Five Ways To Get Your Garden Wildlife Friendly This Spring
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- My TOP 5 Tips to get your Garden ready for Wildlife this Spring.
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Excellent timing with this list, especially about not cutting back perennials. I would have probably cut them back this weekend 😳
Glad to be of help Mark :) I really do believe that so much wildlife, particularly insects of course, is lost over the winter months by people being ultra-tidy still - not including you of course but more "traditional" gardeners probably are not thinking about hibernating insects. Thanks so much - best wishes, and thanks for your patience on this ;) Joel
what a breath of fresh air you are Joel - so glad I found your channel! Trying to make my garden as wildlife friendly as possible, it's very overgrown but not necessarily with the right stuff to help wildlife so I'm finding your vids very helpful - thanks for all the advice
Hey Jules :) Thank you, so very much for taking the time to leave such kind and encouraging words, they really make a difference. I'm so glad you've joined us here, we have a great community where people are able to swap ideas and give additional advice - welcome to the channel! Best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Brilliant advice Joel! Thank you so much 😊 haha nice to mix up at the end!
Hi Mark - glad you found this helpful, a lot of the videos (in fact most!) are pretty ad-hoc when I get a chance and I have to try to do in one "take" due to time constraints! Many thanks for your support, it's appreciated :) Best wishes - Joel
On Sunday I put up another bird box and put some nest bedding into a tray on our bird feeders. I have already seen some sparrows taking pieces from the bedding and today I saw two sparrows checking a bird box from last year out. Also, I think that the usual robins will be nesting in my log pile. Great tips! 👍
That is awesome! It's so very rewarding isn't it? Thanks so much for sharing this, put a smile on my face after a pretty hard day :) Best wishes - Joel
I have lots of sparrows around here at my house. They take over the blue bird houses I have up. I have a couple that took over two of the blue bird houses year before last and they over winter there...they are relentless in keeping them for themselves. lol. I see a lot of sparrows here. I think Joel said they are red listed there. I trust that between Joel and others like me and you that we can help spread the word on helping out the birds. I am in Goose Creek, SC. Sherry
Agree with not cutting back too early. Something I fight with myself over and try to restrain the urge to prune! Love the advice about our prickly friends the hedgehogs and hoping i am blessed with visitors this year.
It's a difficult one with neighbours isn't it Elizabeth?! The rewards are many when considering the resident wildlife whilst being patient :) Best wishes - Joel
A useful topical video and I like the way you refer to previous ones, eventually you'll get to a stage when you can refer back to these more, maybe with the'shorts' which will free up some time. I have done 3 out of the 5 successfully but I'm guilty of doing a little pruning last weekend. I did however pile all clippings into my log/brush pile so hopefully that's mitigated any negatives. I have flowering primroses and cowslips and some possible onion related bulb which pops up all around the garden, with white flowers, the bees love it. Regards Keith
Thank you Keith, the shorts are certainly not a replacement or substitute for the longer videos, I'll keep those coming but hope to provide more regular snippets of the jobs I am working on and their progress, all as a taster for the videos which will feature the whole transformations in one go :) Trying to think what the white flowered "onion" bulbs may be - try looking up chincherinchee or of course they could be the smaller varieties of allium, like "Ping Pong".... let me know if you identify it :) Best wishes - Joel
Thanks Joel! Great job!
My pleasure Chris - glad you enjoyed this - best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel, loved watching this. Thank you for all your fantastic advice. Last Saturday I spent the whole day in my front and back gardens planting so many things you recommended in previous videos including shrubs, hedging and perennials, all for pollinators. I moved a honeysuckle and trellis, put up more bird boxes and a large bug hotel. I went to bed extremely happy 😊.
I know the feeling Liz. I love knowing I am helping the pollinators out and the birds. I am always buying seeds or flowers or something to help them. It is an awesome feeling
Hi Liz - thanks so much for your positivity and encouragement and it's lovely to read about everything you've been doing - you will be rewarded! Keep me updated - best wishes, Joel
Thanks once again Joel, you are a super star
Hey Phil! I hope you are doing fine and thanks for popping by again - glad you enjoyed this - best wishes, as always - Joel
Hi Joel thanks for the mention and as always for the content!!! This is the first winter I have left all the garden untidy for winter so I’m hoping to see the benefits this spring /Summer!!!! Oh you could have warned me , I started to watch the video last night and was shocked to hear my name mentioned!!!! As always best wishes to you and yours and keep up the great work and content 👍👍👍
Sorry about a lack of warning on that Alan! But I'd had in mind to do this for you for a short while now and when I was near to that woodland I thought it a prime opportunity :) I really appreciate your consistent support and encouragement - best wishes to you and yours too - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton No problem at all I hope your business and channel go from strength to strength!!! Just glad I wasn’t drinking anything when you said my name I would have spat it out all over the carpet 😂😂😂😂😂
@@alanjones6916 😆😳 that did make me laugh! I'm about to have a drink - have just finished another mammoth editing of a video showing a bug/insect hotel made last year - there have been many but I hope this one gives people some ideas :) Thanks ever so much - best wishes as always - Joel
Hi joel brilliant video once again and some great advice Thankyou 🐸💚🐸
Thank you - really appreciated :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton no problems anytime mate 🐸💚🐸
Great informative video as always Joel. Always good to highlight helping the wildlife. One thing that I do, and you can as well now that you're a dog owner. When I brush my dogs I leave some of their fur in the garden for birds and small mammals.
It's great nesting material and one which dries quickly 🙂👍
You and Nikki are kin... she's been doing this for years. Sirius the malamute/gsd cross certainly moults a lot and she quite enjoys de-shedding him and then jamming the spare fat-ball feeders with the excess hair - not sure I've told you before but Luna is the 6th rescue Nikki and I have had over the years, there's only 3 now including Luna. You're right though, watching the birds come and glean the hair is really satisfying and great for keeping the chicks warm :) Great tip though - best wishes as always - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Many yrs ago before I was married I used to wash the family 🐕 a German Shepard called Zeek. I remember combing him one early Spring day & the hairs hardly had a chance to hit the grass. Magpie, blackbirds & 🏡 sparrows taking them away. I put some cotton wool out which is ❤️ by jackdaws. 😊
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton well done NIkki. We used to own 2 Northern breeds and the amount or fur they would lose was incredible.
We've had 4 over the years who we took on as adults. They have all passed now so left with our current crew of nutters😁
Have a great evening Joel and keep up the great work 👍
Laat nooit honden of kattenhaar dat behandeld is tegen vlooien en teken met een insecticide door vogels als nestmatriaal gebruiken!
Het dood hun kuikens !
Tumble dryer lint is a good thing too, the sparrows and smaller birds take beakfulls. I put it in used nut string bags and hang it by the bird table.
Great tips Joel! I’ll be following your advice for sure! 👍
Thank you so much Joannee - your continued support means a lot :) Best wishes, Joel
Be sure to put a protective metal guard on your bird boxes too! You can get them in varying sizes and they stop the woodpeckers breaking in and eating all the chicks.
Absolutely - these are a brilliant idea and very effective, I remember many years ago seeing someone had cut a metal hanging basket in half and used each half as a deterrent outside the boxes, allowing the smaller birds to get through but not predators :) Thanks for this advice, much appreciated - best wishes - Joel
All good pointers especially that last one regarding not cutting back growth from the previous year. This took us a few years to comply with since the winter snow often had the perennial grasses forming massive clumps on the ground. Here in NY the Robins have arrived and we are starting to hear songbirds in the mornings, great timing on finding your channel! Cheers Rob
So glad you are already doing this, it's very encouraging to others and you know already about the rewards this brings in later months. American Robins... what wonderful birds and mornings must feel very optimistic where you are with the audible backdrop - thanks for your support, best wishes - Joel
Love these tips, but I can't cater much to birds yet. I bought two seedling incubators and several packages of seeds to grow myself some food for bees and butterflies. At the thrift store I bought several 25cm diameter terracotta pots to plant up the backyard further, but without the need to dig up more paving👍🏻 I did some weeding around my foxglove plantlets in the front yard from last year and I noticed a colony of ladybirds basking in the sun on their leaves♥️ I also still have a part of dead stems from last year's annuals in a corner, which eventually I want to turn into a mini wildflower/annual meadow. And even more exciting, there are even plantlets coming up already from their seeds. Our clay soil will sadly make them long and leggy, so I have a perfect solution in mind. A small fenced off area with wooden, flexible trim with a few inches of subsoil instead of clay and compost👍🏻And every corner of the front garden will have one, the willow rose herb has already decided for me last year where it needs to be. This message has become quite long already, I hope you don't mind, because I'm excited for my second gardening season ♥️🌿🌸🌷🌻🐝🦋🐸🦎💧
Hi Titia - great to hear all this, you're certainly good at planning and the rewards are evident already :) Thanks so much - best wishes as always - Joel
Another wonderful video, Joel. My hubby let the grass grow longer last year which was a new thing plus leaving the 🪴 longer untouched. 👍🏻 😊
Thank you Janie, appreciated :) Let me know what visitors you get that appreciate your hubby having to do less work! ;) Best wishes - Joel
it seems like that is a hard thing for some men to do...let the grass just grow or that weed just grow...I have some weeds that are the first to flower...they are now and the bees are going strong , they just woke up I guess. Anyway, I posted a picture last year of a part of my garden with some flowers and this guy posted back to me....looks like you need to mow your yard! I said politely, I don't do it for me. I do it for the pollinators. Sherry, Goose Creek, South Carolina. :)
@@sherry-pz6yx I don’t know my plans for my back garden 🪴 as I live in a housing association house. I need repairs to bits of concrete near my steps plus a couple of slabs. The area was a pour as they call it with cement as there was a coal bunker there. If only I could show you a photo. Rome wasn’t built in a day. The housing officer is useless & I’ve a 👍🏻 local MP who’s helped me with other stuff. I’d some sunflower 🌻 amongst other small 🌸 in a pot that had a mixture of seeds that was a gift 🎁 😊
@@janiedunn637 , I hear you. I guess you can only do what you can...but educate and inspire as we go right. The container route sounds great and some low growing shrubs in the back maybe. I am learning as I go too...it is a journey...I love it
GOOSE CREEK, SOUTH CAROLINA, I agree completely. The number one question I get is..Sherry, how do you get so many birds coming to your feeders. My reply now is always habitat. I planted a lot of shrubs and small trees that attract birds. I added a lot of viburnums and hollies to start out with. I just planted last week a crabapple profusion tree. I love this clip and going to share on my face book. Thanks for sharing and caring, Sherry :)
Thank you Sherry, the wildlife are your proof that gardening in this way is so very rewarding - great to hear about your garden and what you have done to keep improving it :) Thanks so much for your continued support - best wishes, Joel
Great videos and shorts too!!!
Thank you Robert - really appreciate this, I hope to make more shorts just as updates to the projects I am doing and how they're progressing, just as a "teaser" to what the full transformation videos will contain :) Appreciate your support - best wishes, Joel
Joel: I understand why you are asking me NOT to trim back my borders this yearly but if I wait, then I crush bulbs and other plants that are trying to come-up for the first time. Additionally, if I don't start now, then I NEVER get caught-up. I have to have everything done by June 1st or it's too hot for words here to do anything until the autumn. I love what you're doing but I just cannot do #5. Thank you, DA
Hi Donald - not a problem at all, I do appreciate how precarious it can be with deep and large borders full of plants and it does sound like you have your work cut out already :) 4 out of 5 isn't bad at all! Thanks ever so much - best wishes, Joel
My perennials are still under the snow, so it is very easy to follow your advice about not cutting them back. I would love to make a hedgehog highway, but will have to import some hedgehogs first. Sadly, I don't think they would appreciate my climate.
It's a shame Michael as I know they'd appreciate the beauty of the wilds of Canada and the wonderful natural untouched places :) Best wishes, as always - Joel
Great advice Joel and I will adapt to the advice of not touching the garden until April. I normally start about the third week of March carefully cutting back the herbaceous plants but I’m going to put that off until April now. While watching this video I was also watching a gorgeous field mouse dashing out to grab food under the bird feeder and then a Yellow wagtail came down on the lawn where I sprinkle dried mealworms, a first for my garden!
Thank you Tracey :) Field Mice... it's their huge eyes isn't it that makes them instantly recognisable and a Yellow Wagtail.. wow! Your garden is the perfect example of how rewarding gardening with wildlife in mind can be - hope you and yours are well - best wishes - Joel
I do like the shorts, as an inspirational source. Information given can be researched further.
Daytime I gather snails and dump them on the trail of the hedgehog, so I do not have a snailproblem. Plus some catknibbels every day because there is nearly zero life left in the soil in my hood: everything is overkept. 3 places around the house I offer water: a little pond, a bowl for hedhehogs and cats, and a little elevated one. Last two are cleaned out every day. I also feed the straycats: that way I can keep an eye on their health but it also diminishes away their need for hunting birds.
I really hope this is a growing movement - people in Australia, with the best intentions, plant exotic but essentially useless things. I can't understand the cringe away from native flora. We've already bulldozed the forest - the least we can do is put back native habitat to some extent. Anyway, it's just such a lot of fun - and endlessly entertaining! Shorts are good too.
And in Portugal almost every garden has an Australian tree or shrub... :( Why can’t we just plant our own natives? They’re actually much more beautiful in their natural environments, IMO.
@Alison - I hope so too, and I have to say I've been so encouraged by everyone's support and knowing there are so many more people that are willing to garden with natives and wildlife in mind - you're certainly setting an example, well done! Best wishes, as always - Joel
@Daniela - couldn't agree more, absolutely :) Best wishes - Joel
yes, me too, I really hope and pray that the movement will continue and get momentum. I am going to share on my face book because that is about all I have for social media and my mouth at work...I work for a sub contractor for home depots in Charleston, South Carolina. I see so many people coming in to go to the pesticides to kill all weeds and kill all insects... yday some one asked me where the patches were to stick a snake she saw in her garage. I said over in carpet section, lol, no, just kidding. I said what do those things do you are looking for she said they stick the snake and he cant move and he will die. I said that snake was probably a rat snake looking for rats. she said oh, ok, I said it is all part of the eco system...that snake dont want you he wants a rat. anyway, she still got those stick pads I guess...I could not watch her. I had to go...I tried though. Goose Creek, South Carolina, Sherry :)
@@sherry-pz6yx Yep - some people just have a "man versus nature" mindset. They just want to obliterate every plant and creature they don't like😔
Brilliant information as usual Joel keep the videos coming! What about one on big habitat ideas? Or bug hotel builds no matter what size any would help the wildlife we have.
Hi Karlito - I filmed the building of a bug hotel for a client last year, I will try to collate the footage and make a video as soon as possible for you :) I still have about 50 videos to edit/create and upload.... Thanks so much for your continued interest and support, it makes a big difference! Best wishes - Joel
I made some communal (X3) sparrow boxes that can house 3 sparrow nests each a few years ago. As they haven't been used i must have put them in a place they didn't like, so I've moved them. Hopefully they'll get some attention this year😊
Hi there - firstly, thank you for the pond footage etc, I've tried twice to reply to your email but keep getting bounceback :/ all received though :) I must admit that having these terrace boxes a few years ago didn't seem to attract sparrows to all of the boxes, ie just one used out of the terrace of 3 - that's not to say they don't work but I've found that sometimes a single box, in amongst several others is preferred - that might just be in my garden though - let me know if you get more success, they will find them eventually and with more and more UPVC fascia about they'll certainly be grateful for these :) Best wishes - Joel
Hi Joel great video again have been planting some native wildflower in my front garden & going to put up some new bird boxes in the back garden in the next few days carrying on with the videos look forward to them so much.
Hi David - was going to email you tomorrow about a possible visit this Friday, I should be within an hour or so of you - look out for the email and I hope I'll be seeing these for myself shortly :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton
Hi Joel look forward to it 👍
Great points and advice. Something I will definitely put up will be bird boxes ( and a couple of trail cams😉) and as discussed keep some trunks and logs for the peckers and other small animals. Great video as always, Joel! Have a great week!
I can't wait to see the footage! Absolutely re the trunks and logs... I really can't wait to see this project get off the ground, so exciting! Best wishes - Joel
...to support their habits...those hedgehogs! hehe
Haha! :)
I studied with the RHS recently. Apparently their syllabus is changing but agree with you its way too tidy. I still have to force myself NOT to cut when my training told me to cut! LOL Its hard to unwind it all.
Glad to hear it Natasha, thank you - best wishes, Joel
Hedgehogs have been out in my garden through most of the winter, except for a few very cold weeks. I have two boxes and at least 4 residents. I keep them well fed. I notice with the increasingly milder winters that they will break hibernation a lot more.
Absolutely Chris, and it's thoughtful people like yourself that can make a life or death situation for them - thank you and best wishes, Joel
I love your videos and have made a wildlife pond based on one of your early ones. Please could you do a video on planting a wildlife hedge
Hi there Susan - I've done a couple of videos on the channel that might be of interest in the meantime, but I'll certainly keep this in mind of course, have circa 50 videos to still upload at the moment but I'll get to it :) Hope you've had a good weekend, and thank you so much for your support, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks, I’ll need to check back and have a look. I’ve got your book so can follow that but love watching as well. Sounds like you’re very busy at the moment though!
Loved the video
Thank you Tiago - appreciate your support :) Best wishes, Joel
My primroses looking fantastic this spring and I have cowslips coming on a treat .
Blue tits and coal tits have been investigating nest boxes last couple of weeks and the robins are nest building since the weekend here in Essex.
Hi Patrick - I'm in Essex too and have seen the blue-tits taking fine blades of grasses around the pond and disappearing and a pair of great tits in the garden today - hoping they're the ones that have nested for the last two years - one of them featured in this video :) We've certainly had a few lovely days of weather lately - best wishes, Joel
Great video, really helpful!
Thanks Joel.....I’m sooo NOT a winter gardener lol. I don’t give a toot if my garden is a jungle until spring 😉
We have loads of tiny frogs every year , so any info on how to make life easy for them would be great.......still not had time to sink our relocated pond yet 🙄🥴
I like your attitude Lynn :) That's so good to hear about the tiny frogs too, you must be doing something right, and it's the longer grasses, wood piles, and just a garden left naturally over the winter (as habitat would be in the wild) that is helping these frogs thrive in your garden - they don't generally "need" the ponds until breeding season which can be from January onwards depending on weather - but believe me I've seen frogspawn in an old ice cream container that someone had left out in their garden! Just in case you've not seen it before as it's a while ago now, but this video might be of interest
th-cam.com/video/RFmVjpSkl_I/w-d-xo.html
Best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton brilliant..thanks Joel 👍🐸
I’ve had a good display of crocuses in the boarders but the primroses that were plugs have not grown much in the shady area which I think it’s because the area was very water logged.
Thanks for the great video Joel 👌🏻
Hey George - can I ask when you planted these? If it was this Autumn, then they will need this coming season to establish fully - but don't give up hope yet. I hope to be able to see these in their situation real soon :) Best wishes and thanks for your continued encouragement - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. I planted them in late November. To be honest the area is so wet and probably the worst it’s been. Also my old dog has probably trodden on them.
So, you are telling me the Mrs C was wrong all those years when she nagged me to, 'put the garden to bed' in October? I'll be showing her this video - you can expect an email from her. Probably signed, "Irate from Aberdeen". :-). Good to be reminded.
First laugh of the day!! I'll look out for that email... (gulp!). Thanks ever so much Norman - best wishes to you AND Mrs C - Joel
found your channel the other day now trying to watch all your videos, I live in a rented house so what I can do is limited. I can put in a log pile some bird boxes , insect hotels, and a somewhere for the wildlife to drink from. information on which direction they all should face would be very helpful. thank you great channel.
So glad you found us! Thanks Steve, so much - really appreciated. Re the bird boxes, not in full sun so the chicks don't over-heat so it's best north and east, and south and west for insect hotels and bat boxes as they appreciate the heat and you'll attract more. Log piles can be almost anywhere, however they are preferable for common lizards in a sunny location as they can then bask to warm up, being cold-blooded. Please feel free to ask any questions when you have them, we have a great community on here but I try to answer every query :) Best wishes and let me know what visitors you get! Joel
Really useful video! I’ve ticked off 4 of these but need to think about the hedgehog highway one as my garden surrounded by a brick wall apart from a wooden gate. Maybe I’ll cut a hole under the gate! :) Also it would be nice to see monthly videos like this one where you give tips and hints of how to helpful garden wildlife in that month (April, May, June, etc) and what wildlife / plants we can look forward to hopefully seeing :)
…also, have had a pair of blue tits been checking out a nest box since mid January amazingly and I suspect they’ve even been roosting in there some nights! Exciting
Definitely make the space under the garden gate, this is how a lot of hedgehogs manage to access gardens :) All noted re the monthly videos, I can certainly attempt this - it's not like I'm not out and about all year round and able to relay stuff - fantastic about the blue tits, I'd lay a heavy bet that they'll be nesting in that box pretty soon :) thanks so much for your continued encouragement and support Sam, it's appreciated - best wishes - Joel
Absolutely great tips as always Joel! I've been trying to get people not to clean up their beds too early. It's a hard habit for people to break but I'll keep being the squeaky wheel.
Thank you Jerry :) Great advice and I understand completely about this "need" to have neat and tidy gardens, it's been a habit for so many years now but hopefully when people see the rewards in Spring for not being so tidy, they will change their minds - thank you for encouraging this - best wishes, Joel
Just been and bought two bird boxes. One for the robins and one for bluetits. I had thought about it yesterday before I saw your video. As for tidying up the garden I must admit I have been doing some every day that it's not raining. With a garden my size and the amount that needs doing It's a case of little and often. If I find anything I always move it to another part of the garden if the robins don't get to it first! I am moving towards no dig no till and hand weeding where possible. Still need lots more plants and now is the time to split perennials. I've been sewing lots of seeds as well. Have you got the video of the evening primrose opening? That would make a good 'short'.
Hi Karen! As usual, you're doing the right thing :) Great advice re checking what you do cut back and relocating it. That's a brilliant idea re the Evening Primrose, I still have the footage on my phone - just getting to grips with these "shorts" but it'll make fantastic short video, thank you :) Best wishes, Joel
I think you're doing just fine. Obviously shorts are just a taster for your longer videos.
Thank you Judith - I appreciate that - I just wanted to let people know that they weren't a replacement for the usual videos, I know some people were quite worried! Best wishes - Joel
I was planning to add a bird box box, but I'm lucky enough to have house martins nesting at the front of my house and robbins nesting in a climber at the back so I think I shouldn't add any thing so they aren't disturbed (I owe that all to the previous home owner). I'm worried I might ruin what I already have, am I best holding off for now, or would you recomend I try adding more? My back garden isn't big for a modern house.
House Martins.... HOUSE MARTINS! My favourite bird, you are so lucky to have these nesting and I'm so glad you moved to this house and are looking out for them too :) Robins are very territorial and the males will fight violently unfortunately, so best to entertain one pair at a time ;) With other species you can certainly add other boxes of course - best wishes - Joel
You may already have a video on this but could you please do a video on solitary bees and whether or not keeping bee hives for honey are actually beneficial. I have done some research and found that keeping honey bees may actually be bad for wild bees as they often spread disease and take wild bees pollen. Would really like a more definitive answer and would love to hear your opinion. 😊
Hi there - I would happily do this as soon as I get a chance to film something like this, I have had a few clients in the last 17 years that have kept bees, and in vast acres with sufficient pollinator planting to sustain not only their own bees but the wild ones too, but it's not something I come across regularly. You've probably come across the same information as me in the past though, and it can be a grey area - I do believe that keeping honeybees in urban areas can have a detrimental effect on wild bees, purely due to the lack of pollinating plants in gardens and areas that surround these hives, meaning of course that there is competition. This is just another reason for ensuring that our gardens are depleted of plastic lawns, plastic plants etc and instead filled with plants that are of benefit to wildlife, in my opinion these certainly look better than sterile gardens anyway but each to his own etc. I hope this helps somewhat in the meantime - best wishes, Joel
Would love your thoughts on how to protect wildlife/minimise the impact of pets (cats and dogs) for those of us that either have pets, or live in towns/cities. Are there steps we can take to reduce their impact?
I just noticed a load of purple Crocus blooming in what I refer to as my way back yard. I haven't seen any bees yet, unfortunately I have seen mosquitoes, I live on the shore in mosquito haven here in Maryland =^\
That sounds wonderful, except for the mosquitoes of course but I promise that the more habitats you provide for bats, birds, amphibians etc they'll certainly make an impact on numbers, well they do here in the UK anyway! Hope you're doing well - best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton
A few years ago our county put Dragonfly/Damselfly nymphes in the ditches, I thought the ones in my yard were from my pond. Then I realized no way were they all from my pond, it was like watching a swarm of bees. It was Great, I could actually enjoy being outside.
@@itsmewendeWhat a wonderful thing for the County to do! It's so good to read things like this :) So glad you got to see these in such large numbers - best wishes, Joel
I’m on an estate that’s being added to and my house was built 2014. There are no front gardens as such; just a tiny bit in order to put energy meters, drain covers and the like. The roads are the narrowest I’ve ever seen, I could practically shake my opposite neighbour’s hand from my window. There are lots of allocated residential car spaces inbetween the terraces and there are flimsy fences in the gardens rather than hedges. My back gate accesses my and my 3 neighbours’ car parking bays.
Why is it not law that new builds do not build with nature in mind? I’ve never seen a hedgehog around here and if I was allowed to cut a bit off the bottom of my housing association garden gate, none would come as they couldn’t navigate the narrow roads clogged with traffic not the car park areas. So sad.
Builders could also put up nest boxes as all waves are now plastic m, as well as putting some bricks in that have holes for bees.
At least there are trees on the estate!
I agree with everything you've said here Carolyn, you make the perfect argument here for why a little thought when planning can make a whole lot of difference to people who have to live in these areas, surely it's more costly to use concrete, tarmac etc than just planting some trees and other beneficial plants that can create a much better community feel. I am absolutely relieved that someone like you is living in this area and can no doubt spread the word and give an example of how we can all make a difference, however small and limited. Thank you so much, best wishes to you - Joel
I personally think you look great in shorts! But could it be even shorter to attract more gen z’ers? What about TH-cam “hotpants” = just 1,5 seconds where you shout the name of a pollinator friendly perennial into the camera?
Also I have an idea for a video (not a hotpants) where you talk about how we can know if our spring flowers actually attract pollinators or not? One could probably stand outside and watch the flowers but it’s super cold and I’d rather be inside watching youtube. I tried dusting flour around some snowdrops but didn’t get any pollinator footprints. I haven’t got a wildlife camera and the local neighbourhood watch group can’t be bothered apparently!
Haha! This comment did make me laugh (several times!) - that's a good idea re a video but not sure I could get suitable volunteers to take footage of the pollinators either... I'll have to look at my timetable again and see what I can achieve ;) Best wishes - Joel
😁 I’m a huge fan of your mission and videos (in any format) - BIG thanks for all the great content! I bought a place with only lawn and converted it into a garden for pollinators, butterflies, bugs, birds, snakes - any wildlife that wants to come: you helped inspire that. 10 bird boxes are going up this week. My next big plan is a pond 🤞
@@elsef6798 Thank you - I really do appreciate that :) So glad to have been of help, even more so that this means that more and more habitats are being created and you can't beat ten bird boxes for sure 👌keep me updated on the visitors that arrive :) Best wishes, and thanks again for your support - Joel
I got an injured mother squirrel at mo limping around my area . I hope she recovers . It’s heartbreaking watching her limp . Im trying to hand feed peanuts to her . I know the Vets don’t help them they put them down . Have you got any vids on injured wildlife and what to do. ?
Sorry to hear that Jeff - I've got 3 youngsters already raiding feeders, but hey they didn't swim here - they're here because of us humans, and yet are vilified (I know about them eating eggs and chicks etc but it's not just them) - anyway, although I don't personally know anyone that could help, I remembered these guys on Twitter - there seems to be a website at the top of their page, it might be helpful:
twitter.com/GreySquirrels1
The only videos I have are on the cuckoo I rescued and a hedgehog in middle of road... I do hope the above can help in some way though. Let me know how you get on - best wishes, and thanks for caring - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton i just went out to see her and she is improving 😃 I fed her up with loads of pea nuts and sunflower seeds . And the best bit she brought her new baby to see me . He was proper cute . She may of got injured defending the drey . I love grey squirrels . I got three I look after they let me stroke them and wait for me on the wall . One tried to follow me to Sainsbury’s the other week I had to turn back it’s funny I put it on my profile . He’s walking behind me down vauxhall bridge rd . Everyone was laughing on their way to work as if I go out locally they follow me everywhere lol . Thanks for the advice Joel 👍 I check out the link you sent. I know they are cheeky eating eggs but hey so do we lol
@@jefffleet9546 Heading over to have a look! :)
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I love the twitter account you linked me with it’s gonna be helpful cheers 👍
Hi Joel! So the gardener's around my area where I stay in Edinburgh are trimming back all the hedges at the moment. So from what I gathered they shouldn't be doing this right now since birds or other animals may be nesting in some of them right now?
Hi there - I believe that the official nesting season is from March to August, so right now in other words. It is an offence under Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 to intentionally take, damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or *being built*, or to intentionally kill, injure or take chicks or adults, or intentionally take or destroy any eggs. I have read that a nest constitutes ONE twig or branch being used to begin to build a nest, ie as soon as they have found a site and place that first piece of "building material", that constitutes a nest. The RSPB say "It is an intentional act, for example, if you or your neighbour know there is an active nest in the hedge and still cut the hedge, damaging or destroying the nest or contents in the process." - I hope this helps you try to explain to neighbours etc - the police have to enforce this by the way, not the RSPB and you can call them on 101 if need be. Good luck and thanks for raising this - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thanks for the quick reply Joel!! I sent an email to my neighbourhood committe, lets see what they say, but to be honest its just an ear-sore to hear the constant noise of the gardeners and I feel bad for any birds currently trying to nesting or wanting to nest in these hedges..
Hi Joel, dandelion time now, how could I stopped the farmer neighbours from spraying without insulting them.Can I put up a bee friendly sign?
Hi Aileen, this is a difficult one - I am not sure that there are that many farm "pests" about at the moment, in insect form but of course I'm not a farmer or have any detailed info on this - however, I have read this article before and it's really helpful and explains everything - the section on Neonicotinoids is an important part.
www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/policy-insight/agriculture-and-land-use/farming-land-use-and-nature/pesticides-and-fertilisers/wildlife/
I am pretty sure you could put up a bee-friendly sign or something similar, as long as it doesn't impede the work of farmers - maybe send them the link above if you can and ask what they think? I think dialogue is always the best way forward :) Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks so much 🙏
Hello, I recently bought a couple of bird boxes (one for tits and one for robins) and I’m struggling to find a suitable location for them. I think the only spot I can find is on the wall of my house. The will be out the reach of the cat and facing north ish. The only thing I’m wondering now is how far apart should I keep the boxes. Will a couple of feet be enough or is this going to cause problems… thanks a lot. Your videos are great.
Hi Scott - the tit boxes will want to be as far apart as possible - usually circa 15 metres to not cause territorial issues - but if you don't have that space on your house wall of course then I'd suggest one for now - and possibly one in the garden on a fence if you can manage it? With the Robin boxes if you have ivy or a climber, shrub growing then these are best around 4-6ft high, they will nest quite low down but of course the cat may find them so the more hidden/difficult you make the access the better. I do hope this helps - I'm here if you have any other questions, oh and north facing is fine as full sun will be detrimental to the chicks which may overheat. Best wishes, and thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement, they make all the difference :) Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thanks for the advice. I will bury the Robin box in the ivy and put the tit box on the house. I can imagine TH-cam can be quite thankless but your videos are really helpful so I’ll always give them a thumbs up. I saw your video regarding the shorts. I’d keep doing them, the point of them is they’re quicker and easier and will help gain more viewers. You can always go in to more detail on longer videos. You can’t please everyone every time! 😁
@@Deaconator1000 Hey Scott, I really appreciate you taking the time here, it can indeed feel like a thankless task at times but I think the channel is rather "niche" in that it is varied - if that makes sense! It's not just how to build a pond, but why, and I try to feature different landscapes, different gardens but all with the theme of wildlife and the help it desperately needs right now - I've been designing and installing wildlife gardens for 17 years now and in the beginning it was difficult even to encourage people to put up a bird box, but over the years I've become so encouraged by the amount of people considering the wildlife and that gardening in this way brings so many rewards. And this applies to the channel too, it was a slow start but I hope people see the bigger picture and we have a great community on here - I'm really grateful for your kind words and encouragement :) Best wishes - Joel
Sadly I cut my herbaceous plants back last year apart ….will know better for next year !
It's ok Nikki, don't feel too bad - we all learn something on this channel, me included :) Hope you're having a good weekend - best wishes, Joel
Love it but noise pollution
Glad you enjoyed it - wish I could have more time to rehearse and make these videos in more suitable locations, but workload at the moment means my time is tight, I'm assuming you mean the shooting intermittently in the background? Farmers keeping pigeons off I think :/ Best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton its not your fault. It is just sad that its becoming a huge problem i see in our world. I meant the sound of cars. I cant enjoy my garden because of the loud cars.
@@ronniefurbs I know what you mean! I see now re the cars, I kind of get used to it when out and about but I know how much it can spoil enjoying the peace of a garden, our problems here seem to be mopeds and teenagers! ;) We really noticed the difference during the lockdown periods of course - Best wishes - Joel
Don't apologise, its your channel, do it the way you vwant, but don't say all the boring admin stuff at the beginning of your vids. I had to skip 3 mins before you actually get to the video.
Thank you :) Sorry you found the beginning boring on this occasion but most of my videos are filmed on an ad-hoc basis and I felt it was the only chance I'd get to acknowledge people's recent comments and worries re the "shorts" etc - all that's done now though thankfully - I really wish TH-cam could be my day job but then I'd have no content to relay if I wasn't out and about creating the habitats :) Best wishes - Joel