So it’s not a scam ?

Well done! Our backyard has become such a birthing, sleeping, grazing spot for our local deer herd that nothing manages to escape their appetite. A simple dish birdbath quickly become their summer source of water. Our deck, therefore, is our garden spot with containers and some of my newly constructed solar fountains. Not as extensive a habitat as yours, but the fountains have already been popular with squirrels, wrens, butterflies and flying insects. I have yet to catch the hummingbirds using the fountains, but I am hopeful. Thanks for sharing - and if anyone is curious about small scale fountains for decks and patios, I have a few DIY videos.

Where could I find blue matt penstemon?

how amazing! Even better, NO invasive creeping Bermuda grass

So interesting to see how you build the garden vision section by section, step by step, so it's a lot less overwhelming than having to think about the large space as a whole. This is such a useful video!

What a great job! How/where did you run the power cord for the pump?

When you talk scraping to get rid of Bermuda, is that done with a sod cutter? It’s invaded at least 1/2 of our lawn and overtaken some of the beds! 😢

Yes! I'm putting together a plan for this right now. We have stiltgrass, clover and dandelion on almost the entire 7000 sq ft lot, and I ignorantly spread seeds from bags for birds without thinking so you can imagine how bad it got lol

Im In 78526. Very hot Tip of Texas! My soil is hard to dig, heavy clay like, I have to jump in my shovel to dig a hole even my husband has a hard time! What kind of grass or buffalo grass or clover etc would be good? Tia

Yes! How?

Im getting so OBSESSED by that apron! 😂 I feel like such a dork!

Who is she? I live in South Texas and she had mentioned one she recommended for this area and I thought I had it in my Amazon basket but I don’t. 😢 so now I’m trying to find what she recommends it started with a s. 😔

would love to see progress photos and update on this project!!

What was the adjustment to the flow that you made and why?

Need to know the technique being used here. I wanna say I heard you say recently that the water needs to be routed at least ten feet from the house? I live in Texas and absolutely hate turf(Bermuda and Saint Augustine grass🙄). Last few years I’ve probably pissed off the neighbors because I’ve had it and I don’t maintain my yard like everyone spending a fortune on irrigation and such but I want to transform my lawn badly.

Okay but that Big empty bottom pot literally is a hazardous area where little creatures such as Chipmunks or other animals that can drown very easily, because they will have no way out. You need to put rocks in their in a manner that any code or chipmunk or mouse or anything that gets in that pot can climb its way out!

I dug some sod to plant four trees in my backyard. It is a ton of work and my body hates me now 😂😂

I just purchased a pot and a couple of saucers to make my own birdbath/pollinator fountain!!!! I'm working on native plants. I love your design. Adding the aquarium gravel under the marbles was perfect. I'm so glad I found your channel... it's been a life long dream of mine to have my yard as a certified wildlife habitat!! PS--GO FOR THE POND!!!!! 😉😁🤣

Can’t see .. . . 😟 what you bought and what you were demonstrating. I think it’s the camera person trying to capture what you were describing 😮

We have a view from our deck, and while looking out over our lawn and the neighbor's lawns, it occurred to me that all that mown grass was like a desert for wild creatures. No wonder the deer that venture finto our yards from a nearby greenbelt eat our rose bushes and vegetable crops. I never much liked grass before that, but now I'd really rather have something else. I told my husband that I want to put in a garden, just for the wildlife. I didn't connect that thought with creating a wildlife sanctuary until I found your channel, but I'm all in. Thanks for sharing your expertise.

Hallelujah! You are saying everything I want to hear about landscaping!

Lovely design. How often would you need to clean the fountain---marbles and rocks? And what did you do about winterizing it? Thank you.

Oh, it's lovely all right. We have a pond like that. Even put in a little uv unit to kill algae and keep the water healthy. Good variety of aquatic plants, goldfish, small waterfall. The first year, a great blue heron ate all the fish. Back to the store for goldfish. Bought the fake heron, the flashing reflective disks, the motion sensitive water sprayer ...fed a lot of fish to a lot of herons with those heron-proofing purchases. And be aware, I live on a quarter acre in a heavily populated suburb. This isn't rural. Bought a big netting thing and covered the pond. That pond environment is exceptionally healthy, the fish are thriving and I love it. Gotta clean the filter multiple times a week. Pump breaks down periodically. Isn't maintenance free at all. But super healthy. The birds can't water in the pond, but they bathe and drink on the waterfall and the water we put out for them. I advise against putting in a pond till you know more about the pitfalls. Like the frogs. I like the sound, but my yard is frog central so I hear them a lot in the summer. Oh, and when you attract birds to your yard, they crap on everything, especially grackles. I hate grackles. But I see a lot of dragonflies and hummingbirds come by, many other types of birds drop in, it's nice to relax to the sound of the water.

Not me seeing this months too late! 😢

I built something similar for my yard. I would suggest putting more rocks or aquarium gravel in mesh bags to put in the base. It adds a lot of surface area for beneficial bacteria, which keep the water fresh and clean for the critters.

Probably a breeding ground for mosquitos when off

Use Aquarium Silicone so it doesn’t poison the wildlife.

how do we prevent algae? Will the water stay safe for birds? Is there anything we should do to ensure the water stays good for the wildlife?

I love it!! Thanks for your instructions and inspiration. I love your genuine enthusiasm. 🙂

Boy she made this harder than it had to be

That is so much more than you need even for a beautiful fountain. And you should not seal things down it is toxic

I’d love to listen to you talk about pop culture! You’ve positioned this channel at such a great point where something so mundane and private as gardening and personal aesthetics meets science meets sustainability and societal relevance. If people understand these relationships in their own yard they will care about them on a larger scale as well. Pop culture perfectly ties in with that - I hope you find the time! 🤗

Leaves. Leaves. Leaves. Mulched leaves if you need faster breakdown.

that's an idea...certification. we have a 5-gallon bucket under a solar water heater overflow pipe, surrounded by tall grass so the water stays cool. every year dozens of bees and things stop by for a drink. and yes, we have a way for any larger critters to get out of the bucket if they happened to fall in.

If it works in your zone. Go with buffalo grass for an eco-friendly lawn.

CONGRATS! Do we need to make sure plastics, silicones, rubbers, paints, water etc are wildlife safe? My original 1300 gallon dug-by-hand koi pond had a huge liner that was dangerous chemical-free? Awesome site! Can you please clone your husband for me LMAO

This is really cool, but to take care of it and keep it from getting slimy you would have to treat that water water with some type of chemicals that might not be safe for insects, etc. to drink. I noticed that any type of beads are or containers you have water and can get really nasty slimy even smelly get debris from the air in it. It’s just not appealing. And ends up being a lot of work to keep it all clean the marbles get slimy. I learned from having floating candles and different types of beads and rocks, etc. in water just on my big coffee table with candles that it’s a maintenance! I’m looking for one percent maintenance! I guess I wouldn’t mind having something but this is way too complicated for me. Maybe a little one that’s already together and connected and you just buy the little unit for 50 bucks you set it on your countertop you plug it in or out on your patio and you plug it in and that’s good !😅 Reason number one I can bring it in the house in winter time. I live in Michigan well that means you get about 2 1/2 months three months maybe of summer and then the rest is cold and hot spring cold and hot fall. And then a long winter so it won’t be I don’t want anything. I have to deal with for winter . I have dogs so anything that’s 12 inches or lower might get peed on outdoors!! Once upon a time I used to like all these types of projects now I just like to buy some nice plants. I can sit around outside on my deck when I’m sitting in my swing chair watching the birds at the birdfeeder and the birdbath and some candles I might have out in the evening time and then everything could be brought in easily for winter. I did all these things years ago but anymore I just don’t have the energy or the desire so I’m looking for stuff that’s one percent maintenance or less.😅. It’s my time to relax the rest of my life.😊

One thing I have long ago realized that I do NOT want if I want to enjoy wildlife to its fullest, is a dog. A dogs nature is obnoxious and is made to chase, harm, and disturb wildlife. I live by myself on a good sized private farm but one thing I will never have is a dog. I would much rather have nature.

I love your content. I’m curious why you recommend a blend of micro clover, fescue and yarrow as an alternative lawn vs just yarrow. I can’t find cons of doing just yarrow anywhere and my husband wants to do it. I’m leaning toward a blend. Would love any thoughts

Wow, beautiful. Can this be done using a solar pump?

It’s a contemporary thing to “interpret” mid century landscape as minimalist. Actually, the whole idea behind Midcentury homes was to fit into actual nature, which isn’t usually minimalist - lol. Unless it’s a desert environment. Contemporary minimalist garden design isn’t actually anything Midcentury landscape designers would have approved of.

Hummingbirds I am having issues. I have food out.

I recently found you on instagram and its been a joy to learn from you. You've inspired me to start working to create a nature conscience lawn! Thank You!!

I love you. You’re perfectly articulating my relationship with wasps.

That fruit sharing 'thing' sounds like an amazing idea.

Great discussion. Hope the plans are going well.

How do you keep the water clean? Even with my water pump keeping the water moving, it seems to get green and dirty.

I looked at the batbnb site. I didn’t see the pheromone to lure the bats in. I have had a bat house in the past and they never came. My house was also very tiny. Would really like to have them again and I liked the look of the houses at the batbnb. Thanks in advance on the pheromone recommendation.

Standing ovation from Spain. Now I’m going to find local versions and then sending it to hubby. 😈

💚💚💚 🦇 🦇🦇