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Some pictures of groups of people learning to use Austrian scythes. A gallery of past scythe courses Just a few pictures from training courses I've ran over the years. From National Trust properties & Wildlife Trust reserves across the country to local community groups and garden associations. A formidable collection. Learning to peen the blades. Peening workshop. A rack of scythes. Gentlemen testing scythes. Scything in Slaidburn. Competitions at the Scottish scythe festival. New scythers mowing in Yorkshire.

View our terms and conditions. Please contact us for mor information Terms and Conditions for Wilderness Tamed Effective Date: May 28, 2024 Welcome to www.wildernesstamed.com (the "Website"). These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your use of our Website and services provided by Wilderness Tamed ("we," "our," or "us"). By accessing or using our Website, you agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree with these Terms, please do not use our Website. 1. Use of the Website 1.1. Eligibility: You must be at least 18 years old to use our Website. By using our Website, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms. 1.2. Permitted Use: You may use our Website for lawful purposes only. You agree not to use our Website in any way that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair our Website or interfere with any other party's use and enjoyment of our Website. 1.3. 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Learn the easiest ways to keep your pond clear and clean with this simple set of instructions. How to maintain Pond plants. Essentially pond plants are herbaceous perennials and require only one cut in a season. This is usually done in Autumn, once they have all finished flowering. October to November are the best months for this. Some prolific seeders like Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris, can be cut as soon as they have finished flowering. Usually April to May. This reduces the amount of seed they produce. They often send up a second show of flowers after being cut. They are very decorative plants but can be a bit of a thug around a smaller pond, overpowering smaller more delicate plants like Ragged Robin Silene flos cucculi. By the end of the year many of the plants in a pond will have spread an incredible amount. They are prolific growers. Marginals are best cut to ground level around the pond edge. I use a scythe for this. working around the pond edge anti clockwise so that the cut vegetation is drawn away from the water by the scythe. Emergent and deep water plants can also be trimmed (carefully) using a scythe or shears to as close to their base as possible. In large ponds, where amphibians breed, it is best to only clear one third of the vegetation each year. As many amphibians (Adult male frogs and un metamorphosed juveniles) will hibernate in the mud at the bottom of ponds it is best practice to avoid too much disturbance. Make sure as much of the cut vegetation as possible is removed and composted. As mentioned, many pond plants are fast growers and need to be kept in check, otherwise they can smother the other plants and take over the pond. Steer clear of exotic species if you can, as many have proved to be very invasive. Some, once available for sale, are now notifiable invasive plants, recognised as ecologically disastrous in UK waterways. Native pond plants to watch out for are Yellow Flag Iris, Marsh Marigold, Pendulous Sedge, Hornwort, Purple Loosestrife, Water Mint and Rush. In this video I demonstrate how to clear dense mats of overgrown pond plants. In this video you can see how thick some pond plants can become. Their stems and roots forming dense mats on the surface as well as deep into the water. With regular maintenance, as described above, this can be avoided. Regular work is easier and lighter to carry out. Rather than waiting several years and it becoming a hard heavy job. In this video I demonstrate how to clear vegetation using a scythe. Both in and around the pond. Careful use of the scythe allows for quick work around the pond edge. Once in the water I can use the scythe to snip water lilies and oxygenating plants at their base. Once everything is cut, I can rake it out and compost it. Pond plants compost incredibly well. Sludge from the pond bottom is very nutrient rich and makes excellent fertiliser.

See a variety of ways to hide your pond liner for a more natural look. How to disguise pond liner Nobody likes VPL! Visible Pond Liner. The common idea of pond construction is to use flat 'crazy paving' slabs on the top edge of the pond. You've seen them, with their slightly overlapping edges, desperately trying to hide any signs of liner. Fail! There are several easy and effective ways to disguise an ugly pond liner. Either using rock and cobbles or plants and even upturned turf. This series of videos will show you how. Creating a series of stepped shelves within the pond allows you to layer stone work up and out of the water. If you start from deep enough in the pond, any uncovered liner will be almost unnoticeable at depth. You can of course cover the entire bottom of the pond with gravel, cobbles and stone. If that's the sort of effect you are trying to achieve. I think of this type of pond as more a stream bed or quarry pond. In a garden situation this style of pond can work well. It is a rare thing to find a natural pond that is rock lined. If you think about it, most ponds are the result of poorly drained land and are therefore not much more than depressions in a saturated soil. As shown in the How to build a wildlife pond page, returning soil into the pond and adding plants at all depths within the substrate will disguise the liner more than adequately. As well as that it looks much more natural than a paved or rock surrounded pond. This style of natural planted pond edge allows you to blend the margins of the pond seamlessly with surrounding borders and lawns.

This risk assessment covers all aspects of learning to scythe so you can prepare a safe course. Scythe Risk Assessment Below is the link to the actual risk assessment document. This includes all possible hazards you may encounter while out in the field learning to mow with an Austrian scythe. Also covered are environmental hazards such as reactions to vegetation and insects. Scratches, stings, bites etc. Not many people will have seen a risk assessment for scything before. Pretty sure back in the day, I was the first person to write one for the National Trust. It has been refined since then to encompass different venue types and groups. Risk Assessment Insurance Everybody needs it these days and scythe instructors are no different to any other tutor, instructor, guide, guru, or teacher. Thanks to the Pole-lathe turners & Green woodworkers for their dedicated public liability insurance cover up to £5.000.000. insurance document

Creating and managing wildlife lawns and meadows for customers in the North East of England. Using native species. Wildlife Lawns & Meadows Creating and managing a wildlife lawn or meadow using native wild flowers can add a massive amount of interest to your garden. Attract pollinating insects like butterflies and bees. Decrease your workload in the garden. Wild flowers only require mowing once in a year. Spend more time relaxing and enjoying the garden. Choose your seeds from a wide range of individual wild flower species or meadow mixes to suit all soil types, in the store. We also sell plug plants. The benefits of wildflower lawns & meadows in your garden Preparing the soil in your garden for wildflower turf or seed. Wildflower lawns verses formal lawns. How easy are they? Making life easy. Management of your wildflower garden.

Please check our cookie policy. For more information please contact us. Cookie Policy for Wilderness Tamed Effective Date: May 28, 2024 1. Introduction Welcome to www.wildernesstamed.com (the "Website"). This Cookie Policy explains how Wilderness Tamed ("we," "our," or "us") uses cookies and similar technologies to recognize you when you visit our Website. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control our use of them. 2. What are cookies? Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners to make their websites work, or to work more efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information. Cookies set by the website owner (in this case, Wilderness Tamed) are called "first-party cookies." Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies." Third-party cookies enable third-party features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g., advertising, interactive content, and analytics). 3. Why do we use cookies? We use first-party and third-party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons for our Website to operate, and we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies enable us to track and target the interests of our users to enhance the experience on our Website. Third parties serve cookies through our Website for advertising, analytics, and other purposes. 4. Cookies used by Wix As the Website is hosted on Wix, it utilizes various cookies provided by Wix to ensure optimal functionality and user experience. Below are the types of cookies Wix may place on your device when you visit our Website: XSRF-TOKEN: Used for security reasons. hs: Used for security reasons. svSession: Used in connection with user login. SSR-caching: Used to indicate the system from which the site was rendered. _wixCIDX: Used for system monitoring/debugging. _wix_browser_sess: Used for system monitoring/debugging. consent-policy: Used for cookie banner parameters. smSession: Used to identify logged-in site members. TS*: Used for security and anti-fraud reasons. bSession: Used for system effectiveness measurement. fedops.logger.sessionId: Used for stability/effectiveness measurement. 5. Your choices regarding cookies You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies. You can exercise your cookie preferences by adjusting the settings in your browser. Each browser is different, so check the "Help" menu of your particular browser to learn how to change your cookie preferences. 6. Updating this Cookie Policy We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to the cookies we use or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. Please revisit this Cookie Policy regularly to stay informed about our use of cookies and related technologies. 7. Contact us If you have any questions about our use of cookies or other technologies, please email us at contact@wildernesstamed.com .

Discover the difference between a wildflower/formal style lawn and which would be right for you. Wildflower lawns verses formal lawns How easy are they? As a landscape gardener it often puzzles me when people ask for low maintenance gardens, in which they want huge expanses of grass with few beds and borders. It can take some convincing to make them think that actually the reverse would be much less work for them. Or me come to that. Lets think seriously about how much time is spent on keeping a formal lawn looking good. Then think about how much time is spent on a wild flower lawn. On a formal lawn the grass will require mowing at least once a week during the summer months. What about extra lawn care tasks during the Spring and Autumn? Aerating Scarifying Top dressing and seasonal Weed and feed routines. This all adds up to many hours of your life spent looking after a formal lawn. And what do you get in return? Stripes, an endless battle with moss, broadleaved weeds and pests, an ever increasing burden on your wallet and unnatural levels of fertiliser in the soil. Take a deep breath So lets look at the amount of work required to maintain a wild flower lawn or meadow. How often will it require mowing for example? Usually only once or twice a year. This involves a cut, followed by removal of the cut material. This can be done a day or two after mowing to allow seeds to drop back into the soil. What seasonal management does it need? See above. No pest or weed control. No additional chemical or granular fertilisers. No aerating. No scarifying. No top dressing. This adds up to a lot less of your time and money being spent on managing the same area of your garden. And what do you get in return? A long season of colour. Interest from the variety of flowers. An increase in insect life and other wildlife coming to visit the garden. Less stress. More time to relax. A fatter wallet. Fewer machines cluttering the shed. A more natural healthy soil. Less pollution in the atmosphere. An overwhelming sense of wellbeing and superiority when you sit in your garden listening to the neighbours wrestling with their mowers and strimmers.

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If you have a question about wildlife friendly gardening, Wilderness Tamed has the answer. Most other landscapers can't help. FAQ's Frequently asked questions How do I sow my new wild flower seeds? Sowing native wild flower seeds is easy. Prepare the area by taking up existing turf or plants. Lightly dig to about 10cm deep to loosen the soil. Rake the area over to level it off. Sow the seed at a rate of about 4grams per square meter. Lightly firm over the soil to make sure the seed is in good contact with the soil. Keep well watered in dry conditions. We recommend a sprinkler attachment on a hose. How do I plant my new wild flower plug plants? Simply choose the site and dig a hole large enough to accommodate the root ball with a little space round the sides. Firm the plant into the hole. Loosen the soil around the plant beyond the root ball so the gaps are filled. Keep well watered in dry conditions until established. ie new leaves begin to emerge. How do I care for my wild flowers in Autumn and Winter? Simply cut the plants down to ground level each Autumn once the flowers have faded and often before they go to seed. Remove all cut material from the site. That's it. Watch how to in these videos How do I plant my new pond plants? This depends on what part of the pond they want to be in. Deep water plants like lilies need to be anchored into the mud at the bottom of the pond. You might have to wade in if it's a large pond. Emergent plants that grow below the water level but send up leaves and flowers above the water can be planted into the mud around the pond edge. Marginals that grow around the wet edges of the pond, usually above water level, are easily planted in the same way as your plug plants. Take care not to pop your pond liner with your planting trowel. Another option, though far less natural is to fill pond baskets with well washed course grit. Anchor the plants into this then lower the basket into place at a depth to suit the plants. How do I care for my pond plants in Autumn and Winter? In much the same way as your wild flowers. Cut the stems and flower stalks of all pond plants to as close to the base of the plant as possible. Remove all growth to reduce the risk of rotting plant matter in the pond. Watch our pond videos . Too much decomposing material can cause gasses to build up in the water. If the pond freezes over in Winter these gasses can build up and affect the invertebrates and any hibernating amphibians. What is the best way to water new seeds and plug plants? We always recommend using a sprinkler attachment on a hose. This allows you to set it away and go and do something else, like have your dinner, enjoy a bath or go and watch a couple of Wilderness Tamed Youtube videos. Anything that lasts about an hour. Essentially you should water in such a way as to encourage seeds and new plants to send their roots as deeply as possible. This will help them survive long dry spells. Early evening when the sun has gone off the area is best. The water wont evaporate off the soil as quickly and there is less chance of leaf scorch. Where bright sun light shines through water droplets onto the leaves like a magnifying glass. If you want to stand for an hour with a hose in your hand get a fine spray nozzle so as not to wash out small seeds. An hour should mean the water penetrates the soil to a decent depth. Why is my pond murky? If it's a young or new pond you need to allow time for the plants and invertebrate population to establish. A pond, like any ecosystem, needs to find it's balance. Once a pond is balanced and all the life forms in it are working well the water will begin to clear. Natural ponds don't have pumps and filters running 24-7 and are generally happy, healthy and crystal clear. How do I get rid of blanket weed and algae in my pond? Both are a result of the same thing. High nutrient levels and sun light in the pond. Again balance is the key. Plenty of plants filtering nutrients through their roots will reduce algae. And surface cover from floating leaves like frogsbit, lilies and broad leaved pond weed will cut down on UV light which can cause blanketweed blooms. We also sell reusable Barley Straw pouches that can accelerate the demise of blanketweed. How do I keep my kids safe around a garden pond? This is a common question with several possible options. This usually occurs with families who are moving into new homes, where there is an established pond. While I worked at a local National Trust property and for the local Wildlife Trust I would host family activities which included pond dipping sessions. These were always, without doubt, the most popular events we hosted. Kids love water and ponds and bugs and beasties! Fact! I have installed ponds at several schools in Durham and Northumberland as they all realise how important outdoor education is for kids. So how do you keep your kids safe when there is a pond in the garden? You need to consider a few things. Is this pond home to a population of amphibians? If so, are you really going to add to their problems, of extinctioin due to habitat loss, by filling it in? NO!! Especially when they are in there breeding.........Trust me I know it happens. The most simple way to protect both your precious little ones and the kids is to have a small picket fence put up around the pond. Or across the garden to divide the play areas from the wildlife areas. As you'll see from my videos, the area around a pond should be a little wild to provide shelter for foraging amphibians. Put in a small gate so your children can access the pond whilst you are there to supervise. Which you will be at all times when your kids are playing around water. Wont you? Of Course! This ROSPA page highlights how many children, between 0 and 5 years of age, die from drowning in an average year. Notice how many drown in the bath at home and ask 'Where were the parents?' Are you going to get rid of your car? Many more children die in fatal car crashes per year then drown in ponds. Are you going to have the family dog destroyed because, once again, many more children are mauled to death by the family pet each year. What about your oven, fridge, washing machine or tumble dryer? Going to get rid of all of those as well as the pond??? I have amphibians in my garden, what do I do?" Enjoy the company! Amphibians, like frogs, toads and newts offer hours of entertainment while they are courting and breeding in a garden pond. But you may find them in your garden even if you have no pond. Remember amphibians only need water to breed in, it isn't where they spend their entire lives. Once they have metamorphosed from the tadpole stage into the adult stage, they will leave the water and spend the next few years foraging and feeding on land. They wont need to return to a pond until they are ready to breed. This can take three to four years. If you find a wandering amphibian in your garden leave it be to go about it's business. It's business can also be of benefit to you, as they feed on slugs and other insect pests in the garden. If you find an amphibian on land then do not assume it needs to be moved to the nearest body of water. Again, leave it be unless it is in immediate danger from you doing some gardening work or a cat. Do I need to control pests in a wild flower garden? No. I could literally leave it at that. A wild flower lawn or meadow is a self contained ecosystem. Yes there will be slugs and snails and caterpillars munching their merry way through the plants. But there will also be, predatory insects, spiders, amphibians, birds and small mammals all helping to keep things in check. I used to be at war with slugs and snails in my garden. Not any more. Changing from exotic plants to native has saved me so much time money and effort in trying to battle with nature. How do I disguise the liner around my pond edge? Visible pond liner (VPL) No one likes VPL and I never have any on the ponds I have built or re profiled. It is a simple thing to disguise liner with overlapping turf, sub soil or stone. While I don't particularly think stone surrounds look that natural, especially paved edges. You don't come across natural wildlife ponds with paved edges that's for sure. Paved edges....Urgh! I do enjoy working with stone and attempt to make ponds look as much a part of the landscape as possible. Below the top edge of the pond, have a second lower lying shelf on which to position the first layer of stones. These will sit in the water and help diguise the liner. The top layer of stone can be built above this first layer. This means that as the water level rises and falls through rain or evaporation, no liner will show. As you will see in several of my videos I always emphasise how important the spirit level is. It doesn't matter what you use to dig out a pond, from a teaspoon to an excavator, as long as your top edge has been profiled using a spirit level. So many of the ponds I see have liner showing at some point where the edge is higher than at other points. Shoddy workmanship! Answering the questions, most landscapers can't, about wildlife friendly gardening.

Wilderness Tamed offer a range of niche services to benefit wildlife and enhance your garden. From adding small features to complete overhauls and redesigns. Landscape design with a difference in the North East. Full Or Partial Garden Transformations Design, Consultation & Jungle Busting Renovations. Partial transformations Wilderness Tamed can add a wildlife friendly feature to an existing garden helping to enhance your space for the benefit of birds, insects small mammals and amphibians. Bug hotel in a nature reserve. Call Now Full Garden Transformations Let Wilderness Tamed transform your garden into a wildlife friendly haven. From initial site visit to final design and construction. Complete transformation Blackhall Mill Call Now Garden Design Consultation Wilderness Tamed offer a range of consultation services to help you self design your own garden, if that is what you would like to attempt. Or I can offer a full design service Call Now Jungle Busting Jungle Busting for those who require a jolly good clearance session to rediscover a lost garden. Hedge restoration in Stocksfield Call Now

Creating & maintaining wildlife friendly garden ponds across the North East is our main aim. Increasing valuable habitats for wildlife. Creating relaxing gardens for you and interesting educational gardens for kids in homes and schools. Wildlife Ponds These are just a few of the many wildlife friendly garden ponds I have created, improved or managed over the years. I believe ponds are one of the best wildlife friendly features you can have in a garden. You can buy a selection of native pond plants as plugs or seeds from our store Click on any of the images or text to find out more about each topic.. Learn how to build a natural looking wildlife friendly pond in your garden. Learn how to use native plants in your wildlife friendly pond. Learn how to disguise pond liner using stone, cobbles or plants. Learn how to maintain the plants around your pond. Check out the pond videos on my YouTube channel. For Pond safety information check the FAQ's page below