I love this plant I have it in my little garden as well as borage 😊 I use recycled cut up old yogurt pots as labels the curve helps with keeping it at the edge of round pots, if it helps anyone with cheap sturdy pot labels 🙂
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton they do we get alot of bee's wasps and hoverflies too, we even get hoverflie larvae in our nature pond. And thanks recycling is definitely the way 😊
Your channel is really helpful. I’ve recently moved into a house with an empty garden. After watching your videos, I’ve ordered gorse and verbena seeds to wild it up! Can’t wait to get some more plants in there! Thanks so much for these videos!
You're so very welcome Tetsu - I hope that the channel helps you to create even more habitats and planting that will help those creatures so desperately in need right now. I really appreciate your encouragement and support, and knowing the channel is helpful makes everything worthwhile - if you go to the "videos" section on the homepage you should find everything you need, plus 2 video uploads a week :) Thank you, and best wishes - Joel
Thanks Joel. My husband has just started growing seeds (his gardening journey is just beginning), so far radish (of course!), cosmos (a favourite of snails it seems) and rudbekia. Going to ask him to sow honesty next for next year! Hope you and your family are doing well and things are quietening down a bit for you workwise.
Hello :) I seem to have had more slug and snail visitors than usual lately, other half keeps bringing the tender young plugs inside to the kitchen overnight to thwart them! ;) I absolutely love Honesty, and so do Orange Tip Butterflies who sometimes lay on this plant. Everyone's doing well, although the work side hasn't quietened down, not that I am complaining in the least - filming with Ch5 again tomorrow, just finishing some admin then I've got to drive to Yorkshire ready for tomorrow - this year has certainly flown by. Best wishes to you both, Joel
I sown this Verbena in April and just potted them up individually as they were about 2 inches tall. I think they’re fast growers and I’m hoping for flowers this year. I sown a wild flower mix months ago and they’re all in pots. The borage us very dominant and gorgeous. I have been taking photos of the different insects the wild flowers have been attracting. The first were the early bees and the Orange tip butterfly. All new to me. I’m truly hooked now 🐝👌🐞
Hello :) That's one of the great reasons to garden for wildlife and to provide nectar sources, the amazing visitors you get in reward for your efforts - it sounds wonderful and I'm so glad you're hooked, I hope the channel continues to prove helpful - best wishes, Joel
I’ve done exactly the same as you Butterfly. 😀 Sown Verbena in the spring and I’ve potted them on into individual fibre pots and they’re now in the ground. I’ve sown wildflower seeds in pots and the Borage that I also sowed in spring is now thriving, strong and healthy and about to bloom. I also take a lot of photos in the garden of all the wildlife that the plants bring in. The satisfaction is immense and I’m also hooked 😀
Hi Joel... love your 'heh.. heh' laugh in between! I watch your videos mostly.. to see you! Goodlooking gardener.. who is so interested in what he is doing! ❤
Thank you! I don't have scripts for any of these videos unfortunately and usually do them when there is the opportunity, whether in the garden (not so many opportunities these days) or out and about or at client's gardens etc. I'm glad you're enjoying the channel - best wishes, Joel
❣️❣️❣️ I feel loved!! I don't think I have ever had the sprayer out with one of my kids in the yard that I didn't give them a little spritz!!! LOL Another gorgeous flower to look into!!!
Haha! How ARE you?! So sorry for the delay, I was away in Scotland and thinking of you when I was taking some video footage, can't wait to upload it all and for you to see the beauty, also had absolutely fabulous weather there - was visiting clients and their pond that I created a few years ago - will upload the videos soon, just trying to upload the garden video for early June and it's taking AGES! Best wishes, Joel
This really is a wonderful plant, it tolerates extremely dry conditions and due to having very sparse leaves causes very little visual intrusion in the flower beds, the flowers, suspended as they are 3ft off the ground offer nectar all summer long to Swallowtails and Fritillary's in our garden, and where it self seeds in the limestone driveways it looks really nice, another good thing about this plant is that it is not beaten down by the wind, so if it is growing against a wall or fence, it survives very high winds, unlike many other tall growing plants like Chimney Bellfower, which end up , bent over in the slightest wind, a good source of plant labels is the white plastic that Ice Cream containers are made from. Stay safe ! Chris B.
I simply adore this plant, not only does it look totally stunning, it attracts those adorable pollinators. I've got some seeds ready and waiting for next year, along with some salvia, oxeye daisy and some creeping rose gypsophila. Cant wait to bring these to life, is it next year yet? :) Thank you for sharing this lovely video:)
Absolutely great information. I’m roughly nine weeks from my expected last frost date, and I’m getting LOTS of seedlings started in my basement under grow lights! Bonus about the borage: amongst many pollinators it attracts and parasitic wasps which naturally keep tomato hornworms in check from devouring my vegetables! Thanks again for all you do, Joel. -John 😁
Hi John :) Thanks so much, I didn't know about the hornworms, I knew about the parasitic wasps (they concentrate on butterfly caterpillars here :/ ) but not about them keeping the hornworms in check - nature really is fantastic - best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Excellent video. Just planted couple of Verbena about a month ago. I’m hoping they will self seed around the garden, but after seeing this video I’m going to collect some of the seed in autumn for sowing next spring 🐝
They are so good - they can be at the back, middle or even front of a border as they are so tall and delicate that they do not hide other plants but appear in between :)
I place the cells inside a clear polythene bag after sowing to stop evaporation which happens quickly with these cells, once germinated remove. I would have made sure compost mix was a bit more moist before filling cells for the reasons already given. Enjoyed the video thanks.
Thank you Christopher, I appreciate this - we have a great community here on this channel and always welcome additional advice, thanks for being a part of it :) I hope the channel is helpful to you, best wishes - Joel
Thank you :) Verbena usually takes really well, I definitely recommend a few seeds to each plug pot, although unless you have a magnifying glass and a hell of a lot of time, you can plant them individually ;) Hope you and yours are doing well - best wishes - Joel
Only had one last year and got to watch a group of goldfinches trying to land on it and eat the seeds, they managed it even though it was bent nearly in half.. will be growing a lot more this year as they looked great, the original one is already waking up with new leaves , hoping for no late frosts..
It's a fantastic plant isn't it and it's structure allows you to see many different insects enjoying it and of course as you rightly point out, perfect for goldfinches in winter. Glad you'll be hosting more of this - you'll be rewarded :) Best wishes, Joel
Hi! Advice please, my seeds have only just germinated nearly 6 weeks later on june 20th, will these be ok to plant out once more established or is this too late in the year?
Any thoughts on the seeds needing a cold snap to aid germination (stratification)? I collected seeds from my plants in autumn and sowed these inside two weeks ago but have not seen any signs of germination 😬
Hi there Amaan, cold stratification won't harm them, I have lots that reseed themselves in the garden and they obviously go through a cold snap. But again I've not stratified any I've grown from seed. The seeds should be exposed to 24 degrees and up for them to germinate so don't give up yet, some can take 3-4 weeks for germination. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel. All it takes to regain confidence in my sowing skills is reassurance by an expert like you! I'll make sure to count the butterflies on them in summer 👍🏼
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. Many thanks for the reassurance. 4 months later I have got some 15 seedlings from a 24 cell tray with some already reaching 6 inches. It was a long wait though, and I'm still wondering whether I planted some of the seeds too deep. I should test it next year if I get the chance 🤔
Haha - it's an old sign, reproduction from the late 1800s I believe, taken from an original advertisement - apparently these pills could cure all kinds of things! ;) It's been down in the garden greenhouse for years now - best wishes, Joel
I've been experimenting with germinating seeds for the first time this year with pretty good success; so here's a few tips that should help some viewing this channel: *1.* Germination doesn't need light, just moisture and a minimum temperature. I've found it's OK to put a cover or a plastic bag over a seed tray to retain moisture until it germinates. The temperature has a massive influence upon the rate of germination which typically took approx 2-3 weeks in May at 15C average , 1 week in June at 22C average. *2.* Once Germination has started, it's important that the germinated seeds are accustomed to the real physical environment as quickly as possible without putting too much stress on them initially. So put the tray beside a window for a few days, then a shaded, sheltered spot in the garden, moving to sunnier spots over a week. The important thing to see is the stem losing its fragile whiteness while continuing to grow with adequate watering. I was caught off guard planting some sun flower seeds in the expectation they'd take about 2 weeks min to germinate. After a week the seedlings had grown five centimetres with weak stems because I hadn't been fast enough in exposing them to light. Fortunately, they've recovered and are now doing OK.
Hi, sorry for the delay with my response, just trying to catch up with all the notifications :) I've not managed to upload an update yet on this but I hope in the meantime the other videos are helpful for you - best wishes, Joel
Looking forward to it. I’m having a terrible time germinating it and for those that have germinated I’m wondering at what height I should transplant? Any info is so greatly appreciated 😁
@@nothingpersonal878 Hi there - they can take around 3 weeks to germinate, as you have probably already found out and they can be sporadic - when the seeds are a good size to handle, transplant each one into 7.5cm pots. Gradually harden off the plants and plant them outside when all risk of frosts have passed, which in the UK should be fine from now on :) Hope this is helpful - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for your quick reply Joel. Hoping to see some action on soon on a tray I started 2.23. Absolutely terrible germination rate on my 288 tray, only 32 cells have germinated. Good things come to those who wait I suppose 😅 have a great day
@@nothingpersonal878 That's a good philosophy and try to think of it as 32 new Verbena plants, your efforts will be rewarded with many grateful visitors I am sure. Have a great weekend - best wishes, Joel
Hi Gaz, sorry to hear that. Verbena Bonariensis are wonderful, they can go at the front, back, middle of a border and are rather polite to other plants in not encroaching or providing detrimental shade despite their height. Sorry for the plug, but if you needed some plants for this summer, we do have this species on www.wildyourgarden.com - but I'd recommend it from seed too of course :) Best wishes, Joel
I've already sown some of these, not 100% germination but i should have enough for what I need. Your guidance on caring for these plants and others will be invaluable. Some plants I will put in the garden some in pots, will I need to feed these?
Hi Keith - I don't think they will need feeding, it doesn't harm them but a lot of flowers like a pretty barren place, particularly wildflowers - but if you need to feed I would recommend in the autumn. Best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel, I remembered native wildflowers like infertile soil, but seems counter intuitive that they don't need nutrients from somewhere. I won't feed and see how they get on. Another thing I wonder about is whether any of the wildflowers can have their flowering season extended by dead heading.
Hi Keith - yes, most will give off more flowers - ones I can think of off the top of my head.... Red Campion, Oxeye, Red Valerian, Knapweed etc :) I know what you mean about the nutrients, if they are planted in a border then they will make the most of them, in a wild meadow setting it's more to keep the grasses in check and to enable the flowers to thrive :) Best wishes, Joel
I love this plant I have it in my little garden as well as borage 😊 I use recycled cut up old yogurt pots as labels the curve helps with keeping it at the edge of round pots, if it helps anyone with cheap sturdy pot labels 🙂
Great idea - recycling is the way :) I bet the bees are flocking to the borage, a huge favourite of theirs - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton they do we get alot of bee's wasps and hoverflies too, we even get hoverflie larvae in our nature pond. And thanks recycling is definitely the way 😊
Your channel is really helpful. I’ve recently moved into a house with an empty garden. After watching your videos, I’ve ordered gorse and verbena seeds to wild it up! Can’t wait to get some more plants in there! Thanks so much for these videos!
You're so very welcome Tetsu - I hope that the channel helps you to create even more habitats and planting that will help those creatures so desperately in need right now. I really appreciate your encouragement and support, and knowing the channel is helpful makes everything worthwhile - if you go to the "videos" section on the homepage you should find everything you need, plus 2 video uploads a week :) Thank you, and best wishes - Joel
Thanks Joel. My husband has just started growing seeds (his gardening journey is just beginning), so far radish (of course!), cosmos (a favourite of snails it seems) and rudbekia. Going to ask him to sow honesty next for next year! Hope you and your family are doing well and things are quietening down a bit for you workwise.
Hello :) I seem to have had more slug and snail visitors than usual lately, other half keeps bringing the tender young plugs inside to the kitchen overnight to thwart them! ;) I absolutely love Honesty, and so do Orange Tip Butterflies who sometimes lay on this plant. Everyone's doing well, although the work side hasn't quietened down, not that I am complaining in the least - filming with Ch5 again tomorrow, just finishing some admin then I've got to drive to Yorkshire ready for tomorrow - this year has certainly flown by. Best wishes to you both, Joel
I sown this Verbena in April and just potted them up individually as they were about 2 inches tall. I think they’re fast growers and I’m hoping for flowers this year.
I sown a wild flower mix months ago and they’re all in pots. The borage us very dominant and gorgeous. I have been taking photos of the different insects the wild flowers have been attracting. The first were the early bees and the Orange tip butterfly. All new to me. I’m truly hooked now 🐝👌🐞
Hello :) That's one of the great reasons to garden for wildlife and to provide nectar sources, the amazing visitors you get in reward for your efforts - it sounds wonderful and I'm so glad you're hooked, I hope the channel continues to prove helpful - best wishes, Joel
I’ve done exactly the same as you Butterfly. 😀 Sown Verbena in the spring and I’ve potted them on into individual fibre pots and they’re now in the ground. I’ve sown wildflower seeds in pots and the Borage that I also sowed in spring is now thriving, strong and healthy and about to bloom. I also take a lot of photos in the garden of all the wildlife that the plants bring in. The satisfaction is immense and I’m also hooked 😀
Hi Joel... love your 'heh.. heh' laugh in between! I watch your videos mostly.. to see you! Goodlooking gardener.. who is so interested in what he is doing! ❤
Thank you! I don't have scripts for any of these videos unfortunately and usually do them when there is the opportunity, whether in the garden (not so many opportunities these days) or out and about or at client's gardens etc. I'm glad you're enjoying the channel - best wishes, Joel
❣️❣️❣️ I feel loved!! I don't think I have ever had the sprayer out with one of my kids in the yard that I didn't give them a little spritz!!! LOL Another gorgeous flower to look into!!!
Haha! How ARE you?! So sorry for the delay, I was away in Scotland and thinking of you when I was taking some video footage, can't wait to upload it all and for you to see the beauty, also had absolutely fabulous weather there - was visiting clients and their pond that I created a few years ago - will upload the videos soon, just trying to upload the garden video for early June and it's taking AGES! Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I can just imagine!!! From the pictures etc. I've seen Scotland is breathtaking!!
This really is a wonderful plant, it tolerates extremely dry conditions and due to having very sparse leaves causes very little visual intrusion in the flower beds, the flowers, suspended as they are 3ft off the ground offer nectar all summer long to Swallowtails and Fritillary's in our garden, and where it self seeds in the limestone driveways it looks really nice, another good thing about this plant is that it is not beaten down by the wind, so if it is growing against a wall or fence, it survives very high winds, unlike many other tall growing plants like Chimney Bellfower, which end up , bent over in the slightest wind, a good source of plant labels is the white plastic that Ice Cream containers are made from. Stay safe ! Chris B.
Excellent thank you for the information very much appreciated
I simply adore this plant, not only does it look totally stunning, it attracts those adorable pollinators.
I've got some seeds ready and waiting for next year, along with some salvia, oxeye daisy and some creeping rose gypsophila. Cant wait to bring these to life, is it next year yet? :)
Thank you for sharing this lovely video:)
Absolutely great information. I’m roughly nine weeks from my expected last frost date, and I’m getting LOTS of seedlings started in my basement under grow lights!
Bonus about the borage: amongst many pollinators it attracts and parasitic wasps which naturally keep tomato hornworms in check from devouring my vegetables!
Thanks again for all you do, Joel. -John 😁
Hi John :) Thanks so much, I didn't know about the hornworms, I knew about the parasitic wasps (they concentrate on butterfly caterpillars here :/ ) but not about them keeping the hornworms in check - nature really is fantastic - best wishes to you and yours - Joel
Excellent video. Just planted couple of Verbena about a month ago. I’m hoping they will self seed around the garden, but after seeing this video I’m going to collect some of the seed in autumn for sowing next spring 🐝
The Verbena flower is such a pretty color :)
They are so good - they can be at the back, middle or even front of a border as they are so tall and delicate that they do not hide other plants but appear in between :)
I place the cells inside a clear polythene bag after sowing to stop evaporation which happens quickly with these cells, once germinated remove. I would have made sure compost mix was a bit more moist before filling cells for the reasons already given. Enjoyed the video thanks.
Thank you Christopher, I appreciate this - we have a great community here on this channel and always welcome additional advice, thanks for being a part of it :) I hope the channel is helpful to you, best wishes - Joel
Brilliant work Joel made it look so easy 🐸💚🐸
Thank you :) Verbena usually takes really well, I definitely recommend a few seeds to each plug pot, although unless you have a magnifying glass and a hell of a lot of time, you can plant them individually ;) Hope you and yours are doing well - best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thanks Joel 🐸💚🐸
Great video and great demonstration. Love those seed trays Joel.. what a great idea. 👍🙂
Only had one last year and got to watch a group of goldfinches trying to land on it and eat the seeds, they managed it even though it was bent nearly in half.. will be growing a lot more this year as they looked great, the original one is already waking up with new leaves , hoping for no late frosts..
It's a fantastic plant isn't it and it's structure allows you to see many different insects enjoying it and of course as you rightly point out, perfect for goldfinches in winter. Glad you'll be hosting more of this - you'll be rewarded :) Best wishes, Joel
I find VB is also very easy to take cuttings from (here in Oz).
Hi! Advice please, my seeds have only just germinated nearly 6 weeks later on june 20th, will these be ok to plant out once more established or is this too late in the year?
Can you/should you do the Chelsea chop to Verbena? Thanks.
Any thoughts on the seeds needing a cold snap to aid germination (stratification)? I collected seeds from my plants in autumn and sowed these inside two weeks ago but have not seen any signs of germination 😬
Hi there Amaan, cold stratification won't harm them, I have lots that reseed themselves in the garden and they obviously go through a cold snap. But again I've not stratified any I've grown from seed. The seeds should be exposed to 24 degrees and up for them to germinate so don't give up yet, some can take 3-4 weeks for germination. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel. All it takes to regain confidence in my sowing skills is reassurance by an expert like you! I'll make sure to count the butterflies on them in summer 👍🏼
Please do Amaan, I am so glad it was helpful. Do let me know about the butterflies. Best of luck :) Thank you
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. Many thanks for the reassurance. 4 months later I have got some 15 seedlings from a 24 cell tray with some already reaching 6 inches. It was a long wait though, and I'm still wondering whether I planted some of the seeds too deep. I should test it next year if I get the chance 🤔
Thanks
When did you plant them, what is the best month to sow?
Found answer lol at end of vid
What's the story about that Nervous Pills poster? :)
Haha - it's an old sign, reproduction from the late 1800s I believe, taken from an original advertisement - apparently these pills could cure all kinds of things! ;) It's been down in the garden greenhouse for years now - best wishes, Joel
what is the best month to sow for plans this year?
Any time from now until April and they will come up this year for you :) Hope this helps, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton cheers man
I've been experimenting with germinating seeds for the first time this year with pretty good success; so here's a few tips that should help some viewing this channel:
*1.* Germination doesn't need light, just moisture and a minimum temperature. I've found it's OK to put a cover or a plastic bag over a seed tray to retain moisture until it germinates. The temperature has a massive influence upon the rate of germination which typically took approx 2-3 weeks in May at 15C average , 1 week in June at 22C average.
*2.* Once Germination has started, it's important that the germinated seeds are accustomed to the real physical environment as quickly as possible without putting too much stress on them initially. So put the tray beside a window for a few days, then a shaded, sheltered spot in the garden, moving to sunnier spots over a week. The important thing to see is the stem losing its fragile whiteness while continuing to grow with adequate watering.
I was caught off guard planting some sun flower seeds in the expectation they'd take about 2 weeks min to germinate. After a week the seedlings had grown five centimetres with weak stems because I hadn't been fast enough in exposing them to light. Fortunately, they've recovered and are now doing OK.
Looking for the update on this.
Hi, sorry for the delay with my response, just trying to catch up with all the notifications :) I've not managed to upload an update yet on this but I hope in the meantime the other videos are helpful for you - best wishes, Joel
Looking forward to it. I’m having a terrible time germinating it and for those that have germinated I’m wondering at what height I should transplant? Any info is so greatly appreciated 😁
@@nothingpersonal878 Hi there - they can take around 3 weeks to germinate, as you have probably already found out and they can be sporadic - when the seeds are a good size to handle, transplant each one into 7.5cm pots. Gradually harden off the plants and plant them outside when all risk of frosts have passed, which in the UK should be fine from now on :) Hope this is helpful - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for your quick reply Joel. Hoping to see some action on soon on a tray I started 2.23. Absolutely terrible germination rate on my 288 tray, only 32 cells have germinated. Good things come to those who wait I suppose 😅 have a great day
@@nothingpersonal878 That's a good philosophy and try to think of it as 32 new Verbena plants, your efforts will be rewarded with many grateful visitors I am sure. Have a great weekend - best wishes, Joel
The scent of Lavender really effects my wife so I’ve been looking for a good substitute (appearance and bee-friendliness wise) This is a perennial?
Hi Gaz, sorry to hear that. Verbena Bonariensis are wonderful, they can go at the front, back, middle of a border and are rather polite to other plants in not encroaching or providing detrimental shade despite their height. Sorry for the plug, but if you needed some plants for this summer, we do have this species on www.wildyourgarden.com - but I'd recommend it from seed too of course :) Best wishes, Joel
Sorry - I forgot, yes it's a perennial :)
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel, thanks that’s great. I’ll check them out and put in an order. Thanks 👍
Like 20 nice information brob
I've already sown some of these, not 100% germination but i should have enough for what I need. Your guidance on caring for these plants and others will be invaluable. Some plants I will put in the garden some in pots, will I need to feed these?
Thank you for your support - means a lot :)
Hi Keith - I don't think they will need feeding, it doesn't harm them but a lot of flowers like a pretty barren place, particularly wildflowers - but if you need to feed I would recommend in the autumn. Best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks Joel, I remembered native wildflowers like infertile soil, but seems counter intuitive that they don't need nutrients from somewhere. I won't feed and see how they get on. Another thing I wonder about is whether any of the wildflowers can have their flowering season extended by dead heading.
Hi Keith - yes, most will give off more flowers - ones I can think of off the top of my head.... Red Campion, Oxeye, Red Valerian, Knapweed etc :) I know what you mean about the nutrients, if they are planted in a border then they will make the most of them, in a wild meadow setting it's more to keep the grasses in check and to enable the flowers to thrive :) Best wishes, Joel
Vipers bugloss is also fantastic for the bee's....