Wildlife Pond Revisited After 4 Years

[@Narnendil]

I love seeing revisited places, because it gives a better look on what it actually looks like, compared to when it's newly made.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you :) Am really glad you enjoyed this update, many more to come, it's a very busy period at the moment but there will be time towards end of Autumn that I will be concentrating more on the channel and uploading a lot more soon :) Thank you for your support, it's appreciated - best wishes, Joel

[@sillybeeful]

We are so delighted that we have a frog using our pond, thanks Joel for your videos and your book, brilliant 🐸

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Absolutely thrilled to hear this Sarah - knowing there's many more habitats now being created is reward in itself and I really appreciate your kind words and letting me know :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@pkpcmu]

That's a beautiful pond! Wonderful creation Joel.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there, thank you so much for your kind comments and support, they really make a difference and I'm glad you enjoyed the video - best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@jamescunningham1973]

Joel,i think the biggest compliment i can give is to say that if i came across this pond i would think that nature made it,great job

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you James, so much - I really appreciate it :) Hope you've had a good weekend, a new video at 6pm this evening - best wishes, Joel

[@JustJane1972]

Lovely video to see a pond so successful!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you - they establish so well and with little maintenance, who needs artificial pumps and filters hey? :) Best wishes, Joel

[@normancoutts]

Looking great Joel - the pond I mean! I am just about to place my order and start the build after rewatching your 3 part series many times. Thanks for all your encouragement and advice. :-)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Not me?! Haha. You are very welcome Norman, you know where I am if you need any more advice/help - come Spring and possibly before of course, you will certainly be rewarded for your efforts :) Best wishes, as always - Joel

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

What a great pond. Very natural and a great size. I can imagine sitting on that deck myself. I have that willow herb in my garden and find that leaf cutter bees use it a great deal for nest building, so worth allowing a little in the garden.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello :) Currently stuck in a fuel queue as on my way up to Yorkshire at the moment, this must be about the 5th garage I've tried, whether I get back from Yorkshire is another story! ;) Yes, Willow Herb much appreciated by the leaf-cutter bees, saw loads of it in Scotland and it certainly brightens many areas, but it does like self-seeding! :) Best wishes as always - hope you and yours are doing well - Joel

[@wildlifegardener-tracey6206]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton It does self seed a lot but not too bad in my garden and easily removed as you say.Hoppe you managed to fill up.

[@george-1961]

Love that pond Joel. Thank you for the upload and great info 😉👌🏻

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

You are VERY welcome George - so sorry that I've had to be "absent" of late, so many videos still to upload but it's been meadow works for all of September and going into the first 2 weeks of October, so I've not been at home to be able to edit/upload but I am finding time every day to make a few short videos on the wildlife I see, or updates when I have revisited meadow works and client's gardens :) Thanks for your patience and continued support, it doesn't go unnoticed - best wishes as always - Joel

[@george-1961]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you Joel. Can’t wait for the new videos when you get the chance to upload them 🤞🏻

[@deborahflello2316]

Fabulous to see this again. Wow!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Deborah. Hope you’re well. Yes, it was great to get back here again and see it developing nicely 😊👍

[@453421abcdefg12345]

A very nice balanced pond, I like the use of the dry stone wall at one end, that is a very good habitat for many type of insects and amphibians ,I find also that the Southern Hawker dragonfly uses just this situation to lay eggs on the stone, I had this happen many times and presumably the hatching nymphs drop down into the water. Stay safe! Chris B.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hey :) Thank you Chris - yep, agreed re the Southern Hawkers - am currently sat in a queue for fuel as I've had to travel up from Essex to Yorkshire and it's taken 5 attempts so far to get diesel to be able to make the 5 hour journey, not even thinking about how I am going to get back in a week's time! ;) At least I've actually found fuel though to be able to get anywhere! Catch up soon, hope you and yours are well - Joel

[@PaulOutdoors]

Wow Joel just wow. That paradise is testament to your enthusiasm and wholehearted commitment to assisting our flora and fauna and us humans to live side by side and thrive. You will have already inspired many to create habitats of all sizes. You should be very proud of your contribution to making the world that we share a better place. Thank you. Paul 👍😊

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Wow. Thank you Paul for such a positive and heartwarming comment 😊 Ot really helps a lot and I just hope that I can continue to inspire as many people as possible so create habitats for wildlife 👍 Hope you’re well and stay in touch

[@markhunter2244]

Amazing looking pond, it looks like it’s been there forever, the home owners and wildlife must be very happy with it 🦔🐝

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Mark, so much. It brings a lot of joy to the owners and of course they see a great amount of wildlife enjoying it and making the most of this habitat too, wish it was mine! :) Best wishes - Joel

[@markrowland5393]

Looks fantastic. Really well established now. And many congrats on 20k plus subs. Very well deserved.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Mark - haven't been able to keep up much, took three goes at this video last night and it finally uploaded this morning! Lots more to bring you, as winter approaches I will have much more time (where has this year gone?!), really pleased re the subs and views of the channel, hoping that this encourages more and more people to garden with wildlife in mind :) Just filling up with diesel as I am on my way up to Yorkshire now for hay-cut, meadow works, pretty touch and go this morning in trying to get fuel of course! Best wishes, as always - Joel

[@greycatblue]

We installed our pond this year and it is now teeming with nymphs of Broad bodied chasers🤗

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hello you! :) I hope to see this pond one day VERY soon, hoping for it to be next year when I can travel and see you both - great news re the Broad Bodied Chasers, what a sight they will be when they emerge :) Hope you're both doing fine - best wishes as always - Joel

[@gardeninside1367]

I like the pond, it's very beautiful !!😁✨

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you very much. It’s looking good even after 4 years 😊👍

[@mogenvonbogel7342]

Great pond

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you so much - I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a positive comment, it does make a difference :) Hope you are having a good weekend - best wishes, Joel

[@nswart2093]

Thanks a lot Joel! I was just about to start working on my (small) garden according to my formal/modern designplans which took me ages to design. I was finally happy with the design. But oh no! I had to stumble on your youtube channel. And now i want a wildlife friendly pond. Which don’t fit my design. Lets start over again🙂 Thanks a lot Joel! Thanks a lot wildlife critters!

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi. So glad you have seen the light! Keep me posted as to how you get on 😁👍 Good luck

[@CastleKnight7]

Super looking pond! 👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you very much :) They establish literally in weeks of course and will have wildlife visiting them within hours - best wishes, Joel

[@micksmusicchannel]

Excellent and what a great looking pond.. it looks like it's been there forever doesn't it. An amazing resource and habitat for a variety of wildlife. Thanks for posting Joel, just in time for my lunch break 🙂👍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

You are very welcome Mick :) This video took about 5 attempts to upload since last night and I gave it one more go early this morning, so glad it's uploaded at last! You're right, this pond certainly looks older than it is, although of course we know that they establish in no time at all. I do get a thrill when going back for other works needed and seeing everything just as I left it/planned it - nature sorts itself out in the end :) Best wishes as always, hope you had a good lunch - Joel

[@gillianmillard2446]

Love it 😍

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you Gillian :) Have a great weekend, best wishes - Joel

[@SereneSoakingSounds]

Hi there sorry ive missed so much Im playing catch up now cant wait to se all that you have been doing, its like binging my favorite series 🙂💕 God bless you all 😀 take care

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Nice to hear from you - hope you’re keeping well. Favourite series - I’m honoured! 😁👍

[@EasyHikes4810]

What a great pond, Joel. So well established and it looks so healthy and idyllic with the house in the background👌. I have just given mine a bit of a haircut as it was getting a bit out of hand with my amazon swords plants throwing shoots in the gardens and looking like a scary movie like Day of the Triffids. Have a great week! Laurie and Karen

[@jojoba11]

That looks lovely! Congratulations! One day I'll have a pond, when i have a bit of a garden, god willing ;)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thank you so much, really appreciate your kind comments :) Here's to wishing to a garden of your very own sooner than you think possible - if you have a small space then a barrel pond is a good idea, there is a video on the channel of this - best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@jojoba11]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton For now, just a small balcony so I have to keep it really simple. One day! I still enjoy watching your videos all the same :)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

@@jojoba11 thank you 😊 There’s certainly more to come in the coming weeks. Keep doing what you’re doing - it’s a big help 👍

[@gaad45]

This is a wonderful piece of Nature in its prime ❤️. Did you add on top of the liner to grow Hydrilla and other plants ? Every one advices not to add soil to pond. But you hv archived the results by doing so. Amazing

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there! So sorry for not being able to reply to you sooner but the heatwave in the UK lately meant that we could not work so we have been having to work extra hours and weekends to be able to keep up, so I have not been able to be on YT to answer people. Yes, it must be SUBSOIL when adding to the pond so that it is low-nutrient and allows planting directly into the soil meaning no need for baskets etc. There are a few videos on the channel showing how I do this and a 3 part "how to" video that you might enjoy. I really appreciate your kind words and support - it means a lot. Best wishes to you and yours, Joel

[@williamsclive2900]

Looks absolutely stunning even at this time of the year Joel... hope you and yours are well 👊

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Clive. Yeah it was good to see it again. All well here mate, just looking forward to a break 😊👍 Hope you’re well

[@jmo2104]

Did you make a video of creating this garden? If so could you add a link to be able to see it? I So admire your work! You have inspired me. I'm a 62-year-old woman out here hand digging my own wildlife pond and loving it. It keeps growing though, lol. But I don't care I'm not in any hurry so I'm making it exactly what I want. Anyway would love to have seen the beginning of this beautiful pond.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi. Thank you so much for commenting. Sorry for the delay - busy time here at the moment. Sadly, I didn’t film the installation of this pond, but have been filming many installations this year, and will be posting them to the channel this coming autumn and winter, so stay tuned if you can 😊 Also, hats off to you for doing what you do for wildlife - it’s encouraging to know that many people are doing their bit for wildlife. I just hope I can continue to inspire many more to do the same 😊 Take care

[@gotthyme]

I like the years after showing-How often do you need to clean out the invasive plants

[@vincentlimagne9768]

Great video and job done with this pound Joel ! I suppose the whole wildlife of a pound is living in ?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Vincent :) Thanks so much for your kind words, they're appreciated! Yes, there is lots of wildlife in and around this pond, a lot of the amphibians will have moved away to other areas of the garden now looking for habitat to hibernate in soon, but they will be making the most of it again in Spring, guaranteed :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@titiasplantedaquariums]

That pond looks gorgeous. I'm now over half gone through your book and can't wait to implement some things. Probably a little bit of a time, until I made a full plan and planting layout for the backyard. There are a few things I like to change, for example move the location of the trash wheel bins, so that I can squeeze in a bit more planting space. My goal is an English cottage style garden with wildlife friendly (small) pond and plants. But I don't have a full picture yet of how that can combine and must look. If I can't figure it out, I will ask for local professional help or yours in regards of design and plant list👍🏻

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Thanks Titia, if you needed help remotely in the future then you can email me at [e-mail] - best wishes, Joel

[@marekkamocki2457]

Nice! This garden is overall amazing. Do you build the wall and the deck on top the liner? I wonder how you keep it waterproof:)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hey Marek! Hope you and yours are doing well :) Yes the wall and deck are on top of the liner, pretty detailed to explain here, but good guess ;) Best wishes - Joel

[@tuscan440r]

Followed the subsoil technique you promote back in march and the pond looks amazing. Planning an adjacent stream next to it as a separate water course to prevent the negative effects of a pump on the pond. Have you done anything like this before? Would be interested to see if you had

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Would be good to see some pics 👍 I tend not to use a pump as they can be a complication, but will he posting a video of a pond and steam I created a couple of years ago this autumn, so hopefully that should help 😊👍

[@tuscan440r]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton definitely, looking forward to that!

[@phedrob3735]

Hi Joel, another great video. Thank you so much for what you do. I have a question. If a pond is built primarily for wildlife, is it a good or bad idea to introduce some small fish native to the UK?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Rob - you are so very welcome, I am just so glad that the channel is helping/encouraging more habitats for creatures so desperately in need right now. Small native fish should be fine, I do have a few "rescues" in my pond and even in the barrel pond in my garden, they do help keep the mosquito larvae "down" in numbers but just keep your eye on them, or it is possible to "split" a pond so that fish are in one part but amphibians can "choose" to use the non-fish part and breed successfully. If you need any help/advice just shout :) Best wishes, and thanks again for your support - Joel

[@phedrob3735]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thank you Joel, I was thinking of something small like sticklebacks

[@pascalhibon7928]

I stumbled upon your channel by accident; great stuff! Quick question: most people agree that a pond should be filled using tap water. However, since the pond is located outside and it rains from time to time, the pond will eventually get filled with rain water. Why is that we should fill up the pond with tap water in the first place?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Pascal, I am glad you had that accident and found me! ha :) It's a good question, but I think mainly for me that if there is no rain water available, from water butts and containers then due to the time-limit that we have with making the ponds, tap water is best - this just ensures that we know that the pond is holding water well, and that we can plant everything before we leave, particularly the floating leaved plants and marginals which like their "feet" in the water. If there is no time limit then we can hope for rain - I built a pond in the Panama jungle this year and when we were digging it was non-stop rain, but when we stopped work so did the rain! We could not use tap water in a remote place of course but I have been sent photos of the pond completely full and with visitors already now :) I hope this helps, best wishes to you and yours for 2023 - Joel

[@christianadams9114]

Hi Joel, thank you for your service to nature. Have you ever used clay/bentonite clay instead of PVC liner. Also do I need a propagator to germinate Field Scabious? Tried in the spring and failed. Trying again now but they’ve been covered in a tray for three weeks and yet no sign of emergence. Any advice would be great.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there Christian :) Thank you, so much - appreciated! I've never used clay/bentonite but I wouldn't be averse to that method. Plants may take a while to establish if planting directly into it as it's obviously very low in nutrient. Re the Field Scabious, you can sow directly or under glass. Easiest to sow directly in autumn as seeds require a period of cold to germinate. Germination takes 14-28 days but can be erratic and take many months - hope that helps, it's certainly worth a go and very achievable :) Best wishes to you and yours - Joel

[@christianadams9114]

Thanks for your help. There I was thinking it was just Yellow Rattle that needed cold treatment. Btw like you I have a mild obsession with Birds foot trefoil. I’m trying to establish a large patch of it next to my main meadow.

[@mrfunkymuir]

Would you add any small pond fish ? Great habitat for a few to thrive

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there :) I'm not averse to fish, I do like them, but I would only recommend small natives to the country you're in - they will add nutrient to ponds, which encourages algal growth, this is why you see such expensive pump/filter set-ups in koi ponds for example. None of the ponds I make need filters due to the planting used, but in a large-ish pond a few small native fish will be ok, but they can of course feast on smaller invertebrates. If it at all possible, it's best to have one pond for the fish and one for the frogs, newts, toads, dragonflies etc. Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@bigpimpinbig1]

Beautiful. What oxygenator is in this pond? Have you ever put Hippus Vulgaris in a pond? Thinking of trying it out:)

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Carsten, the majority is hornwort. I don't tend to plant Hipparis Vulgaris in ponds (it's also known as Mare's Tail) due to it being pretty invasive and can take over in a short time, but if the water body is large enough and able to be maintained it should be fine :) Hope that helps, thank you for your support it is appreciated - best wishes - Joel

[@apexjunky]

Hey Joel ....what's your opinion on diverting roof rain water runoff into a wildlife pond?

[@ptaszorr]

Hi Joel, how big is that pond?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi there - approx 7m x 4m :) Best wishes, Joel

[@ptaszorr]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton Thanks for the answer :)

[@tonybenson3897]

What plants would be recommended for a wildlife pond 2x2m? Looking to build a garden wildlife pond next spring

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Tony. Can you drop us a line at [e-mail] please and we can advise you. 👍

[@jaypeter7446]

Question: Is it possible to build a pond without using plastic?

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Jay - it is possible, absolutely - it is down to the soil and size usually - bentonite clay can be used but that is usually for much larger ponds, if the soil is already heavy clay then no liner would be needed, but it would need topping up - the rubber we use as liner is Butyl and recommended by Greenpeace as the best material due to it being manufactured from recycled tyres :) Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@alisonburgess345]

Oasis for the local beasties! Take it to Chelsea.

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hey :) Thank you, if I had the *time*, if I just had the *time*... and a sponsor or two, I understand it's a lot of hard hard work and takes many weeks/months in prep etc before the actual show - not averse to hard work of course but it really is just the time factor - hope you and yours are doing well - best wishes as always - Joel

[@dazellis8057]

What fish could go in there thoigh

[@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton]

Hi Daz - in the UK minnow and other smaller fish can go in but we don't recommend fish in general in these ponds as they're for wildlife and the fish add to the nutrient level with their excrement, hence most fish/koi ponds needing artificial filtration to keep them clear. I do like fish, but they will make an impact on these ponds. Hope this helps - best wishes, Joel

[@dazellis8057]

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshtoncheers i have never been a fan of carp there just to common for me it's all people seem to build a pond for I'd add some sort of small natural wetland filter if it was needed atleast that's the direction I'd want to go