5 Essential Plants For YOUR WILDLIFE POND

[@Jacksonknox834]

Joel I've just put some of these in my wildlife pond, some of my others are just beginning to bud, I spend hours just looking into the water fascinating little creatures,I'm no expert at it,and everything I've done from making the pond to planting it is all down to watching your content, I really look forward to watching your videos,even the family are now taking intrest and we are all learning together,spending time in the garden watching the wildlife as a family to me is the best medicine,Thank you

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Jackson, thank you so much - this comment has made my weekend :) I'm so glad the channel has been helpful and that the whole family are enjoying the garden and everything it will attract. Hope you all have a good weekend, give my regards to your family :) Best wishes, Joel

[@janiedunn637]

❤ how the pond is coming on. I’m going to email local councillors tomorrow about their stance on the cutting of the grassy areas near me. One of them is someone my hubby has known for about 40yrs .

[@robinr5337]

We put our pond in at the beginning of the pandemic. It has brought us so much joy. The plants are really filling in and the wildlife loves it. We are in the high desert of NM so the fresh water is important to many types of animals.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Wow Robin, so great to hear from you, particularly from New Mexico! They really do provide so much joy and a vital resource for our creatures so desperately in need right now. It's so good to read your message, thank you :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@archiediggins641]

I absolutely love the window box, beautiful.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Archie - with the materials I had (all reclaim) it seemed a shame to not use that wood to make something that could contain even more nectar sources, particularly so close to the habitat. Lots of updates to come. Best wishes, Joel

[@kevinking7860]

Couldn’t agree more I just finished digging my 8x10 pond used some old heavy duty carpet for the bottom already have 2 layers of fleece and the liner waiting to go My next job is ensuring its level as the ground here slopes Today I have been given some plants from an existing pond Iris bogbean and some spearwort etc I have several other mini ponds full of hornwort so it’s all looking good over the next few weeks Keep up the good work I left a small donation Kind regards Kev 🙏👍🙏

[@kevinking7860]

Thanks

[@malcolmbell5266]

Another great video Joel. Looking forward to having all these in and around the pond, Also like the idea of water soldiers as well

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Malcom, I can't wait to see you and get this project underway - definitely Water Soldier and so many others. Filmed the planting of the pond today and will be speaking about all the other plants included in it - but filming in the front garden is proving difficult some times as people stop and ask questions right when I'm in the middle of it! Some wonderful compliments this weekend and seems like a lot of people interested and intent on giving over some of their gardens to wildlife too :) Hope you've had a good one, catch up soon - Joel

[@nautilus2612]

I think there's another pond plant that's just as important, but very underrated: Potamogeton lucens. It's an oxygenating plant just like hornwort, but it spreads a lot less aggressively so it's suited for all ponds. Its leaves are used as cases for newt eggs too. Personally I think this is the plant with the most beautiful submerged foliage of all.

[@MarkyBigSmoke]

Enjoyed watching this one Joel! This was where I was around 14 months ago. Thanks to you and the amazing team I have all of those natives and more.

[@neenneen8868]

Just wanted to say thankyou so much for all the information, I’m a newbie to pond life but now have the pond of my dreams & I’m enjoying the learning..so again thank you 😊

[@slashingbison2503]

Just built a small garden pond next to my meadow so this info was great!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Glad this was helpful! Really appreciate you letting me know and for your encouragement, best wishes - Joel

[@keithhanssen7413]

Looking really good, Joel. Nice balance between formal and informal.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Keith, so much. I hope you are both doing well, do I "owe" you an email? Forgive me if so, but do feel free to send a reminder! Best wishes, as always - Joel

[@keithhanssen7413]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton thank you, Joel, I’m doing a little better after having what my doctors say was a panic attack before Christmas. I guess I was pushing myself too hard for the past few years and it finally caught up to me when we had a severe cold spell. I think maybe hypothermia triggered the attack. Word of wisdom - if you begin to feel sometimes that your emotions are getting the best of you and you feel as if your thoughts are a little out of control - it’s time to stop and slow down, otherwise you’ll wind up in the Emergency Room wondering if you’re having a heart attack. I still get jittery if I push myself a little too hard mentally or physically, but I think I’m recovering slowly. Our nervous systems take time to heal. Otherwise I’m doing great. Happy to have warm weather, warm rain showers, warm sunshine, and wildflowers! I don’t think you owe me anything, Joel. Thank you for your continued nature lovers videos.

[@SisterDogmata]

Hey Joel! I'm certainly going to take your advice when I make over my pond. There's a lot to be done but all the help is much appreciated. Your garden is looking lovely everything is growing so quick and looking amazing. Have a great bank hol weekend, hope you get some time to unwind. Best wishes.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hey! I had to rescue a Crow yesterday, stuck in the middle of the road, just about able to fly but he was unable to stand so trying to rock his way to the edge of the road - couldn't help but pick him up, he's with me now in Derbyshire, ate last night and took water but still unsteady so today I had to travel to a wildlife hospital and they advised he'd not fractured or broken anything but was painfully under weight. I now have really soft cat food, a fat syringe, nuts, fruit and mealworms to try to feed him whilst at the lodgings tonight - wish me luck, a video will no doubt follow! It never rains does it? Here's a link to what I was faced with yesterday: twitter.com/_JoelAshton/status/1660748812908912640 Going to be an interesting bank holiday weekend, he's travelling with me at the moment and I'm determined to get him back to health - best wishes, and enjoy your weekend too - Joel

[@SisterDogmata]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Good luck fingers crossed it will recover. I saved a magpie years ago that had a damaged wing. Took a couple of weeks but he recovered. He lived quite happily at the bottom of the garden for many years after. They don't seem to mind human interaction so it will soon get used to you. Nice he found you, I always think they know! Look forward to the video. Best wishes.

[@matthewgardiner6793]

Hello Joel greetings from NZ..was looking forward to this video,I don’t have water/ pond in my garden but I have on the farm here a natural stream which runs through the home field,it’s naturally planted but I have free sown other wild species along its edges..the wildlife is wonderful throughout the year , the stream widens and pools in parts so I may plant some Juncus I’m trying to keep it as natural as possible,I have a lovely stand of Manuka along it’s edge which brings hundreds of bees,…and the tiny native bird “Grey Warbler” nests here..I look forward to 5.30am Monday mornings to receive your latest videos,great way to start the week! Thankyou always so informative

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Matthew, thanks so much - it sounds absolutely perfect with the natural planting, and great re the additional seeding. Manuka... how brilliant - forgive me but I've seen the Manuka honey adverts (and the expense!) but I never even thought about the plant. Just googled the Grey Warbler and it's just as I thought, very similar to our Garden Warbler here - they're really shy and you can hear them before you see them. Glad this is a good start to the week and I really appreciate your encouragement and support - best wishes to you - Joel

[@matthewgardiner6793]

Hello Joel, missed my Monday 5.30am fix of you and your interesting,informative and very enjoyable video,the start to my working week here in NZ is not the same lol..when’s your next posting? seriously though Joel I’m loving your videos and hope you back soon,cheers👍

[@lynnrushton7458]

Woohoo! I’m so excited! Mr R finally dug the hole for my wildlife pond……it’s only taken 2 years! 🙈😂 we’ve had a digger on hire, for another job, so made the most of using it. Got a few other big jobs to do before creating the pond, but at least the hole is ready! Thank you for all of your advice Joel, I wouldn’t have a clue otherwise. Will be visiting your online shop when the time comes……can’t wait‼️😁

[@george-1961]

Thank you Joel

[@IsAbEL.12343]

HI Joel, You are a delight! I am so glad I discovered your channel. I have no frogs or other amphibians so decided there are not enough plants in my pond - I think some have died so have ordered some from your shop. From your list I already have hard rush, purple loostrife, lily and hornwort - but there is not much of this for some reason. So four out of five. I have water forgetmenot for the newts. I am looking forward to adding marsh marigold, frogbit and some more hornwort, and hoping for some amphibians.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Isobel! So sorry for the delay in acknowledging you, just trying to catch up with everyone now. Thank you so much for your custom, hornwort will die down in the winter time, as will most oxygenators - not die completely but go "dormant" and then they will rise up again in late Spring to do what they do best, and keep the water clear :) If you ever need any advice at all please always feel free to drop me a line and I'll happily help. Best wishes, and thank you for making a vital habitat for creatures so desperately in need of our help right now. Joel

[@IsAbEL.12343]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel, Thanks for reply. You didn`t need to - I know you`re very busy. We lived in the centre of Wigan for 30 years and only had a yard, but we always had an allotment. Many years ago I put in a wildlife pond. It was only tiny - 1 x 1 metres. When the committee found out we were told to remove it as it would attract birds and other pests or a child might fall in and drown and the allotment society wasn`t insured. We contacted the National allotment association who had started to recommend having a wildlife pond. So our committee had to agree to us having it - provided we paid for the insurance, which was £10 a year. So we had our wildlife and no children drowned. I now live at the top of the swansea valley - with a garden - but it has to compete with all the surrounding habitats. The pond is 4 years old. I had one croaking frog in the spring of the first year, but no frog spawn and nothing since -so I guess all the local frogs are quite happy in their own ponds. A friend has a pond with plenty of frog spawn every year. and every year a pair of ducks come and eat it all. So last year he gave me some before the ducks could pinch it. I did find some tiny frogs in the garden later in the summer so maybe some will make it to adulthood and return to spawn. Best wishes, Isabel

[@deborahflello2316]

very inspiring Joel thank you

[@brownfamily3218]

Hi Joel. My pond is doing well this year and a lot more of the plants have flowered. The marsh marigold was looking lovely earlier in the season and the bog bean and brook lime are now in flower. I'm hoping the blanket weed problem is starting to come to an end. I have been removing it by hand and it doesn't seem to be returning although there is still quite a lot of it. There didn't appear to be any hornwort left but now I've moved the blanket weed it has started to appear. While I've been pulling out the blanket weed I've been finding dragonfly and damselfly larva. Today I had a female broad-bodied chaser and a coupled pair of red damselflies hovering over the pond. I love your bug hotel. Have you done a video on how you made it?

[@helenanderson-smith5605]

I have lots of purple loostrife and yes the bees and butterflies absolutely love it.. I also wanted to say that for the first time this year (from the advice of one of your previous videos) I planted up some Nepeta around the pond area and it has really come into it's own. Also for the first time ever I've had a single Mint Moth on it and hoping for more as they are attracted to it. Always inspiring Joel. Thank you!

[@AmirsAllotment]

Great video Joel for a beginner like me, I am planning to add to my tiny pond in my garden. But also I have been thinking of creating a wildlife pond on my allotment plot. 👍🌱

[@Tofog22000]

Hornwort! I was looking for oxygenator plants, I will give this a try.

[@nautilus2612]

Plant Potamogeton lucens and Potamogeton perfoliatus if you can get them, they're also oxygenators and have the most beautiful submerged foliage.

[@Tofog22000]

@@nautilus2612 Thank You!

[@tee7jayyy]

Great video! Cheers

[@markhunter9387]

Super list of plants, but I was expecting Marsh Marigold to be included🐝

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Mark, the 5 I listed are what I would call essential to make a pond "work" - in and around this front garden pond there are circa 20 species, which I will be talking about but these 5 are to help dragonflies to emerge, water clarity, newts, nectar (Loosestrife) - but I'll be speaking about all the plants around this pond now I've planted them and Marsh Marigold is definitely included :) Hope you had a good weekend, best wishes - Joel

[@PaulOutdoors]

A marvellous top 5 Joel. I have a particular soft spot for Purple Loosestrife with its beautiful pollinator attracting spikes of pink/purple flowers. 🙏😊👍❤️

[@danyoutube7491]

It's a stunner isn't it!

[@pvaldes242]

My favourite pond plant for Europe could be probably the perennial Filipendula ulmaria. Looks very humble when seen among other pot plants; but adopt it and after a while will reward you with a lot of charming and elegant details. Low maintenance, wildlife friendly... The fantastic Crataegus-like fragrance is just the cherry on top. A must. Is more a bog plant than a pond one, but will fit easily in the perimeter of any pond. I would replace Lythrum with this if the pond is small

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Meadow Sweet.... yes agreed, I plant this in any damp meadow that I am creating for clients, and of course it does do well around the edges of ponds, thank you for this :) Best wishes, Joel

[@UkAmphibians]

Brilliant advice joel thanks for sharing 🐸💚🐸

[@giennefarcais6834]

I set up a small whiskey barrel (not wood, synthetic) last summer and it did well for a long time. We had a bad freeze in December and half the plants died. This year the hornwort completely took over, no matter how many times I removed it, it was just a complete slimy mess. I'm officially giving up and giving away the remaining plants and will plant flowers in it instead. On the bright side, I was visited by a red darter dragonfly, which I read is good luck, and the squirrels and birds enjoyed it as a drinking source. Some things just work, others don't. It was interesting to learn about all of it.

[@jackstone4291]

The bigger the co Rainer or pond the easier it is to maintain. Go bigger next time and choose plants carefully that are easy and hardy etc. Go for it!!

[@giselleevans3307]

Thanks. I’ll try it. The dwarf lilies are expensive

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Giselle, happy to offer advice on the right plants - feel free to drop me a line at [e-mail] - best wishes, Joel

[@itsmewende]

I planted loosestrife last yr, so far it's been fine, fingers crossed saying that didn't just jinx me. I found a nymph shell on my water canna a few yrs ago 😊

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Haha! Jinx, brilliant! Yay re the nymph shell, there's so much hidden life in a pond, waiting to emerge as beautiful creatures :) Hope you and yours are well - best wishes, Joel

[@itsmewende]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton All good here. Can I send you a photo or 2-3 of an idea I have to turn a planter into a simple fountain, just a bubblier. I don't have a clue how much water I'd need or size pump. Hope your wildlife garden has everything you hoped moving in.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@itsmewende Of course Wende! Do send to [e-mail] as I'll see it there and hope to get back to you asap! Don't hesitate

[@itsmewende]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks.

[@capo3645]

great video thank you. do you have any advice for adding mosses to the garden?

[@titiaswildlifecottagegarden]

Hi Joel, A while ago I bought some pond plants from my local garden center. Purple loosestrife was one of them and luckily for me there was one left 😁 I made a list accoording to your book and with the list I searched for suitable plants. They are now tenporarily in a tub with shallow water and in the tub pond. I will order soon some more, when I have started digging away the actual soil. The progress of the wildlife pond digging is slow, have so far only stripped of a third of the grass. Filming the entire process isn't making it faster😁 Wednesday I will tackle the other part of the grass layer. A while before that I had not much energy left to do any kind of hard physical work without physically shaking😥 A while ago you mentioned you had a new emailaddress, but I can't exactly renember what it was, in case I needed some assistence. Was it enquiries wildyourgarden or hazelwoodlandscapes? Best regards, Titia

[@kevinking7860]

Same as you not getting any younger almost gave up at one stage lol Now the 10x8x2 has water and plants in On day 2 a damsel fly flew across so my work was not in vane 😂

[@titiaswildlifecottagegarden]

@@kevinking7860 I will do a little bit every week, but it's a large pond to dig on my own. Even if it will take me all summer, I will finish it by the end of summer💪🏻

[@shaunpriestley9768]

Now then Joel, I love your work as iam a wildlife pond fanatic my self and love dragonflies and especially amphibians and Iam going to make my own pond hopefully later this year and I was wondering 🤔 what long term pond liner you would recommend as you obviously have great knowledge on this? Please let me know, Thankyou shaun.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Great to hear there are so many pond advocates :) Everything I use in my own projects is available to buy in the UK - www.wildyourgarden.com - growers and suppliers I've been using for nearly 20 years :) Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@truthfulremedy_aka_lennybee]

Hi Joel, what would you recommend from your shop for the blagdon nature pond? Want the right balance… along with a little colour, hopefully you’ll have them in stock!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - I can certainly help, drop me a line at [e-mail] and I'll be happy to advise - best wishes, Joel

[@Groobyboo]

Is there another video showing you planting them yet? I have the fringe lily and hard rush which I purchased from your shop. Thank you

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - not yet, however as you've purchased from us please drop me a line at [e-mail] and I'll happily advise on what to do and where - if you could send a photo of the pond too then that would be great. Many thanks - Joel

[@seanmurphy5768]

Hi joel great video as usual but would you have and recommendations on a very durable pond liner as i have 2 dogs and 1 pond and they keep jumping into it during hot weather and they keep puncturing the liner I’ve replaced the liner maybe 3 times or more but i used a cheapish pvc liner each time whst would you recommend. Also i had fencing around it but they hopped it and it also looks unsightly. Thanks Sean

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Sean - my ponds that I create (not this one typically!) have the layers of fleece either side, plus the subsoil on top of course - drop me a line at [e-mail] and I can advise easier, and am happy to help - best wishes, Joel

[@DannyBaron-h3t]

I have a shady side on my pond, what can I plant in/ around for wildlife? My pond is just lined pvc nothing on top, cheers !

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - if you wanted to send a photo and some measurements to me at [e-mail] I'll happily advise on what's best for your situation, the species and quantities so you don't over-order or buy plants that will soon take-over a pond. Best wishes, Joel

[@DannyBaron-h3t]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I will email some stuff over now :) thanks !

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@DannyBaron-h3t No worries - I'll try to have a look tomorrow and be back to you

[@HaloXIIII]

Are purple loosestrife okay for smaller ponds? I was originally looking at Iris's but I think they were a little too large for my setuo

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello there - if you're in the UK then please feel free to send a photo or two of the pond and I'll happily recommend the best for your situation - irises can work but it depends on the species and I can recommend the amount of loosestrife - [e-mail] - best wishes, Joel

[@carolarmstrong4979]

After your recommendation of The fringed water lily I had a look online and discovered it is an invasive species and a big problem in Ireland. Should you be recommending it ?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Carol, I'm in Britain and for the last 20 years have created both small urban and larger acre site ponds, I've always used FWL in all creations. I do know that it is invasive in Ireland and can't be sold - there are many plants here that are considered invasive in the USA and vice versa, it's difficult to keep up with everyone and cater for the whole world, so I appreciate people like yourself actually looking into the plants they are buying for their area and ensuring they aren't considered invasive or indeed banned etc. Thank you, best wishes - Joel

[@carolarmstrong4979]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel. Thanks for your swift reply. I do like the look of the FWL so if you really think its ok I will get some. I'm in Cumbria by the way.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@carolarmstrong4979 You're very welcome Carol, if you wanted to send me a photo of the pond then I can recommend a suitable quantity, not knowing how big the pond is here - feel free to drop me a line at [e-mail] and I'm happy to help - the specialist UK growers that I use for all my projects are the same who supply our Wild Your Garden plants - best wishes, Joel

[@blue2mato312]

Hornwort is not allowed to be sold in shops Norway even though it’s native. It is even very threatened in the wild and rare. There are some sold among aquarium owners (legally I think) but I wouldn’t know if it’s the real species or if there would be aquarium lifeforms travelling with it. I hoped to find out I had chosen right for my container but oh well 😅 I might have put in too many, but the water have started to grow brownish algae on the sides. I got frogbit, flowering rush, marestail and water forgetmenot. And I couldn’t have gotten these in Oslo, by chance I found through a neighbour and a 30 min drive from the cottage a little pet shop with pondplants. Both frogbit and flowering rush is very endangered and rare in the wild so I’m happy about that. One of the pots has a mystery yellow flower seeded in beside the other plant, I have no idea what it is but it is sunken down right now. For the pond minimeadow I did get three purple loosestrifes, one in a big pot and two in medium pots. I planted plugs among them of red campion, arnica montana, oxeye daisies, ragged robin, Solidago virgaurea, harebell (our bluebells, they are called bluebells in Norwegian) and a Cota tinctoria which had seeded itself in the big loosestrifepot.

[@danielmerrell8926]

i love hard rush but i have heard it can puncture liners is this true ?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Daniel, I think you might have been told this about bulrush, there are several plants that people recommend that are certainly not good for small ponds, or indeed wildlife but hard rush isn't one of them - if you're in the UK and want advice on the right plants then do drop me a line at [e-mail] ☺ Best wishes, Joel

[@HenryLanepilkington]

i’m in ireland and the fringed water lily is invasive, would you say it would be appropriate to substitute it with the white water lily?

[@CraigT08]

Would the brooklime work in a bog filter on an aquarium do you think 🤔

[@sawf6962]

Is there a best aspect for a pond? I have a south facing spot but I'm not sure if it would heat up too much.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - feel free to drop me a line at [e-mail] and I'll be able to see the area a little easier and be able to advise, a few photos will suffice - apologies I haven't been able to respond sooner, just trying to catch up with everyone now. Best wishes - Joel

[@sallydavies2563]

Hi Joel, How long does it take, on average, for a new pond to clear after planting up, if planted around now (end April)?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Sally, are you using the subsoil method that I show? If so, it should settle within a week - any wind/rain or visiting animals will stir it up, but once the plants have established they will help of course. Hope this helps but if you want me to see the pond and advise, then do send some photos to [e-mail] and I'll be happy to help - best wishes, Joel

[@sallydavies2563]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton we didn’t use this method when we created the pond (I wish I’d seen your video before we made it!), but since we last exchanged emails, I’ve added the water crowfoot and adapted one side of the pond by adding rocks and using your method on the shelf and replanted some of the marginals in the sub soil, but the rest of the plants are in baskets, for now at least. Once the water has cleared and I can see where everything is, I may try to do more of the pond with that method but it’s difficult now a lot is established (the pond is over a year old).

[@sallydavies2563]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I’m coming to the conclusion that the murky water problem may be caused by chalk leaching into the pond Fromm some chalk boulders near the edges of the pond so I’ve removed these just in case

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@sallydavies2563 Sorry Sally, I remember now! But do feel free to drop me some photos if you can - I doubt very much that the chalky boulders will be of detriment - some of my best ponds are on chalk ground subsoil - but I'm still happy to have a look :)

[@sallydavies2563]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton I’m not convinced - a lot of the rocks have crumbled after being so wet and then frozen through the winter and I can see ‘milky’ water where the crumbly bits fall into the pond. Well, I’ve moved them all now anyway 😊. I have been given two big clumps of sweet flag and a plant I don’t know the name of, by my daughter who’s just moved into a house with a tiny preformed plastic pond that they’re getting rid of so I’ve split that up and planted it today, along with a flowering rush I bought. Fingers crossed the extra marginals and water crowfoot will do the trick. While I stopped for a cuppa, I was excited to see 2 orange tip butterflies flitting around my clump of garlic mustard and noticed that great tits are now using the nest box just above! 😍 Looking forward to your next video. I’ve always loved gardening, especially for wildlife but your videos have made me more aware of the detail and what to look for where.

[@jamespercival8070]

Hi Joel, can you still plant in June/July. Got a new pond planned in my garden but won't get chance to dig it until summer?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there James, absolutely you can, I plant from April until October - if you wanted to send an email to us at www.wildyourgarden.com when you're near to starting then I'm happy to advise on quantity of liner/fleece so you don't over-order and plants of course. Feel free to drop me a line at any point. Hope this brings some relief - best wishes, Joel

[@jamespercival8070]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton that's great thanks Joel, got your book and videos at the ready, will get it measured out and dug and be in touch 👍👍👍

[@jamespercival8070]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Hi Joel, I have sent you an email and now dug the pond. Thanks

[@annbashir5888]

Where I live there aren't any aquatic plants available .Are there any garden plants that could be used in a pond?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Whereabouts are you living Ann? I might be able to help, but would need to know where in the world you are before I could recommend anything, happy to do so :) Best wishes, Joel

[@gillc2852]

Hi Joel my pond is 12mths old but the water is green I've tried liquid fixes but don't know what else to do any ideas

[@Andy.C1993]

Will hornwurt kill my other plants buy taking all the nutrients i just used 3 bunches in my small 55ltr pond??

[@Edward_Joseph_]

I've seen your how to make a wildlife pond vid, but how would you build a pond like this?

[@charlotteseden9303]

I've been looking for hornwort in my area but cannot find it at all. The stores do not carry it. Amazon has it but not sure in what condition they will arrive. Will look around some more I guess🙂

[@gillc2852]

I've had some from waterworld in Neston

[@thebutterfly1356]

Hey. I'm new to your channel. I've just been gifted a very small pond which I'm going to make into a wildlife garden. How many different plant varieties will I need? Also it's not going to be in full sun all day. It's a light area but only has sun in the morning. Will that be ok? 😊

[@Tea_and_thyme_2012]

Can I ask Joel if you can have a water lily in a pond with a fountain or do they not like the splashing of water. We have a pond in the home garden with fish and a wildlife pond on our allotment and I’d love to have water lily in them both.

[@nautilus2612]

Water lilies shouldn't be planted in moving waters with fountains. If there's an area in the pond that's far enough from the fountain you can plant it there.

[@pvaldes242]

In running water I would use Ranunculus or Potamogeton instead. First is covered in white flowers in spring and wants cold water. The second has green small flowers but very nice leaves.

[@robertsmithshair4199]

your neighbours must be so envious, when they walk by

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Not the one that strolls about with the Weedol in a holster, randomly spraying a CONCRETE front patio! I detest even the allegedly "organic" pesticides - so much food for birds and other insects that get removed - hopefully people will realise that having a garden set up correctly means that natural predators will abound :) A passer-by is still insisting that my pond is "a waste of time if it's not going to have fish in it, and no way will it keep clear without pumps and filters..." - can't wait for his opinion in a month or so :) Hope you're doing well - best wishes, Joel

[@robertsmithshair4199]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Christ! does the logo on the pick up, and beautifully crafted landscaping not give anything away about what you do for a living then? 😂 as for the cowboy with the roundup holster…

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@robertsmithshair4199 🤣🤣 Brilliant description! I kinda get the feeling it's done to show me "what's what", including the twice a week stints with scissors ensuring NO leaves trespass on his back garden boundary, I am not joking when I say he almost patrols to ensure no shrubs dare to encroach upon his space - the difference between our gardens is immense! Lots of compliments from passersby though, and most within ear-shot on the weed killing exercises....

[@finnerzUK]

I added plants to my pond and it’s almost comply evaporated. Do you have any recommendations or suggestions? It’s evaporating that much at the moment I would be topping it up constantly. I’m going to set up a rain water harvesting system and maybe a drain off the chicken coop that goes straight into the pond however with this warm weather I’m going to have a completely dry pond soon. I’m wondering if I should just let it dry out completely but I would hate for my plants to dry out and I’ve seen a lot of birds using it . It was doing ok once the liner settled but now it’s evaporating at a rate of knots . I’m guessing I made the margins too shallow and it’s heating up too fast ? Thanks

[@pvaldes242]

Your pond may be leaking. Check it Or maybe is simply too small. You may want to rebuild it as a bigger and deeper 2.0 version. Chicken coop leaks contaminating the pond can be a problem also

[@rezaamini2388]

Hi , please can u tell me if "Duck weed" is harmful and should be removed as "Blanket weed". I think its brought on by a frog and now has covered the whole surface of my pond. Cheers

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Reza, it's not harmful in any way - it can take over so I would recommend removing some of it with a net as it can block light coming into a pond. But tadpoles do feed on this so it's a food source too :) Hope this helps - Joel

[@alanthecat59]

😻😻😻

[@leftwingeyeball5862]

Why do some shops sell hornwort with a weight?

[@kevinking7860]

Sometimes it’s for aquarists it can be tropically grown in tanks also Its not really fussy where it grows as long as its in the water !

[@leftwingeyeball5862]

I've put hornwort in my new wildlife pond but it has all died, and the native milfoil doesn't look too healthy either. The only oxygenator that seems to survive so far is water crowfoot that is even flowering but even that doesn't look hugely bushy and green. Anyone got any advice what im doing wrong?

[@leftwingeyeball5862]

A lot of the hornwort also seemed to get covered in blanket weed too after it died or when it was very sick.

[@blue2mato312]

Fringe water lily is not a native to the UK as far as I can see? It is native to the mediterranean and parts of Asia. Ireland is trying to eradicate it as it is a threat to native biodiversity and in Norway it is considered a High Risk plant to our nature.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there! So sorry I missed this. Fringed Water Lily is native to parts of the UK, but apparently in other areas it can be known as an "escapee" - but it's not invasive and so good for wildlife. I didn't know about it being so bad in Norway! Best wishes, Joel

[@blue2mato312]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you for clearing that up! I’m looking into waterplants in hopes of making container ponds next year. It’s not easy getting enough information about plants online or if containerponds survive the winter at all here. But we have a species databank online which is very useful for all living species and redlisted/blacklisted species.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@blue2mato312 Fantastic - don't forget I'm here if you need any advice at all or help in resourcing, I'm more than happy to help - [e-mail] will come to me directly :) Take good care, and thanks again for everything - Joel

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

Temperature is not the cause of algae blooms, sediments that approach an anaerobic condition causes algae blooms by providing more nutrients. .... From biologists who design totally native and natural waters. By the way native wildlife strongly perfer native plant species.

[@cathdiago7800]

I would recommend not using those flags around your pond. Not wildlife friendly. In hot weather the small froglets will be cooked on them ☹️

[@iowaclassic]

No to loosestrife.

[@Grizel61]

Fringed water lily is no good for a small wildlife pond. It will rapidly cover it completely.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Grizel - but I've been making ponds of all sizes for over 20 years, and it's not impossible to control or cut back in any way. It's very good for wildlife but is of course considered invasive in some countries, not in the UK though thankfully. Best wishes, Joel