants will mainly be available in April - this is the case for all sellers - as they are currently still "asleep"! The frogs will be absolutely fine, they usually only use water sources in Spring, same as newts, for breeding and then they will go off into the undergrowth to hunt etc - but they'll surely be grateful for your new pond come Spring and you'll see them again :) Best wishes, Joel
I love your work brother! How did you get into designing wildlife gardens? I am considering starting my own garden scaping business over here in canada. I don't know where I should begin.
Hi Francis - sorry for the delay - just catching up with everyone during lunch! I started the business over 16 years ago now, after working for a large landscaping company (it was just new build housing areas, bark and shrubs of no value etc) - I lasted a year before I decided to set up my own business, it was a while before I could encourage clients to have their gardens designed with nature in mind but of course in the last few years this has become more and more popular. I grew up relatively surrounded by nature as a child and was pretty close to it of course, which spurred me on to continue to make habitats that I could see were being lost in everyone's back yards with new fashions etc. I'm still learning now but the principles should be the same in Canada, just the plants may be different, but as you know all creatures need water so it's a good place to start. I hope you find the channel helpful, but if you need any further help/advice then please do email me at hazelwoodlandscapes@hotmail.com and I'll do my best to help when I get a chance - it's just the busiest time of the year at the moment, but please don't hesitate - best wishes, and thanks for your support - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you very much for your reply. I really appreciate that. I am currently volunteering in gardens around my area to learn the ins and outs of the plants that thrive in my climate. I'm also I the process of making a forest style garden on my property. I am also planing on making a wildlife pond in the future and I'm learning a ton from these videos. I saw in one of your videos of you burying several dead logs in a vertical manner. Was this done to provide habitat for insect and fungi?
gud day hello my new friend thumbs up. 👍❤️
Hello! Thank you :) Stay safe and well - best wishes, Joel
Beautiful mate what species of amphibians do your customers get in their pond 🐸💚🐸
Would love to live there.
Me too Steve! Absolutely. Such a wonderful haven for nature, it has certainly rewarded the clients and all their hard work :) Best wishes, Joel
I have a swamp behind my house with lots of venomous snakes,.eastern coastal NC USA…will they be drawn to my pond?
Most of them have resettled to Washington so you should be ok.
Fantastic garden and it must be a beautiful part of the UK to build a pond :)
It certainly is - it has a reputation for being rainy a lot of the time, but that would account for a lot of the greenery and I have to say that during the week I was visiting clients in Scotland the weather was glorious - the West coast of Scotland is somewhat warmer and sunnier I believe but I'd put up with some colder weather if it meant looking out on this :) Best wishes - Joel