This makes me laugh. I garden for the bees too and wherever I garden ends up chaotically full of wildflowers. Bursting with insect life but a looking a little mad to conventional gardners. Even my more 'formal' borders are always mainly native with a few exotic wildflowers like echinacea or bee friendly roses. I choose every border plant for nectar or pollen and the result is glorious bee filled chaos. I wish I had acres to play with!
When this clip came up in my algorithm, it took me a couple of seconds to realise why your name sounded familiar - because I am currently reading your book (Silent Earth)! Encouraging to see that you recommend many of the plants we have in our garden already, and now I have a good excuse not to pull out the wild geranium. My husband used to be skeptical at my approach of gardening, but he has come around, as he can see the number of insects and birds in our garden has noticeably increased. Thank you for promoting more relaxed, nature-friendly approach. Hopefully, it will catch on and we can increase biodiversity in our gardens.
I did really enjoy your garden and the main reason being that your lack of insect activity particularly bees and hoverflies reflects my small 30 year old wildlife garden. I've Been so concerned about the lack of bees in my garden this spring. But, like in your garden seeing very late queens emerging. So although still a concern I'm reassured that it's not something particular to my garden. My garden being neighboured by sterile spaces. If I had two acres they would look exactly like yours including the solar panels which as they appeared I went wow! It'll be interesting to see what naturally naturalises in the shade of them. A video that as reassured me. Loved it.
So refreshing! I too have a rather wild gardening style - I put in the bones of the garden in then let Mother Nature decide where she wants plants. All sorts of plants pop up that I didn't plant - love the surprises! Curious to see if you get bees at the clay hotel - love the idea of it and look. Really enjoying your channel - thanks for sharing.
After watching you for a few years now and enjoying the content was privileged too now own a house with two acres ,much inspired buy you and now have a wild flower meadow with bee orchids in it and planted many Heritage varieties of apples and pears thanks
I think it is beautiful too! It’s very interesting in it’s almost simplicity. Love to just sit in it with a book and just look up,every so often to see what’s about.
In this garden there is space for all creatures and they all get along with each other so well ❤ I wish we all could do the same. I try to do the same in my garden , that was truly an Inspiration, thank you😊 I'm currently reading youre book about the bumblebees , there is so much I did'nt know😊
This has been such a pleasure. I would like to recommend a possible food source to alleviate the flatulence, caused by the J artichokes. Fennel seed, totally delicious to just chew on after eating those fart machines, probably why Europeans have it with cabbage. Wild Thyme is another excellent plant that Bees adore.
Wonderful garden tour in my favourite time of the year too 🌱. I wish I could grow as many wildflowers, but I’m going to have go next year in the few places I can like my city balcony.. We are lagging behind in Norway in the market for native plants but a very few growers now offer some, and native seeds are just in the beginning of being commercially available. Apart from the rhododendron ponticum which is invasive in Britain I don’t see anything wrong with rhododendrons. They are certainly very important for wildlife at my family’s summer cottage where they are easier to grow than many other plants in an acre of open pine forest, thin soil and heather. Birds use the big old ones for shelter, and I’ve seen lizards diving in there. They used to be covered in bumblebees when in flower, now they are still popular but there are fewer bees. The late flowering smaller rhododenron minus is also very popular. Of alliums for me it seems the later blooming allium spherocephalon are the winners of pollinators, but I only have a couple places they will grow.
I really enjoyed that, thank you for the tour. I’ve gained lots of ideas for my new garden. The vampiric yellow rattle was my best take away, every day’s a school day as they say!
Loved the extensive tour of your garden. Wonderful bird song in the background. Do you have hellebores ? I have loads of orientalist and the bees love them in March. A real life saver when there is not much nectar and pollen
Good luck with the clay 'pattie' for the A. plumipes... maybe just the thing to keep them from the brickwork. ... and well done on the orchid. One is enough to start with.
Thanks Dave, lovely tour, I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a Thalictrum but wasn’t sure if it would get too big for my little garden but I think I will go for it as it looks very delicate and has the bee factor. May be Joel Ashton from Wild Your Garden could give you some advice on your pond, he shares your ethos on wildlife 😊
Hello Dave, Do you have any nest boxes for the birds in the garden, and are they occupied? With a lovely large garden like that, I'm surprised you don't allow the hens to roam free in the daytime. Best wishes from Wales.
This is the first time I've come across your channel and your garden is fantastic! What a wonderful haven for wildlife and I found it fascinating. Subscription added❤.
Glorious 💚 Yellow evergreen shrubs in the sun are a big win for us in Warsash. Anything newly emerged tends to bask on the leaves 🍃 Under your panels maybe Epimediums, Geranium nodosums. 💚🐝
Reading your book, 'The Garden Jungle', so sad in one sense but equally inspiring. Im trying to achieve a better garden for wildlife, moved home one year ago. Your book has given me so many insights and approaches I can follow. Love your garden and your unselfish attitude to everything wild, living and wanting to live 😂
Obviously it's your garden, but I was thinking, why don't you put in hardy herbacious perennials, as well as the wild flowers, and have the best of both gardening worlds😊
Your garden is lovely but in Canada more than half the plants you have are considered invasive and are strongly discouraged from being grown. The daisy,buttercup, yellow flag iris ,garlic mustard ,ivy , all not allowed here. I guess it just depends on the country and if they think you have conditions for spread. I am sure I will be able to find some alternatives. Great inspiration.
Thank you for your lecture this evening in Århus, Denmark. It was a inspiring one. I already checked if it would be on YT or any other platform but unfortunately that isn't the case. Too bad because I would have loved to send it to friends and family. Any way, thanks again and I just keep watching your videos here ... 😊
Hi Dave - I just spent our holidays in Deux Sevres not far from your French Paradise (just under 1 hours from Confolens) - I would have loved to see your garden and thank you for some great reading. I enjoy learning new stuff about the bumble bees and nature balance.
Thanks for the great video, very much enjoyed it. I was wondering if at some point it would be possible to do a wee feature video about the solar panels you have installed in the garden. It would be interesting to hear more about the reasonings behind your decision ie the logistics, out set up costs v. economic benefits, pros and cons etc. It seems to be a no-brainer; it would be very interesting to get your personal take on how it is working for you and your family. Again, thankyou Dave for the great work you do!! ❤
Really love seeing your garden tours. Always a few ideas for things to add to my wild patch 😊 Thank you. In my limited experience with the local WLT rabbits rather like orchids and we often put little net cages round important ones.
I think there may well be hedgehogs visiting your garden! My parents hadn't seen one in their backyard in over a decade and were convinced they wouldn't see one again but the other day they realised a hog was nesting behind the shed amongst old garden chairs, covered by tarpaulin and an upturned dog bed! They do put dishes of water out on the ground for birds which I think they've been drinking from. After this discovery, they are now making a hedgehog feeding station and putting out some cat food
really great, my favourite type of garden, would like to see attitudes change and more natives (weeds if you like) allowed to grow alongside more traditional garden plants
Lovely garden and a pleasure to be shown round it by you! Re hedgehogs, have you considered offering your garden to one of the local hedgehog rescue centres as a safe haven in which to release a couple of them?
I would feel I was in Heaven everyday if I could buy my own home with a garden like that. It is spectacularly beautiful and everyone should have gardens like it. Saves on all that lawn mowing lol. There isn't a bit that isn't beautiful including the branch pile
