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Wilding resources

FireFire Posts: 17,116
edited June 2022 in Wildlife gardening
This is a thread for form content on 'wilding'. I'm intent on not getting hung on specific terms, schools or scenes. It's the spirit of the endeavour that counts, not the name. I'm seeing this thread a resource that can hopefully be helpful if you are interested. The elements are not intended to suggest a panacea, criticism or whine. They are not here to guilt-trip any one. They are not here to "stuff down your throat". If this isn't your thing, that's fine too.

I know lots of forum members are doing loads of these kind of things already and have done for decades - elements, projects, having wholescale wild gardens and running professional services. Please do add in resources that you think might be useful.

Thanks


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  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,407
    Sounds great! 👍
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    edited June 2022
    This is a video (10 mins) on one way of creating an urban wildlife garden. It shows ponds using roof runoff, native hedging, bog garden, dead hedging and a kind of non-intervention 'curation'.



  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,407
    I really like that. I'd love a proper pond, but in a tiny garden with a huge cherry tree, it would get tons of leaves in it - my thinking is that I couldn't have a pond big enough for that not to not matter.
    We have a bowl pond with plants and logs in, but it's no good for amphibians to spawn in or dragonflies etc, it's only ever had pond skaters and water beetles - which I am happy with! 
    I have got a plan for some big old rotting logs I've kept though.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,158
    Quite a lot on You tube if you ignore all the rubbish.
    Wild your Garden with Joel Ashton lots of vids on his channel and Dave Goulson does some good videos.
    If you put Isabella Tree into a Youtube search you'll find several talks.
    I don't have a TV so all my watching is Youtube.
    Also, if I'm allowed to use such language, a select few Facebook groups. If you just visit the right groups you don't have to put up with the other crap


    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    Dave Goulson, prof at Univeristy of Sussex, posts regularly and has published verious books on garden wilding. He's a trustee of the Bumblebee Trust.




  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    edited June 2022
    Knepp Wildland in Sussex.


    Some rewiling articles and papers.


    Isabella Tree of Knepp




  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 722
    edited June 2022
    Slow-worm said:
    I really like that. I'd love a proper pond, but in a tiny garden with a huge cherry tree, it would get tons of leaves in it - my thinking is that I couldn't have a pond big enough for that not to not matter.
    We have a bowl pond with plants and logs in, but it's no good for amphibians to spawn in or dragonflies etc, it's only ever had pond skaters and water beetles - which I am happy with! 
    I have got a plan for some big old rotting logs I've kept though.

    I have seen lots of comment from people about fallen leaves being bad for a pond but have had them falling in the pond here without doing anything about it and still got dragonflies and tadpoles so I think it is more a worry for people looking for a neat looking pond that you could keep fish in rather than being something that stops it being good for wildlife.

    Have tried to make welcoming wildlife in the garden here a priority but don't get hung up on everything I plant having to be native. I think people are allowed play a part in the environment and if that includes spreading non invasive plants to areas where they can still support wildlife then I don't see the problem with enjoying them in the garden.

    I have made play lists of what is in flower in my own garden by month of the year in case that helps people select flowers for pollinators in months where their own garden might benefit from some more variety. Lots of wildflowers will self seed from plants that introduce themselves rather than having to buy in seeds and plants for this with fox gloves, bird's foot trefoil and clover doing great at the moment.

    A pond is something well worth bringing to the garden even if it is not perfect.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • Slow-wormSlow-worm Posts: 1,407
    I don't think they're bad at all, I just don't want to be pulling the excess out. My garden is geared towards wildlife. I'm just saying that I haven't got the space for a big (or even medium sized) pond, and I don't want fish. The tree dominates the garden, there's literally nowhere that doesn't get covered in leaves and fruit, and there's no way I'd net.
    If a pond is healthy, it looks healthy - the last one I put in was crystal clear without any effort, and had lots of wildlife, I don't want a silt ditch. 😄
  • _Nicolas__Nicolas_ Posts: 48
    @Fire Adrian Thomas' Gardening For Wildlife is hard to beat! A section addressing common wildlife gardening myths, how to garden for wildlife in small, medium and large gardens and a list of the Top 500 plants for wildlife, what more could you want?  :)  
  • JellyfireJellyfire Posts: 1,139
    Fire said:
    This is a video (10 mins) on one way of creating an urban wildlife garden. It shows ponds using roof runoff, native hedging, bog garden, dead hedging and a kind of non-intervention 'curation'.



    just managed to watch this, I love that garden, just shows what can be done with a small space if wildlife is your thing
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