Best advice I ever got when looking for new plants in a garden centre was having a look at which have insects buzzing around them then pick those! That being said, I do have 4 of the 5 you've mentioned and thoroughly agree that the bees and butterflies love them.
Yes - me too. Makes one feel awful about buying them and taking them away, but we know garden centres are stacked high and ready to provide more, but I did look at some that I didn't expect to be beneficial and saw bees on them, and as you say that's enough of a selling point for me :) Best wishes, Joel
I've given up trying to plant anything in our garden other than native trees because apart from a handful of plants they just die. Instead, I've gone for no-mow borders and allowed the wildflowers to grow. Guilty of what most would call a scruffy wildlife garden (looks beautiful to me) which gets sneered at but I don't care as all I see is life. Our soil is now full of microbes and insects, and the tawny mining bees love the bare soil with the leaf protection that the ground ivy provides in the natural borders. There is an abundance of hedgehogs visiting (they love the pots as woodlice hide underneath), and garden birds foraging and doing pest control for me. The only downside is cats love the natural habitat too. With a dead cherry tree still standing, lots of log and brick piles, dwarf fruit trees, native trees, and pots filled with wildlife-friendly flowers, it's teaming with so much life and I love to watch and see how wildlife uses it. Just missing a pond but not sure where to put it as our garden is small.
I was starting to feel rather sorry for you when reading your post.... and then quickly realised that your garden sounds like a heaven (let alone a haven!) for a lot of creatures so desperately in need. Really great to read about everything you're doing. If you haven't seen already, there is a video on the channel "wildlife barrel pond" and I talk about these in tonight's video. A barrel pond is a really good way of providing a vital source of water. Hope this helps, and keep doing what you're doing as you're clearly being rewarded :) Best wishes, Joel
Echinops artic glow is amazing. Last year the amount of nectar these plants extruded was incredible. I actually licked them like a lollipop in the morning sun so so sweet. Hoverflies particularly loved them. If you want an ornamental plus nature beneficial I can’t recommend them enough.
The slow motion footage of the hairy footed flower is simply amazing, I could watch that all day. Really hoping to see orange tipped butterflies in the garden this year, last spring I planted Honesty, Garlic Mustard and Cuckoo Flower, so I’m hoping that does the trick 🐝
Hey Mark - I would be very surprised if you don't get a visit about now, or over the next few weeks of an Orange Tip or probably more, you've certainly planted the right plants. Not sure if you ever saw this but I did manage to film two males trying to mate with an already-mated female in slo-mo last year. When the female raises her abdomen it's to prevent other males from trying once she has been mated. You can see it all in this short video: th-cam.com/video/iPuY-9GzJZM/w-d-xo.html Best wishes, Joel
You are spot on with the Verbena bonariensis as a winner! They are covered in insects all Summer, but one thing I have found is that plant species which are a good insect attractant in one country ,are not necessarily good in your counties garden , the Mexican Sunflower,(Tithonia), is an example, they work well in USA, but I find very few insects attracted to them here in France, but the Lavender and Bonariensis are winners in my garden, and they are very easy to bulk up with cuttings, if you have dry stone walls the Hoary Stock,(Mathiola incana), is really easily established by beating the dead flower seed pods against the wall, they attract many Swallowtails and other insects and thrive in dry conditions. Stay safe! Chris B.
Thanks to all your advice, in the last couple of years my little terrace is thriving with life, just noticed ladybugs and geckos are back again😊 and looking at them is so heart-warming.
How wonderful Tiziana, that's great to read and I am so pleased that the channel has been helpful, but more pleased that you are already being rewarded with grateful visitors - well done! Best wishes - Joel
They're really quick Charlotte, they alight upon the new buds or stems of their host plants and lay one egg, then they're off to the next - I will try to put a clip in when I edit/post the video tonight, already filmed this morning in the front garden but I'll definitely be sharing more footage of how these beautiful insects work, and more importantly what they need :) I was so amazed to watch the footage back after I filmed her, they're so quick that it's hard to see, but I must have watched that footage 5 times in a row when first saw her doing that :) Best wishes, Joel
The problem with Nepeta is it attracts cats, which are not wildlife friendly. Salvias are closely related and don't attract them so that's a great alternative. I might be biased in liking them, I currently have 15 varieties of Salvia and hope to get more by the weekend. My favourite is 'Hot Lips' which starts flowering in May and carries on until the first frosts, usually in November. It is loved by both Bees and Moths (yet more bias for it).
If it's any consolation my local area is full of cats, including one of my own. I've got a whole load of nepeta (didn't realise how big it would get!). Strangely the cats don't come into the garden any more than they used to, but do of course like the Nepeta once they're in the garden.
I’m lucky that my local feral cats aren’t attracted to my nepeta. My problem is that they stalk at my bird feeders and bird baths… Love salvias! My favorite is “black and blue”. It is a (ruby-throated) hummingbird magnet! 😊
@@Lacking_something I saw fewer cats when I took out my Nepeta, but now I have a pond there are more as it's become a meeting spot for the entire neighbourhood's cats which come for a drink and to chase my frogs.
@@twotonenavy I wish I could attract Hummingbirds to my garden, it might be tricky on this side of the pond. I'm quite content with the Moths that come to mine.
We have four cats, none of which are remotely interested in our nepetas! We've even tried to introduce them to it, but they couldn't care less. Oh and no, they don't harm the wildlife either, unless you count chasing the odd midge across the lawn.
I think it's important to experiment with some plants from different environments in our constructed urban landscapes. For example a lot of the natives to my area are forest plants, and the forest is gone, so it's hard to find spots where they can still survive. So I plant more of the prairie species and species from hotter/rockier areas that are native to adjacent ecoregions. We also have to jam more resources into smaller areas nowadays. So while it's important to plant as many native bread and butter species as you can, if you can find a non-native that is actually providing more in your unique location/microclimate I think that is worth exploring -- and possibly necessary with our changing climate.
Absolutely this Hayley! It's about us providing mini-habitats and places of respite and food in our own greenspaces whilst the larger organisations "sort" the bigger picture - wildlife needs our help right now and has done for many years, so doing what we can in our own individual spaces really will help immediately. Brilliant comment and important points - thank you. Best wishes, Joel
Perfect timing with this one Joel as I am looking to update some flower borders and want to do as much as I can to encourage the pollinators. A lovely video 😊 that footage of the hairy footed flower bee, a real treat!
So pleased that this was helpful Amir and I'm really chuffed that you'll be encouraging even more wildlife to that wonderful allotment - and hoping that you set an example and others follow :) Lots more plant updates to come when I do the tour of the front garden but it does feature in tonight's video. Thanks again for all your support and encouragement, best wishes - Joel
wow, that bee footage is absolutely incredible!! my all-time favourite flowering plant has to be the wallflower, erysimum, but I prefer the orange and yellow varieties as they have larger flowers that pack a punch even on a bleak, frosty day in March. they smell so sweet, attract all manner of beneficial insects, self seed, and are also evergreen for me in Ireland. you can’t ask for much more, in my opinion! I’ve even seen ladybirds overwintering in the dense foliage. my second favourite for wildlife is fennel, which was the host plant for many ladybirds last year, and I love seeing those bright yellow umbellifers 6 feet high. I’m very keen to see what you recommend for shady spots as I’m redoing my shady spots this spring.
Thank you - I had watched her for a little while and so difficult to see what she was doing as they're SO quick and dart about. Remembered the slo-mo feature on my phone and thought I'd try to capture her, was so pleased to see what she was actually doing :) Best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel, I thank you for imparting your knowledge of botany, bugs and birds to us. I jotted down your recommendations for your top-five perennials that attract wildlife (all with, as you called them, "pinky purple" flowers). As the owner of a yard shrouded by neighboring trees, I look forward to your upcoming video on recommended plants for shady borders. Again, Joel, thanks! Yours, -Mark Porter-
I am chuffed to say i have all those flowers. Not last year, but year before i had a big flock of gold finches feeding on my verbena seeds! I also saw the yesterday feeding on dandelion seeds! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i have cats. So i plant my nepeta in hanging baskets! The bee was gorgeous!
Hello! So good to hear about the gold finches, they really do love the seed heads of so many plants and I'm glad they are finding extra food in your garden, and when they visit that you are rewarded for the way you consider them. Nepeta in a hanging basket... that's a great idea :) I had watched the bee for a minute or so before trying to film on my phone, when I watched it back on a bigger screen that's when I saw what she was doing. Amazing :) Best wishes, and thank you - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Yes we spent most of today in the garden planting insect friendly plants including Heather's and watched as bees started setting up a hive under a paving slab right beside the new plants. Nature is amazing 👍👍
Thank you Ricky - was sitting and watching her for a minute or so, but they move quickly, and it wasn't until I decided to use the slo-mo option on my phone and then watch it back, that I saw what she was doing. So very endearing once you see how much effort these little creatures make and how very important they are to us. Best wishes, Joel
Very helpful Joel, all lovely plants some of which I have. I think the Lavender you showed will thrive in the UK, but here in Portugal it is really struggling.Such a dry Winter and Spring ,there is little in flower. A lovely green lavender seems to be ok however.
Hi Tracey, I know you know already what works, but if you need any help or recommendations with any of the plants always feel free to drop me a line at enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and I'm happy to help, always. Best wishes, and thank you for all your encouragement and support over these last few years. I really hope I can pop in and see you this year and do a video with you about your own fantastic garden. Best wishes, Joel
In Kansas, USA I find a lot of Walker's Low catmint on the market. I can attest that it attracts loads of bees and while it stays under 18” it gets about 3 feet wide so give it plenty of room. Three other plants that I've found attract tons of insects are chives, lamb's ear (when it blooms,) and October Sky Asters. I've sure lots of fall asters work but that's the one in my garden.
To see her in slow motion really was incredible - I'd been watching her for a little while but they're so fast and it wasn't until I watched it back that I saw what she was doing - just had to share it with you all :) Best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel. Good to see you. I've got a lot of Hebes in my garden which were already here when I moved in. I have to say that when in flower they're absolutely swarming with Bees.
Hey Rob! So good to hear from you. Hebes... I have two in my garden, pretty old now and didn't fair too well last year, but they're excellent for so many insects. Native or not, some plants/shrubs really do prove their worth to hungry insects who aren't too fussed where these plants originated - I'm not talking invasives of course - but they're such a vital nectar source for so many, particularly when our native wildflowers are in decline. Hope you and yours are well, best wishes - Joel
Another great purple pollinator perrenial is comfrey, I don't know if you've mentioned it in your videos before but once it pops up in our garden, it is covered in bees, I think the same goes for all plants in the echium-borage family!
Oh yes, Comfrey - there are a lot of other plants I am trying to film and talk about so that people have a vast choice, but Comfrey and Borage are definitely winners :) Thank you, best wishes Joel
Just found your channel subscribed...I love the wildside. My garden is full of green allkanet and it is teaming with Bees. They love the lavender and verbena later on.
Hi Susan, thank you so much for this - I really appreciate your kind words and that you have decided to join us here in this wonderful community, all trying to make a difference in our gardens for the creatures who are in desperate need of our help right now. Very best wishes, have a great weekend - Joel
Hey Joel! Great video, so nice to see the wildlife each plant will attract. I'm lucky to have a few of the recommendations already and can attest that they really do attract so many butterflies and insects into the garden. Heard a cuckoo at Hanchurch woods Saturday and thought of you! ( Not because I think you're cuckoo, just remembering the one you saved.) Haha. Hope you had some r and r over the weekend no better place to spend it than in the garden with the family! Best wishes.
Fantastic, Joel! I can’t love nepeta more! It’s always crawling with bees! Many of the flowers you mentioned are great for attracting hummingbirds as well (for those of us lucky enough to have them), especially the salvias. 😊
Hi there :) It's definitely up there, so many other perennials to share with you guys, when I do a tour of the front garden I'll be speaking about them. There's an update tonight featuring it. Salvias... so many beautiful varieties and every one of them so good for pollinators. Nature sure does bless us, I hope she gets payback by everything we're all doing to help :) Hummingbirds... oh how I wish they resided in the UK too, saw some beauties in Panama and one day I hope you get to show me those that visit your garden too :) Best wishes, as always - Joel
Receiving comments like yours Rachel really does make the efforts worthwhile, I'm so keen to show everyone how they can make a difference. Imagine if every other garden (at least!) was wildlife friendly, imagine the difference we could all make. I'm trying to "convert" as many of our traditional gardeners as possible, it's not about ripping everything out, just about considering planting and including habitat and water sources that our creatures are so desperately in need of right now :) Another video is scheduled for upload tonight, I hope it helps too. Welcome to the channel though, everyone here is really keen and supportive and I'm glad you're here too - best wishes, and thanks for your encouragement and support, Joel
They'll definitely reward you with many grateful visitors, don't forget to leave the seed heads on the verbena too, you'll no doubt be visited by finches too then :) Best wishes, Joel
Hi Constance! I really do love hearing about how far this channel is reaching and to receive a message from California is great. So glad that this was helpful to you - let me know what grateful visitors you have :) Best wishes, Joel
Thank you for another wonderful video. Love the selection of plants that you chose, all of them a buffet of delight for the beautiful pollinators And those that go to seed are so valuable for our little feathered gifts:) I think my favourite is the Verbena Bonariensis. It never fails to look utterly stunning, swaying gently on a light breeze, So many puffs of delicate purple flowers throwing a lifeline to the passing bees, butterflies and so on:) I also like that it is such an airy plant, you get to see all of the other plants and flowers throught it. All of those delightful colours, simply complimenting each other:)
I have 4 of the 5 plants mentioned in this video and have done for many years. Never had much luck with keeping Salvia's. Perhaps I've not had the right ones! All my Bowles Mauve's are descendants of the original plant, given to me over 30 years ago. Obviously through many generations over the years. When living in Wales I even had them flowering on Christmas. They are my absolute favourite perrenial, although these days Red Jep is coming in a strong second.
Great to hear that Joannee - I expect you see lots of insects and butterflies, such brilliant plants. Hope you're keeping well - best wishes, and sorry for the delay, just trying to get to all the comments when I can. Joel
Brilliant video thanks, I am just in the process of creating a good sized butterfly and bee border in my garden, I had already decided to include your 2 favourites (Verbena Bonariensis and Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve') but am also going to add some variety of Lavender plus Aster x frikartii 'Mönch' and Sedum 'Matrona'.
Hi Scott, so good to hear this - don't forget our native wildflowers too. We have every variety needed and offer free tailored advice to our Wild Your Garden customers: www.wildyourgarden.com Best wishes, and thank you again - Joel
You’ve chosen all my purple favourites Joe. Trouble is you need space for these to bulk up and thrive and sunny free draining planting spots! I struggle with shade and heavy clay soils 🙄
Hi Lynn, all is not lost with shade or heavy clay - you can drop me an email at enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and I can offer tailored advice if you're in the UK. Best wishes, Joel
Am learning so much from your videos! Have only got a tiny back garden, which is saturated with plants. Now need to work on small front one but it is north facing and clay soil without any borders (no fence or wall etc). Was wondering what type of plants for insects I could put in.
Absolutely love your videos. Im just creating my garden with my little grandson and am following all your advice. Thank you so much for all your advice and inspiration x
Hi Diane, thank you so much, I am so glad that you and your grandson are enjoying the channel and that it's helpful to you. So many new habitats being made for our creatures so desperately in need and I'm chuffed your grandson has an interest already - well done you! Best wishes, Joel
I can’t wait for your shade perennials as my garden is mostly shade because of surrounding trees too. I’d also like a bee hotel like yours but don’t get enough sun. Could you maybe design a similar hotel for shade loving insects. Seems wildlife gardens are mostly suited to lots of sunshine. Gill
@@gillhawkins9846 Absolutely I can Gill, I think it's solitary bees that "insist" (!) on a very sunny/warm aspect. I am going to be building a smaller one in the back garden and some individual ones and I'll of course film this. I am not doing this until a little later in the year when I am not working away so much. But if you want to do something easy now and "test" to see who visits, this is a simple but effective "house" that you could easily try: th-cam.com/video/TXdGI1PS5EU/w-d-xo.html I hope this helps - I shall be making the shady border video this weekend hopefully and will try to upload asap for you :) Best wishes - Joel
Hi Joel My the video of the bee was amazing I am in ahhh of the work you do and how you present it The weather here in Ireland is quiet cold yet hope it will improve very soon Love all the plants you have chosen must go shopping Thank you so much
Hi Mags - I was certainly impressed when I watched the slo-mo back and saw what she was doing :) It's rain here today... and tomorrow... and a little colder. Let me know what visitors you get to the plants :) Best wishes, and thank you for your support - Joel
Really have enjoyed all your videos. have lots of these wonderful plants I started out with 2 verbena put them in 2 large pots 4 years ago.wild life of all kind loves them .now I have them all over the gardens they pop up every where.that can be a pain .but my wild life friends 💚🐝 them. Thanks for a nother great video.👍
Hi Joel, I agree with your recommendations. Also I was very surprised a couple of years ago, to find that bees were feasting on purple petunias, I thought they were completely foreign to them. Heuchera flowers are also a powerful attraction. That footage of the bee was wonderful! Thank you!
Thanks for the video - must try these. Love growing wildflowers but flowering times can be an issue so need to try Verbena especially. Not a fan of lavender - having grown side by side with wild marjoram there was a clear winner but I wonder if some lavender is over cultivated. Liked reading your name in a certain national (UK) newspaper this weekend :)
Thanks again this is exactly the type of info/expertise I need to help me choose which plants for our garden👍 barrel pond up and running and we are hoping to plant what we can to help the wildlife. Love the channel
Thank you Ian, so much. Apologies that I've not got to you sooner but there are so many comments (so many videos!) on the channel that it's sometimes difficult to keep up with the notifications. But I really do appreciate your comment and your encouragement and support, it means a lot. I am so glad the channel has been helpful to you - there's lots more to come :) Best wishes, and thank you again - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton The wildlife is fantastic. We have loads of dragon and damselflies, orange tip butterflies, red admirals and little blue ones (don’t know the name!) nesting blue and great tits, a family of long tailed tits which visit frequently and a hedgehog, and this year had our first frogspawn and chains of toad spawn. This is the 4th pond we’ve built over the years but I’m really struggling to get the water to clear. It’s about 7x5m, 1m deep in the middle and has a big clump of established pondweed (elodea, I think), 3 water lilies, brook lime, pontederia, water forget me not, rushes and a small iris. I’ve just added 2 marsh marigolds and a fringed water Lily. The surface coverage last year in the summer was about half so I’m hoping the fringed Lily will increase that, but any suggestions as to what else I could do? The only thing I’ve done differently this time is to plant into pots of gravel rather than soil as I read somewhere that ponds plants only need to be anchored and don’t actually need soil. Could it be this? I was thinking of rejigging one side of the pond and using your method of putting fleece on top of the liner on the shelf then using rocks as a retaining wall and planting directly into soil. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
@@sallydavies2563 Hi there Sally, happy for you to send a couple of photos to me so I can see the pond and offer any advice - drop me a line at enquiries@hazelwoodlandscapes.com and I'll see what I can do - your garden sounds fantastic and I'd love to see it if you get a chance to send a few photos of that too :) Best wishes, Joel
Thank you for your encouragement and support Louise, it makes a difference :) So glad you are enjoying the channel, lots more to come. Best wishes, Joel
I have bought nepeta kit kat. When I have had catmint before, it's been completely trashed by cats before it really got growing. I'm trying to get the plants fairly big before I plant them out to give them a chance.
Best way Pat, there's a reason it's called catmint I guess, and they do find it but tend not to damage the more mature specimens - good luck this year! :) Best wishes, Joel
Wonderful selection, I'll have to see if I can find the erysimum, I'll have some room once the daff foliage can be cut back. I planted milkweed last yr for the monarchs, it ended up loaded with orange aphids, no amount of ladybugs could have helped get those gone. Keeping a close eye on it this yr.
Hi Wende, so sorry that I've not got to you sooner but there's so many comments these days - just trying to catch up with everyone when I get a chance. I really hope one day to see the Monarchs in USA - I know about the epic sightings in Mexico but I think that's probably way too popular and understand that they can be seen in California in great numbers. Let me know if you know of any good places in US :) Best wishes, and I hope you're doing well - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I expect one day you'll be way to busy to reply to comments, it happens. I'll have to do some research about the monarchs. Hoping I can attract some with my milkweed,, my brother has 5 milkweed growing wild on the edge of the field in his back yard, I'm going to keep an eye on those too. Hope you get the chance to relax the weekend.
Amazing info thank you so much for this information. I’m only just beginning to learn how to garden for wildlife with plants and it helps to know the little details of where each are happiest and what they attract. I’m really looking forward to the shade border vid as I’ve a whole section that is always in shade!
I'm so glad that this was helpful to you, I really am. The channel has such a wonderful community here and it's growing way quicker than I ever dreamed. So many people wanting to consider wildlife first when gardening - I will try to do the shady border film this coming weekend if the weather allows (!) but it will definitely be soon :) Video tonight features my front garden again. Thank you for your kind words and support, they really do make a difference to me - best wishes, Joel
Wow, that's an accolade ! :) Thank you, I'd watched her for a little while and then thought I'd try the slo-mo option on my phone and when I watched it back I was able to see what she was doing. It really does break my heart that even "organic" pesticides can be considered acceptable. We need to be encouraging creatures, not set about deterring them and breaking a vital food chain. Thanks for your support and encouragement - best wishes, Joel
Superb Joel as always. I would like to add Agastache "Blue Fortune" and Agastache "Black Adder" to your marvellous list as in my garden they are the number one pollinator attractors flowering from May through to the autumn like the various indestructible Nepeta and Salvia varieties. 🙏😊👍❤️
I just grown lavender for first time in my tiny yard garden area in pimlico and it’s just flowered amazing . I’m new to gardening just started it last year . I’m so pleased it’s gonna attract bees 👍 . You said cut it back. How many weeks should you leave the heads on before cutting it back as I don’t know and don’t want to interrupt the bees or take the heads off too early ? Shall I give it a few weeks. ? Love your channel 👍
Hi there - it's just the iphone X, I'm not sponsored by them by the way, but it's a great tool for when I'm out and about - I use a 4k video camera when I know I am going to do specific videos - hope this helps but happy to answer any queries of course. Best wishes, and thanks for the support - Joel
Feeling chuffed with myself as I have all of these, but sadly this year so few bees. The interesting thing I am not doing though is planting the same species in groups. Looks like they will be moved next spring.
Well done Sarah :) I have noticed less bees than usual I must admit, I'm hoping it's down to the weather we've been having and that everyone is starting "later" than usual. They don't have to be in groups, but it does help attract certain insects - let me know how you get on and hopefully an upturn in bee numbers for you. Best wishes, Joel
SO glad you got to see these, my absolute favourite butterfly. The males will hang around larval host plants (males usually , like garlic mustard etc and wait for the females to show up. The males can identify the females by sight, and then the rest is pheromones... I did film two males attempting to mate with a female in the garden last year, and managed to get it in slo-mo - forgive me if you've seen this already but I think you'll enjoy it: th-cam.com/video/iPuY-9GzJZM/w-d-xo.html Well done on attracting them to your garden :) Best wishes, Joel
@@theurbanghost You're very welcome, I'm trying to scroll back through a few hundred videos and ensure that everyone is being acknowledged at least. Thanks for all your support and encouragement, Joel
Hello there :) Absolutely you can and I'd really recommend as many as you can fit in - I have 3 in the front and 4 common buckthorn in the back. Hopefully with what I show of the front garden in regular updates this year it will give you some more ideas for your space :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton fantastic thanks I've just done a wildlife pond in my garden btw and planted lots of bird foot trefoil in pots on concrete areas. Finished the pond yesterday and pond skaters already arrived.
Fantastic suggestions, I have already got most of those plants, Nepeta is just starting to show a few leaves here up north😊 your volume was very low?? Or is it my ears 😂
Hi Anna, not sure about the volume, looking at some comments it seemed to be in "mono" on devices like phones, ipads etc but on a laptop or TV it seemed to be fine, although quiet. I'll double-check everything before I post again tonight :) Thanks for letting me know though, it was all good this side when I uploaded it and watched before launch :/ Either way, it's NOT your ears it seems, phew! ;) Best wishes, Joel
@Wild Your Garden with Joel Ashton awesome! In the meantime I'm setting up our new wildlife pond, following much of your advice for your 3-part tutorial
I'm not too sure on this, I do know that our native Erysimum - wildyourgarden.com/product/wallflower/ - is easily grown from seed placed directly in the ground where you want it, it really is an overlooked beauty and yet so good for wildlife - hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
Great video Joel, I wonder if I can ask a question I have the problem you mention with english lavendar where mine has gone very leggy and woody and I am unsure about hard cutting it back, would you recommend replacing the lavender with new plants or actually given it a hard cut back?
Hi Stewart - of course you can :) If it's looking like it wants to flower this year, and looking healthy in itself then I would look to give it a hard cut-back in the autumn and see what happens next spring - it may bounce back. At this point you could replace it of course though, but if it wants to live and looks promising then I'd let it try. Hope this helps, and thank you - best wishes - Joel
Last year I read that contrary to previous belief, you CAN cut back into the wood so long as you ensure there is still at least one leaf left on that stem after making the cut. I followed this advice with several plants and they are all looking fine.
would you plant green alkanet in your garden Pentaglottis sempervirens. I have two seedlings , scared to plant them as there is a lot of warnnings about it being very invaive. Do you have experince with planting it yourself?
Hi there Alan, controversially yes I would :) They are easily managed and can be pulled up of course if they become too much for a small garden, but the important thing for me is that they're such a high source of nectar for so many pollinators, including bees and butterflies. They like it in more shady areas, under trees/hedges etc. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton ace will brave it! all the plants you mention are excellent and i have many in my garden, but i noticed how early, and how long alkanet started flowering in the season, so not the longest season on there own compared to your picks, but with the other you recommend would extend the overall time for pollinators in the year, was my plan....
Absolutely, I do plant Grosso in large garden designs because, as it's name suggests, it does grow very big and can crowd out other plants, but with the right scheme it really is a winner :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton yes good point that, (and you have to watch out for the giant bees too...) Eidleweiss and gros bleu a bit smaller Chapeau
Joel, I have had in my front south-facing garden, for about 8 years, an Erysimum Bowles Mauve which seems to flower all year round! I really should replace it I know, but it seems to attract every year, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth! I don't see it much, it'll appear a few times about this time of year and feed on this plant then I won't see it until the next year. I fear if I replace the Erysimum with another one I won't see the hawkmoth again - it's a dilemma!
Hi Sue, sorry for the delay - just trying to catch up with everyone. That's a good life-span for that Bowles Mauve and to be honest I'd probably leave it until you know it's definitely had enough - or plant one close by that the Hummingbird Hawkmoth can utilise. Did you know that Hummingbird Hawkmoths visit the same flowers at the SAME time of day? In the front garden one used to appear like clockwork around 2:45pm, every day. Hawkmoths LOVE Red Valerian if you wanted to try that too, that's what I see mine on most, but they also love the Salvia "hot lips", have often seen them nectaring on that. Hope this helps :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Oh, what a coincidence Joel, there's a Salvia Hot Lips next to the Bowles Mauve - the Hawkmoth does flutter between the two. Haven't noticed the time of day it comes, I will keep a vigil once I've spotted it! Thanks for your reply.
I'm concerned, I have a garden that bears flowers all year round, 1st of May, I had daisies, cowslips and dandelions in my lawn, erysimum, fritillaria, clouds of Veronica, ajuga and myosotis, cherry and crab apple blossom as well as Clematis armandii blooming away and hardly had a bee to be seen. Normally next door's pussy willow will be alive with honey bees when it reveals its blossom but this year not one. I back onto farmland and am worried they've sprayed something. I have now seen a few butterflies.
Sorry to hear this Judith, and apologies for the delay, just trying to catch up with everyone again. I must admit I have seen less bees and butterflies locally this year, I am hoping that it's because of the colder/wetter start to the year and that sightings improve. You have everything that they need and I, like you, hope they are not a victim of over-spraying, they have it hard enough as it is. Keep me updated, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Many thanks, I will. You could be right about the cold. I'm also near a river which causes cold winds to blow across my garden. When it warms up, I hope they will return. The hedgehogs are out and about now, so that's a good sign.
Sound is different from usual, it’s only on the right ear phone. Sorry, it’s too fatiguing to continue listening and watching. Hope you can fix it soon.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
Best advice I ever got when looking for new plants in a garden centre was having a look at which have insects buzzing around them then pick those! That being said, I do have 4 of the 5 you've mentioned and thoroughly agree that the bees and butterflies love them.
Yes - me too. Makes one feel awful about buying them and taking them away, but we know garden centres are stacked high and ready to provide more, but I did look at some that I didn't expect to be beneficial and saw bees on them, and as you say that's enough of a selling point for me :) Best wishes, Joel
I've given up trying to plant anything in our garden other than native trees because apart from a handful of plants they just die. Instead, I've gone for no-mow borders and allowed the wildflowers to grow. Guilty of what most would call a scruffy wildlife garden (looks beautiful to me) which gets sneered at but I don't care as all I see is life. Our soil is now full of microbes and insects, and the tawny mining bees love the bare soil with the leaf protection that the ground ivy provides in the natural borders. There is an abundance of hedgehogs visiting (they love the pots as woodlice hide underneath), and garden birds foraging and doing pest control for me. The only downside is cats love the natural habitat too. With a dead cherry tree still standing, lots of log and brick piles, dwarf fruit trees, native trees, and pots filled with wildlife-friendly flowers, it's teaming with so much life and I love to watch and see how wildlife uses it. Just missing a pond but not sure where to put it as our garden is small.
I was starting to feel rather sorry for you when reading your post.... and then quickly realised that your garden sounds like a heaven (let alone a haven!) for a lot of creatures so desperately in need. Really great to read about everything you're doing. If you haven't seen already, there is a video on the channel "wildlife barrel pond" and I talk about these in tonight's video. A barrel pond is a really good way of providing a vital source of water. Hope this helps, and keep doing what you're doing as you're clearly being rewarded :) Best wishes, Joel
That bee footage is beautiful, isn't it?
Echinops artic glow is amazing. Last year the amount of nectar these plants extruded was incredible. I actually licked them like a lollipop in the morning sun so so sweet. Hoverflies particularly loved them.
If you want an ornamental plus nature beneficial I can’t recommend them enough.
I once counted six different species of bees at once on a single Asclepais syriaca plant. It's non native here, but bees sure do love it.
The slow motion footage of the hairy footed flower is simply amazing, I could watch that all day. Really hoping to see orange tipped butterflies in the garden this year, last spring I planted Honesty, Garlic Mustard and Cuckoo Flower, so I’m hoping that does the trick 🐝
Hey Mark - I would be very surprised if you don't get a visit about now, or over the next few weeks of an Orange Tip or probably more, you've certainly planted the right plants. Not sure if you ever saw this but I did manage to film two males trying to mate with an already-mated female in slo-mo last year. When the female raises her abdomen it's to prevent other males from trying once she has been mated. You can see it all in this short video:
th-cam.com/video/iPuY-9GzJZM/w-d-xo.html
Best wishes, Joel
Loved the Orange Tip butterfly video, very relaxing 🐝
You are spot on with the Verbena bonariensis as a winner! They are covered in insects all Summer, but one thing I have found is that plant species which are a good insect attractant in one country ,are not necessarily good in your counties garden , the Mexican Sunflower,(Tithonia), is an example, they work well in USA, but I find very few insects attracted to them here in France, but the Lavender and Bonariensis are winners in my garden, and they are very easy to bulk up with cuttings, if you have dry stone walls the Hoary Stock,(Mathiola incana), is really easily established by beating the dead flower seed pods against the wall, they attract many Swallowtails and other insects and thrive in dry conditions. Stay safe! Chris B.
Thanks to all your advice, in the last couple of years my little terrace is thriving with life, just noticed ladybugs and geckos are back again😊 and looking at them is so heart-warming.
How wonderful Tiziana, that's great to read and I am so pleased that the channel has been helpful, but more pleased that you are already being rewarded with grateful visitors - well done! Best wishes - Joel
Cool slowmo piece about the hairy-footed flower bee. I'm also amazed that you see the butterflies laying their eggs. I never see that.
They're really quick Charlotte, they alight upon the new buds or stems of their host plants and lay one egg, then they're off to the next - I will try to put a clip in when I edit/post the video tonight, already filmed this morning in the front garden but I'll definitely be sharing more footage of how these beautiful insects work, and more importantly what they need :) I was so amazed to watch the footage back after I filmed her, they're so quick that it's hard to see, but I must have watched that footage 5 times in a row when first saw her doing that :) Best wishes, Joel
The problem with Nepeta is it attracts cats, which are not wildlife friendly. Salvias are closely related and don't attract them so that's a great alternative. I might be biased in liking them, I currently have 15 varieties of Salvia and hope to get more by the weekend. My favourite is 'Hot Lips' which starts flowering in May and carries on until the first frosts, usually in November. It is loved by both Bees and Moths (yet more bias for it).
If it's any consolation my local area is full of cats, including one of my own. I've got a whole load of nepeta (didn't realise how big it would get!). Strangely the cats don't come into the garden any more than they used to, but do of course like the Nepeta once they're in the garden.
I’m lucky that my local feral cats aren’t attracted to my nepeta. My problem is that they stalk at my bird feeders and bird baths…
Love salvias! My favorite is “black and blue”. It is a (ruby-throated) hummingbird magnet! 😊
@@Lacking_something I saw fewer cats when I took out my Nepeta, but now I have a pond there are more as it's become a meeting spot for the entire neighbourhood's cats which come for a drink and to chase my frogs.
@@twotonenavy I wish I could attract Hummingbirds to my garden, it might be tricky on this side of the pond. I'm quite content with the Moths that come to mine.
We have four cats, none of which are remotely interested in our nepetas! We've even tried to introduce them to it, but they couldn't care less. Oh and no, they don't harm the wildlife either, unless you count chasing the odd midge across the lawn.
13:56 made my day Joel! 🎉 stunning
I think it's important to experiment with some plants from different environments in our constructed urban landscapes. For example a lot of the natives to my area are forest plants, and the forest is gone, so it's hard to find spots where they can still survive. So I plant more of the prairie species and species from hotter/rockier areas that are native to adjacent ecoregions. We also have to jam more resources into smaller areas nowadays. So while it's important to plant as many native bread and butter species as you can, if you can find a non-native that is actually providing more in your unique location/microclimate I think that is worth exploring -- and possibly necessary with our changing climate.
Absolutely this Hayley! It's about us providing mini-habitats and places of respite and food in our own greenspaces whilst the larger organisations "sort" the bigger picture - wildlife needs our help right now and has done for many years, so doing what we can in our own individual spaces really will help immediately. Brilliant comment and important points - thank you. Best wishes, Joel
Perfect timing with this one Joel as I am looking to update some flower borders and want to do as much as I can to encourage the pollinators. A lovely video 😊 that footage of the hairy footed flower bee, a real treat!
So pleased that this was helpful Amir and I'm really chuffed that you'll be encouraging even more wildlife to that wonderful allotment - and hoping that you set an example and others follow :) Lots more plant updates to come when I do the tour of the front garden but it does feature in tonight's video. Thanks again for all your support and encouragement, best wishes - Joel
wow, that bee footage is absolutely incredible!! my all-time favourite flowering plant has to be the wallflower, erysimum, but I prefer the orange and yellow varieties as they have larger flowers that pack a punch even on a bleak, frosty day in March. they smell so sweet, attract all manner of beneficial insects, self seed, and are also evergreen for me in Ireland. you can’t ask for much more, in my opinion! I’ve even seen ladybirds overwintering in the dense foliage. my second favourite for wildlife is fennel, which was the host plant for many ladybirds last year, and I love seeing those bright yellow umbellifers 6 feet high. I’m very keen to see what you recommend for shady spots as I’m redoing my shady spots this spring.
Amazing bee footage! It's a very cute bee :)
Thank you - I had watched her for a little while and so difficult to see what she was doing as they're SO quick and dart about. Remembered the slo-mo feature on my phone and thought I'd try to capture her, was so pleased to see what she was actually doing :) Best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel, I thank you for imparting your knowledge of botany, bugs and birds to us.
I jotted down your recommendations for your top-five perennials that attract wildlife (all with, as you called them, "pinky purple" flowers).
As the owner of a yard shrouded by neighboring trees, I look forward to your upcoming video on recommended plants for shady borders.
Again, Joel, thanks! Yours, -Mark Porter-
I have them all and yes, they do attrackt a lot of bees and butterflies! And are beautiful too.
They sure do! Hope you've finished those crisps! Received your email, will find time to respond over the weekend :) Best wishes, Joel
Brilliant advice once again thanks Joel 🐸💚🐸
You're very welcome, as always :) Your pond is doing brilliantly and I'm really enjoying the updates on your channel - keep it up! Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thankyou so much
I am chuffed to say i have all those flowers. Not last year, but year before i had a big flock of gold finches feeding on my verbena seeds! I also saw the yesterday feeding on dandelion seeds! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ i have cats. So i plant my nepeta in hanging baskets! The bee was gorgeous!
Hello! So good to hear about the gold finches, they really do love the seed heads of so many plants and I'm glad they are finding extra food in your garden, and when they visit that you are rewarded for the way you consider them. Nepeta in a hanging basket... that's a great idea :) I had watched the bee for a minute or so before trying to film on my phone, when I watched it back on a bigger screen that's when I saw what she was doing. Amazing :) Best wishes, and thank you - Joel
Love hearing every one of your suggestions. Keep them coming 👍👍
Thanks Brian, I really appreciate the support and encouragement - hope you've had a great weekend, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Yes we spent most of today in the garden planting insect friendly plants including Heather's and watched as bees started setting up a hive under a paving slab right beside the new plants. Nature is amazing 👍👍
@@brianward7960 Oh how brilliant! So good to read this Brian, it will keep rewarding you for your efforts, and what better reward? Best wishes, Joel
Hi Joel pleased to say I have all those plants in my garden. Best butterfly plant I’ve have is my red buddleia.
Amazing footage of the bee Joel 👌🏼 Thanks for the insight as always!
Thank you Ricky - was sitting and watching her for a minute or so, but they move quickly, and it wasn't until I decided to use the slo-mo option on my phone and then watch it back, that I saw what she was doing. So very endearing once you see how much effort these little creatures make and how very important they are to us. Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton unreal Joel 🥰 Thanks for your reply!
Very helpful Joel, all lovely plants some of which I have. I think the Lavender you showed will thrive in the UK, but here in Portugal it is really struggling.Such a dry Winter and Spring ,there is little in flower. A lovely green lavender seems to be ok however.
I love the HF bee footage joel. I have all five but need more to spread around the garden. Off to your shop.
Hi Tracey, I know you know already what works, but if you need any help or recommendations with any of the plants always feel free to drop me a line at enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and I'm happy to help, always. Best wishes, and thank you for all your encouragement and support over these last few years. I really hope I can pop in and see you this year and do a video with you about your own fantastic garden. Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you. That would be great. Thanks for the link.
In Kansas, USA I find a lot of Walker's Low catmint on the market. I can attest that it attracts loads of bees and while it stays under 18” it gets about 3 feet wide so give it plenty of room.
Three other plants that I've found attract tons of insects are chives, lamb's ear (when it blooms,) and October Sky Asters. I've sure lots of fall asters work but that's the one in my garden.
Sounds wonderful, thanks so much for these recommendations too, they will help a lot of people in the USA - best wishes, Joel
Hairy footed flower bee is sooo cute, great footage!
To see her in slow motion really was incredible - I'd been watching her for a little while but they're so fast and it wasn't until I watched it back that I saw what she was doing - just had to share it with you all :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton much appreciated by us thanks! 🤗🐝🐝
Hello Joel, it would be great if you make a video about different bird boxes for different birds.
Hi Joel. Good to see you. I've got a lot of Hebes in my garden which were already here when I moved in. I have to say that when in flower they're absolutely swarming with Bees.
Hey Rob! So good to hear from you. Hebes... I have two in my garden, pretty old now and didn't fair too well last year, but they're excellent for so many insects. Native or not, some plants/shrubs really do prove their worth to hungry insects who aren't too fussed where these plants originated - I'm not talking invasives of course - but they're such a vital nectar source for so many, particularly when our native wildflowers are in decline. Hope you and yours are well, best wishes - Joel
Another great purple pollinator perrenial is comfrey, I don't know if you've mentioned it in your videos before but once it pops up in our garden, it is covered in bees, I think the same goes for all plants in the echium-borage family!
Oh yes, Comfrey - there are a lot of other plants I am trying to film and talk about so that people have a vast choice, but Comfrey and Borage are definitely winners :) Thank you, best wishes Joel
Just found your channel subscribed...I love the wildside. My garden is full of green allkanet and it is teaming with Bees. They love the lavender and verbena later on.
Thank you for subscribing :-) I hope the channel brings you lots of enjoyment. Many thanks. Joel
Just discovered your channel and have subscribed. Really enjoyed it. Thanks
Hi Susan, thank you so much for this - I really appreciate your kind words and that you have decided to join us here in this wonderful community, all trying to make a difference in our gardens for the creatures who are in desperate need of our help right now. Very best wishes, have a great weekend - Joel
Great video of the bees ❤️ thanks for showing
Hey Joel! Great video, so nice to see the wildlife each plant will attract. I'm lucky to have a few of the recommendations already and can attest that they really do attract so many butterflies and insects into the garden. Heard a cuckoo at Hanchurch woods Saturday and thought of you! ( Not because I think you're cuckoo, just remembering the one you saved.) Haha. Hope you had some r and r over the weekend no better place to spend it than in the garden with the family! Best wishes.
Fantastic, Joel! I can’t love nepeta more! It’s always crawling with bees!
Many of the flowers you mentioned are great for attracting hummingbirds as well (for those of us lucky enough to have them), especially the salvias. 😊
Hi there :) It's definitely up there, so many other perennials to share with you guys, when I do a tour of the front garden I'll be speaking about them. There's an update tonight featuring it. Salvias... so many beautiful varieties and every one of them so good for pollinators. Nature sure does bless us, I hope she gets payback by everything we're all doing to help :) Hummingbirds... oh how I wish they resided in the UK too, saw some beauties in Panama and one day I hope you get to show me those that visit your garden too :) Best wishes, as always - Joel
Really enjoying your videos ! I’m a novice and I’m learning a lot . Really inspiring , please keep them coming 😁
Receiving comments like yours Rachel really does make the efforts worthwhile, I'm so keen to show everyone how they can make a difference. Imagine if every other garden (at least!) was wildlife friendly, imagine the difference we could all make. I'm trying to "convert" as many of our traditional gardeners as possible, it's not about ripping everything out, just about considering planting and including habitat and water sources that our creatures are so desperately in need of right now :) Another video is scheduled for upload tonight, I hope it helps too. Welcome to the channel though, everyone here is really keen and supportive and I'm glad you're here too - best wishes, and thanks for your encouragement and support, Joel
Interesting Im definitely going to keep a look out for verbena and nepeta, purple is my favourite colour so they'll do nicely
They'll definitely reward you with many grateful visitors, don't forget to leave the seed heads on the verbena too, you'll no doubt be visited by finches too then :) Best wishes, Joel
I am so thankful to have located your TH-cam. I was looking for purple perennials for Sunny orders in Glendora CA near Pasadena
Sunny borders
Hi Constance! I really do love hearing about how far this channel is reaching and to receive a message from California is great. So glad that this was helpful to you - let me know what grateful visitors you have :) Best wishes, Joel
Just gotten around to watch this. Thoroughly enjoyed it, thanks Joel 😊
Glad you enjoyed this Janie, another video tonight but featuring the front garden and updates :) Best wishes, Joel
Thank you for another wonderful video.
Love the selection of plants that you chose, all of them a buffet of delight for the beautiful pollinators And those that go to seed are so valuable for our little feathered gifts:) I think my favourite is the Verbena Bonariensis. It never fails to look utterly stunning, swaying gently on a light breeze, So many puffs of delicate purple flowers throwing a lifeline to the passing bees, butterflies and so on:) I also like that it is such an airy plant, you get to see all of the other plants and flowers throught it. All of those delightful colours, simply complimenting each other:)
I have 4 of the 5 plants mentioned in this video and have done for many years. Never had much luck with keeping Salvia's. Perhaps I've not had the right ones! All my Bowles Mauve's are descendants of the original plant, given to me over 30 years ago. Obviously through many generations over the years. When living in Wales I even had them flowering on Christmas. They are my absolute favourite perrenial, although these days Red Jep is coming in a strong second.
Really helpful, thank you - will definitely plant some of these!
So pleased that this was helpful, we have a wonderful community here on this channel and I'm so glad you're part of it. Best wishes, Joel
Fantastic video Joel! Pleased to say I’ve got all 5 growing here in my garden.
Great to hear that Joannee - I expect you see lots of insects and butterflies, such brilliant plants. Hope you're keeping well - best wishes, and sorry for the delay, just trying to get to all the comments when I can. Joel
Brilliant video thanks, I am just in the process of creating a good sized butterfly and bee border in my garden, I had already decided to include your 2 favourites (Verbena Bonariensis and Erysimum 'Bowles Mauve') but am also going to add some variety of Lavender plus Aster x frikartii 'Mönch' and Sedum 'Matrona'.
Hi Scott, so good to hear this - don't forget our native wildflowers too. We have every variety needed and offer free tailored advice to our Wild Your Garden customers:
www.wildyourgarden.com
Best wishes, and thank you again - Joel
You’ve chosen all my purple favourites Joe. Trouble is you need space for these to bulk up and thrive and sunny free draining planting spots! I struggle with shade and heavy clay soils 🙄
Hi Lynn, all is not lost with shade or heavy clay - you can drop me an email at enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and I can offer tailored advice if you're in the UK. Best wishes, Joel
Am learning so much from your videos! Have only got a tiny back garden, which is saturated with plants. Now need to work on small front one but it is north facing and clay soil without any borders (no fence or wall etc). Was wondering what type of plants for insects I could put in.
Absolutely love your videos. Im just creating my garden with my little grandson and am following all your advice. Thank you so much for all your advice and inspiration x
Hi Diane, thank you so much, I am so glad that you and your grandson are enjoying the channel and that it's helpful to you. So many new habitats being made for our creatures so desperately in need and I'm chuffed your grandson has an interest already - well done you! Best wishes, Joel
I can’t wait for your shade perennials as my garden is mostly shade because of surrounding trees too.
I’d also like a bee hotel like yours but don’t get enough sun. Could you maybe design a similar hotel for shade loving insects. Seems wildlife gardens are mostly suited to lots of sunshine.
Gill
@@gillhawkins9846 Absolutely I can Gill, I think it's solitary bees that "insist" (!) on a very sunny/warm aspect. I am going to be building a smaller one in the back garden and some individual ones and I'll of course film this. I am not doing this until a little later in the year when I am not working away so much. But if you want to do something easy now and "test" to see who visits, this is a simple but effective "house" that you could easily try:
th-cam.com/video/TXdGI1PS5EU/w-d-xo.html
I hope this helps - I shall be making the shady border video this weekend hopefully and will try to upload asap for you :) Best wishes - Joel
Hi Joel My the video of the bee was amazing I am in ahhh of the work you do and how you present it
The weather here in Ireland is quiet cold yet hope it will improve very soon
Love all the plants you have chosen must go shopping Thank you so much
Hi Mags - I was certainly impressed when I watched the slo-mo back and saw what she was doing :) It's rain here today... and tomorrow... and a little colder. Let me know what visitors you get to the plants :) Best wishes, and thank you for your support - Joel
Great video, I’ve been out to buy some of these today.
Thank you so much Jo, am glad this inspired you - look out for many grateful insects and birds :) Best wishes, Joel
Very helpful thank you 😊
Thank you Deborah, hope you and yours are doing well :) Best wishes, Joel
Really have enjoyed all your videos. have lots of these wonderful plants I started out with 2 verbena put them in 2 large pots 4 years ago.wild life of all kind loves them .now I have them all over the gardens they pop up every where.that can be a pain .but my wild life friends 💚🐝 them. Thanks for a nother great video.👍
Hi Joel, I agree with your recommendations. Also I was very surprised a couple of years ago, to find that bees were feasting on purple petunias, I thought they were completely foreign to them. Heuchera flowers are also a powerful attraction.
That footage of the bee was wonderful! Thank you!
Literally all my favourite plants! :)
Brilliant :) Some more to come no doubt, it's so difficult choosing. Best wishes, Joel
Thanks for the video - must try these. Love growing wildflowers but flowering times can be an issue so need to try Verbena especially. Not a fan of lavender - having grown side by side with wild marjoram there was a clear winner but I wonder if some lavender is over cultivated. Liked reading your name in a certain national (UK) newspaper this weekend :)
I've found the same with marjoram.
Great video thanks!
Thank you - appreciated :)
Thanks again this is exactly the type of info/expertise I need to help me choose which plants for our garden👍 barrel pond up and running and we are hoping to plant what we can to help the wildlife. Love the channel
Thank you Ian, so much. Apologies that I've not got to you sooner but there are so many comments (so many videos!) on the channel that it's sometimes difficult to keep up with the notifications. But I really do appreciate your comment and your encouragement and support, it means a lot. I am so glad the channel has been helpful to you - there's lots more to come :) Best wishes, and thank you again - Joel
I obviously have good taste - got all of those in my garden 😉
Good to hear Sally, and clearly not only good taste but you're being rewarded by grateful wildlife :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton The wildlife is fantastic. We have loads of dragon and damselflies, orange tip butterflies, red admirals and little blue ones (don’t know the name!) nesting blue and great tits, a family of long tailed tits which visit frequently and a hedgehog, and this year had our first frogspawn and chains of toad spawn. This is the 4th pond we’ve built over the years but I’m really struggling to get the water to clear. It’s about 7x5m, 1m deep in the middle and has a big clump of established pondweed (elodea, I think), 3 water lilies, brook lime, pontederia, water forget me not, rushes and a small iris. I’ve just added 2 marsh marigolds and a fringed water Lily. The surface coverage last year in the summer was about half so I’m hoping the fringed Lily will increase that, but any suggestions as to what else I could do? The only thing I’ve done differently this time is to plant into pots of gravel rather than soil as I read somewhere that ponds plants only need to be anchored and don’t actually need soil. Could it be this? I was thinking of rejigging one side of the pond and using your method of putting fleece on top of the liner on the shelf then using rocks as a retaining wall and planting directly into soil. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
@@sallydavies2563 Hi there Sally, happy for you to send a couple of photos to me so I can see the pond and offer any advice - drop me a line at enquiries@hazelwoodlandscapes.com and I'll see what I can do - your garden sounds fantastic and I'd love to see it if you get a chance to send a few photos of that too :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton that’s very kind of you, thank you.
@@sallydavies2563 You're welcome Sally :)
Thank you for your great videos ❤
Thank you for your encouragement and support Louise, it makes a difference :) So glad you are enjoying the channel, lots more to come. Best wishes, Joel
I have bought nepeta kit kat. When I have had catmint before, it's been completely trashed by cats before it really got growing. I'm trying to get the plants fairly big before I plant them out to give them a chance.
Best way Pat, there's a reason it's called catmint I guess, and they do find it but tend not to damage the more mature specimens - good luck this year! :) Best wishes, Joel
Wonderful selection, I'll have to see if I can find the erysimum, I'll have some room once the daff foliage can be cut back. I planted milkweed last yr for the monarchs, it ended up loaded with orange aphids, no amount of ladybugs could have helped get those gone. Keeping a close eye on it this yr.
Hi Wende, so sorry that I've not got to you sooner but there's so many comments these days - just trying to catch up with everyone when I get a chance. I really hope one day to see the Monarchs in USA - I know about the epic sightings in Mexico but I think that's probably way too popular and understand that they can be seen in California in great numbers. Let me know if you know of any good places in US :) Best wishes, and I hope you're doing well - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton
I expect one day you'll be way to busy to reply to comments, it happens. I'll have to do some research about the monarchs. Hoping I can attract some with my milkweed,, my brother has 5 milkweed growing wild on the edge of the field in his back yard, I'm going to keep an eye on those too.
Hope you get the chance to relax the weekend.
Amazing info thank you so much for this information. I’m only just beginning to learn how to garden for wildlife with plants and it helps to know the little details of where each are happiest and what they attract. I’m really looking forward to the shade border vid as I’ve a whole section that is always in shade!
I'm so glad that this was helpful to you, I really am. The channel has such a wonderful community here and it's growing way quicker than I ever dreamed. So many people wanting to consider wildlife first when gardening - I will try to do the shady border film this coming weekend if the weather allows (!) but it will definitely be soon :) Video tonight features my front garden again. Thank you for your kind words and support, they really do make a difference to me - best wishes, Joel
Your footage of the Hairy Footed Flower Bee was “David Attenborough Standard”! Amazing! Well done 👏🏻🐝❤️
Wow, that's an accolade ! :) Thank you, I'd watched her for a little while and then thought I'd try the slo-mo option on my phone and when I watched it back I was able to see what she was doing. It really does break my heart that even "organic" pesticides can be considered acceptable. We need to be encouraging creatures, not set about deterring them and breaking a vital food chain. Thanks for your support and encouragement - best wishes, Joel
Superb Joel as always. I would like to add Agastache "Blue Fortune" and Agastache "Black Adder" to your marvellous list as in my garden they are the number one pollinator attractors flowering from May through to the autumn like the various indestructible Nepeta and Salvia varieties. 🙏😊👍❤️
I just grown lavender for first time in my tiny yard garden area in pimlico and it’s just flowered amazing . I’m new to gardening just started it last year . I’m so pleased it’s gonna attract bees 👍 . You said cut it back. How many weeks should you leave the heads on before cutting it back as I don’t know and don’t want to interrupt the bees or take the heads off too early ? Shall I give it a few weeks. ? Love your channel 👍
Take them off when they start to die, you'll see them discolouring and drying up.
@@ev1677 cool
Thanks 👍
Hi. Great video. If you don't mind me asking, what camera did you video on? Great resolution!
Hi there - it's just the iphone X, I'm not sponsored by them by the way, but it's a great tool for when I'm out and about - I use a 4k video camera when I know I am going to do specific videos - hope this helps but happy to answer any queries of course. Best wishes, and thanks for the support - Joel
Feeling chuffed with myself as I have all of these, but sadly this year so few bees. The interesting thing I am not doing though is planting the same species in groups. Looks like they will be moved next spring.
Well done Sarah :) I have noticed less bees than usual I must admit, I'm hoping it's down to the weather we've been having and that everyone is starting "later" than usual. They don't have to be in groups, but it does help attract certain insects - let me know how you get on and hopefully an upturn in bee numbers for you. Best wishes, Joel
LOVED this and absolutely matches MY fav perennials!!👏🏼🎉😆 Thankyou!!! 😊
I saw my first two orange tips of the year chasing one another yesterday around the garden - but how do they find each other?
SO glad you got to see these, my absolute favourite butterfly. The males will hang around larval host plants (males usually , like garlic mustard etc and wait for the females to show up. The males can identify the females by sight, and then the rest is pheromones... I did film two males attempting to mate with a female in the garden last year, and managed to get it in slo-mo - forgive me if you've seen this already but I think you'll enjoy it:
th-cam.com/video/iPuY-9GzJZM/w-d-xo.html
Well done on attracting them to your garden :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for taking the time to answer that one Joel :)
@@theurbanghost You're very welcome, I'm trying to scroll back through a few hundred videos and ensure that everyone is being acknowledged at least. Thanks for all your support and encouragement, Joel
Can you prune the alder buckthorn tree to keep it small like a bush? Dont have big garden but looking to grow small tree for wildlife
Hello there :) Absolutely you can and I'd really recommend as many as you can fit in - I have 3 in the front and 4 common buckthorn in the back. Hopefully with what I show of the front garden in regular updates this year it will give you some more ideas for your space :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton fantastic thanks I've just done a wildlife pond in my garden btw and planted lots of bird foot trefoil in pots on concrete areas. Finished the pond yesterday and pond skaters already arrived.
Fantastic suggestions, I have already got most of those plants, Nepeta is just starting to show a few leaves here up north😊
your volume was very low?? Or is it my ears 😂
Hi Anna, not sure about the volume, looking at some comments it seemed to be in "mono" on devices like phones, ipads etc but on a laptop or TV it seemed to be fine, although quiet. I'll double-check everything before I post again tonight :) Thanks for letting me know though, it was all good this side when I uploaded it and watched before launch :/ Either way, it's NOT your ears it seems, phew! ;) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton 😂 thanks for that, I'll cast it to my tv next time, be lovely on bigger screen anyway
Hi Joel, another great video, will the catnip take over if put into a bed? Is it quite aggressive? Cheers
Ohh, looking forward to your advice for shady borders!
Hey Claire :) I've got this video underway as I'm planting that shady area, will be with you all soon. Best wishes, Joel
@Wild Your Garden with Joel Ashton awesome! In the meantime I'm setting up our new wildlife pond, following much of your advice for your 3-part tutorial
Is there a wildlife friendly gardener in Bournemouth/Poole. As a pensioner I may need a bit of help in managing my wildlife garden.
How easy does the Erysimum Bowles Mauv self seed, di you know or it just best ti take cuttings? 🤪
I'm not too sure on this, I do know that our native Erysimum - wildyourgarden.com/product/wallflower/ - is easily grown from seed placed directly in the ground where you want it, it really is an overlooked beauty and yet so good for wildlife - hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
Great video Joel, I wonder if I can ask a question I have the problem you mention with english lavendar where mine has gone very leggy and woody and I am unsure about hard cutting it back, would you recommend replacing the lavender with new plants or actually given it a hard cut back?
Hi Stewart - of course you can :) If it's looking like it wants to flower this year, and looking healthy in itself then I would look to give it a hard cut-back in the autumn and see what happens next spring - it may bounce back. At this point you could replace it of course though, but if it wants to live and looks promising then I'd let it try. Hope this helps, and thank you - best wishes - Joel
Last year I read that contrary to previous belief, you CAN cut back into the wood so long as you ensure there is still at least one leaf left on that stem after making the cut. I followed this advice with several plants and they are all looking fine.
Hi Joel. Would the cat mint take over a garden? If planted in a raised bed could it spread across my garden as I've heard mint can do?
Hey Joel, just FYI the audio is off on this one. Not sure if it's a recording issue or a post/exporting issue, but it's only in mono and quite quiet!
Agree with your No.1. I planted one last year for the first time and was so pleased to see a Hummingbird Hawk Moth visit it one day.
would you plant green alkanet in your garden Pentaglottis sempervirens. I have two seedlings , scared to plant them as there is a lot of warnnings about it being very invaive. Do you have experince with planting it yourself?
Hi there Alan, controversially yes I would :) They are easily managed and can be pulled up of course if they become too much for a small garden, but the important thing for me is that they're such a high source of nectar for so many pollinators, including bees and butterflies. They like it in more shady areas, under trees/hedges etc. I hope this helps - best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton ace will brave it! all the plants you mention are excellent and i have many in my garden, but i noticed how early, and how long alkanet started flowering in the season, so not the longest season on there own compared to your picks, but with the other you recommend would extend the overall time for pollinators in the year, was my plan....
whats for late and or v early ? Ivy....perhaps
Lavender X intermedia Grosso/Gros Bleu/Eidleweiss have a longer flowering period and have been recorded as beeing more attractive to pollinators 👍
Absolutely, I do plant Grosso in large garden designs because, as it's name suggests, it does grow very big and can crowd out other plants, but with the right scheme it really is a winner :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton yes good point that, (and you have to watch out for the giant bees too...)
Eidleweiss and gros bleu a bit smaller
Chapeau
Joel, I have had in my front south-facing garden, for about 8 years, an Erysimum Bowles Mauve which seems to flower all year round! I really should replace it I know, but it seems to attract every year, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth! I don't see it much, it'll appear a few times about this time of year and feed on this plant then I won't see it until the next year. I fear if I replace the Erysimum with another one I won't see the hawkmoth again - it's a dilemma!
Hi Sue, sorry for the delay - just trying to catch up with everyone. That's a good life-span for that Bowles Mauve and to be honest I'd probably leave it until you know it's definitely had enough - or plant one close by that the Hummingbird Hawkmoth can utilise. Did you know that Hummingbird Hawkmoths visit the same flowers at the SAME time of day? In the front garden one used to appear like clockwork around 2:45pm, every day. Hawkmoths LOVE Red Valerian if you wanted to try that too, that's what I see mine on most, but they also love the Salvia "hot lips", have often seen them nectaring on that. Hope this helps :) Best wishes, Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Oh, what a coincidence Joel, there's a Salvia Hot Lips next to the Bowles Mauve - the Hawkmoth does flutter between the two. Haven't noticed the time of day it comes, I will keep a vigil once I've spotted it! Thanks for your reply.
Same issue with the sound here - right earpiece only.
Fab. Gonna get me some verbena and some bowls mauve or however you spell it! 😂
I'm concerned, I have a garden that bears flowers all year round, 1st of May, I had daisies, cowslips and dandelions in my lawn, erysimum, fritillaria, clouds of Veronica, ajuga and myosotis, cherry and crab apple blossom as well as Clematis armandii blooming away and hardly had a bee to be seen. Normally next door's pussy willow will be alive with honey bees when it reveals its blossom but this year not one. I back onto farmland and am worried they've sprayed something. I have now seen a few butterflies.
Sorry to hear this Judith, and apologies for the delay, just trying to catch up with everyone again. I must admit I have seen less bees and butterflies locally this year, I am hoping that it's because of the colder/wetter start to the year and that sightings improve. You have everything that they need and I, like you, hope they are not a victim of over-spraying, they have it hard enough as it is. Keep me updated, best wishes - Joel
@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Many thanks, I will. You could be right about the cold. I'm also near a river which causes cold winds to blow across my garden. When it warms up, I hope they will return. The hedgehogs are out and about now, so that's a good sign.
No Sound - Very Quiet only coming out right earpiece
Me too!!
I thought I'd gone deaf in my left ear 😂
It used to be too loud compared to the rest of the video, but I miss your old intro. Had way more character than the new one.
Knautia machedonia flowers just as long as verbena bonariensis if you dead head
Sound is different from usual, it’s only on the right ear phone. Sorry, it’s too fatiguing to continue listening and watching. Hope you can fix it soon.
Please consider changing you headphones as video sound is perfect.