Aside from the obvious benefit of having a colourful mix of native plants, grasses and flowers that will spend all summer attracting a host of pollinating insects to your garden... Benefits of wildflower lawns & meadows. Aside from the obvious benefit of having a colourful mix of native plants, grasses and flowers that will spend all summer attracting a host of pollinating insects to your garden... . ..the fact that you don't need to be wasting precious time and effort mowing them every weekend which saves you money on fuel costs. When you take into consideration the increase in biodiversity in and around your garden... ...then add to that the improvement in the soil structure and health of the microbial life in it... Top it off with a reduction in artificial inputs from herbicides, like moss and weed killers.... Bird life, attracted by the increase in insects and seed variety. Amphibians who enjoy the extended foraging possibilities in this food rich habitat. Small mammals like hedgehogs, voles and shrews, excited by the expanded living quarters and food supply. With specific plants and grasses that provide food for the caterpillar stages of a wide variety of moths and butterflies. You don't get that in a lawn! From April to November the average formal lawn requires mowing at least once a week in order to keep it looking neat. Add all those hours up over the year and ask yourself if you couldn't be doing something more relaxing with your time than pushing a mower back and forth. Soil is allowed to behave naturally when it isn't beneath a lawn. A more natural cycle of plant growth with less artificial irrigation and feeding lets the invertebrates and microbes within the soil develop to sustainable and balanced levels. Their behaviour, uninhibited by man made additions to the chemical or structural nature of the soil, contributes to healthy plant growth. As gardeners we should be embracing nature, not throwing punches at it. Chemical lawn treatments, in the form of 'weed and feed' or pesticides for getting rid of turf pests all alter the soils balance as well as killing plants and moss. Additional nitrogen based fertilisers contribute to imbalance. It's difficult to think of any real benefits to having wildflowers instead of a neat and tidy stripy lawn .........Oh no! Hang on..

learn all you need to know about prepping for your new wildflower lawn. Preparing the soil for wild flowers This might come as a surprise, but you might have been spending the last few years preparing the soil for wild flowers. If you watch some of my videos about lawns and grass cutting you will hear me mention how 'cut and remove' is the perfect way to manage a wild flower lawn or meadow. Cut and remove? I hear you ask...Thats what most people do when they mow their lawns with a grass box. All the nutrient the grass has taken from the soil in order to grow, is collected in the grass box and dumped in a compost bin. Or worse still a local authority garden waste bin. This constant depletion of nutrients in the soil is just what wild flowers want. It's the opposite of what a lush grass lawn wants. Yet this is how people have been conditioned to mow their lawns. Then they wonder why the grass is struggling to compete with moss and broad leaved weeds. Either that or they combat the nutrient loss from their mowing regime by introducing chemical or granular fertilisers. More cost! This video below shows me sowing seeds in my own small front garden. The ground was previously planted with a mix of perennials and shrubs. If you have a lawn that you are considering removing or changing the simplest way to get it ready for wild flowers is to remove the turf. Hire a turf lifter for this, it makes the job so much quicker. While you're on, hire a cultivator. You'll want to use this to turn the soil. It doesn't have to be deep. Rake the area level once it has been dug over. Firm the soil with a roller. Also easy to hire. Then either follow the video above or lay your rolls of wildflower turf. Make sure you get a full plant list for the seed mix and the turf. Insist that a native species mix is included. None native plants serve no purpose other than colour and some pollen. When should you do all this? Ideally in Spring between March and April but the best time is Autumn between September and November. Whether seeding or turfing, it's a good idea to plant some native bulbs in the soil first. These will provide an extension to the season of interest. Snakehead fritillary, snowdrops, bluebells and old English narcissus are great for adding a splash of colour early in the year.

Offering a concise mowing regime for wild flower meadows and lawns in school, business and domestic situations. Contract Mowing & Meadow Management Consultations For land owners wanting to manage their meadows in a more eco friendly traditional way. Contract Mowing John Grundy of Wilderness Tamed is available to carry out contract mowing of wildlife lawns and meadows across the North East of England. To arrange to have your meadow mown click the button below. Contact Meadow Management You may be a voluntary community group, conservation charity or landowner wanting a large area of land mowing. Wilderness Tamed can help with meadow management and improvement. Consultation If you are looking for a concise management plan or some guidance Wilderness Tamed can help you out. Perhaps you want to know how to manage a newly acquired or existing area of grassland. You may be starting from scratch on bare soil or have a neglected meadow that you would like to see restored. Contact Wildflower meadow creation near Wylam.

Highlighting the pros and cons between strimmers and scythes for those wanting to budget for their grassland management. Scythe V Strimmer If you're wondering about the advantages of a scythe over a strimmer then perhaps this page will help you make the right decision for your grass management plans. If your work is in conservation, land management, community groups or as a small holder, then it's well worth taking the time to seriously consider which tool will be best for you. Scythe V Strimmer Cost Servicing costs Spare parts Fuel Full kit £226 None. Can be done in house by trained staff & vols. Optional. Additions to kit if required. None Cost Annual Servicing costs Spare parts Fuel FS 361 PETROL CLEARING SAW £1039 Plus PPE and harness £120 per machine by professional mechanics. Approx £30 per cord spool approx £3.50 Per tank full 0.75lt per hour approximately. Plus oil and grease Pollution Noise. None Environmental. None Atmospheric. None Noise. 100 dB(A) 2) Environmental. Littering of plastic cord. Atmospheric. Unregulated emissions. Engagement & Safety As an engagement tool within conservation the scythe wins hands down. Visitors are naturally drawn to watching a scythe in action. Due to it’s silent operation users can engage with visitors while mowing. Teams can chat with each other while working. The prescribed safe mowing distance between scythers is 3 metres No PPE is required, so awareness of others and wildlife is greatly increased. The lack of vibration means no risk of inducing finger or hand related issues. The mowers fitness levels are the only limiting factor in scythe mowing. As an engagement tool within conservation the strimmer is a repellent. Visitors are naturally annoyed by strimmers and will avoid close contact at all costs. The noise from strimmers makes it impossible to engage with visitors. Strimmer operators can not chat with colleagues. The prescribed safe mowing distance between strimmer operators is 15 metres PPE and harnesses are uncomfortable and reduce awareness of others and wildlife. Vibration from the machine can induce carpel tunnel syndrome, vibration white finger and Raynauds, reducing the time allowed to safely operate strimmers.

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 Wilderness Tamed is leading the way in wildlife pond installation in the North East. Instaling ponds for schools and private gardens across Northumberland, County Durham, Gateshead and North Tyneside. 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'll find everything from a small wildlife pond for frogs and newts in Newcastle to larger natural looking ponds in the Northumberland countryside. 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

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Learn how to build a vibrant self sustaining wildlife pond in your garden. An easy to follow guide for beginners. How to build a wildlife pond On this page you will learn the basic principles to help you build a vibrant, self sustaining wildlife pond. People think ponds are high maintenance.....wrong! People think they need expensive pump and filter systems to keep the water clear......wrong! How many naturally occurring ponds have you seen in the wild with pumps and filters?.........None! People think ponds are dangerous for children. If you leave you're children unattended when they're playing around a pond then it isn't the pond that's the problem. This is one of the larger ponds I've created over the years. The hole was dug using a mini digger. I used underlay felt to protect the liner both underneath and on top. Some of the subsoil was kept from the excavation, to use back in the pond for planting. A native seed mix was sown around the edge. It was allowed to fill naturally with rain water and planted up in stages as if filled. Originally a contractor was employed to dig out the pond with a large excavator. The result was a soil profile that resembled a bomb crater. Despite being given a sketch showing how it should be dug. I then hired a mini digger myself to re profile the pond edges. This shot shows the underlay just beneath the butyl liner. Then overlay on top to protect the liner from the soil as it is filled back on top. The sub soil, that was dug out from the pond, is used to plant back into as the pond fills with water. Once the liner is covered with sub soil the pond is ready for the water. Allowing the pond to fill naturally and gradually with rain water prevents the soil from clouding the water too rapidly. The rain will soak the soil and allow particles to become waterlogged so they remain on the bottom rather than float in the water. As the pond fills you can begin adding the plants. Start with oxygenators and deep water plants like lilies. Then as the water level rises you can add in emergent plants. Those are plants that like to be beneath the water but will send up leaves and flower stems above the water. As with all ponds a spirit level was used to create the top edge The top edge of the liner was covered with some of the turf that was removed prior to excavating the hole. A mix of native marginal plants was sown around the edges early on before the pond filled. This meant a good selection of plants would develop below the maximum water level as well as above it. This guarantees the pond edge is as natural looking as possible with a striking mix of plants flowering almost throughout the year. During natural seasonal changes in water level from rain fall and evaporation the pond will always have that natural vegetated look. This is so much better than having a paved edge where the liner is visible from all angles regardless of the water level. The pond two years on with seating on either side to relax on and enjoy the view. Birds come to bathe and drink as well as regular visits in the summer from dragon and damsel flies. Newts have also been seen.

Everybody needs it these days and scythe instructors are no different to any other tutor, instructor, guide, guru, or teacher. Insurances 1 Policy Bee Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book. 2 Pole Lathe turners and Green Woodworkers Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book. 3 Describe your service here. What makes it great? Use short catchy text to tell people what you offer, and the benefits they will receive. A great description gets readers in the mood, and makes them more likely to go ahead and book.

As mentioned on the formal lawns verses wildflowers page, this is an easy process carried out no more than twice in a year. Managing your wildflowers As mentioned on the formal lawns verses wildflowers page, this is an easy process carried out no more than twice in a year. As you will probably guess from other pages on this site my preferred method of mowing is with a scythe. Honestly, they're so much easier and eco friendly than people imagine. So simply mow the wildflower lawn and either immediately rake off the cuttings or leave for a few days to allow seeds to drop into the soil. Wondering if a scythe is a better option than a strimmer for managing your land? Check here for a comparison of the two. That's it! It really is as easy as that. I could end this page here, but I like to waffle on a bit, so there'll be more. You're wondering what to do with all the stuff you remove, aren't you? why not donate it to someone else who wants what you've got. They can spread it over a prepared area of their own garden. Allow the seeds to drop over a few days, then remove the vegetation. It's how many large scale meadows are created, with cuttings from an already established meadow. Failing that, perhaps some locals would like it to feed their pet guinea pigs or rabbits. I know some folk bale their wildflowers and sell the bales for a few quid. In other news, keeping the nutrient level low also means keeping the lawn free from too many Autumn leaves. Here's a quick video all about it.

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.

Returns & Refunds Policy We want you to love your purchase. If you’re not completely satisfied, we’re here to help. This Returns & Refunds Policy explains how returns, exchanges, and refunds work at our store. Overview 30-Day Return Window You may request a return within 30 days of receiving your order. To be eligible for a return: The item must be unused, in its original condition, and in its original packaging. Proof of purchase (order number or receipt) is required. Certain items such as gift cards, downloadable products, and final-sale items are not returnable. How to Start a Return To initiate a return, please contact us at contact@wildernesstamed.comwith : Your order number The item(s) you’d like to return The reason for the return We’ll provide step-by-step instructions and a return authorization. Return Shipping If the return is due to our error (defective, damaged, wrong item): we cover return shipping costs. If the return is for other reasons (e.g., changed your mind, wrong size), return shipping is the customer’s responsibility. Refunds Once we receive and inspect your returned item, we’ll notify you of approval or rejection. If approved: Refunds are issued to your original payment method. Allow 5–10 business days for the refund to appear on your account. Please note: Shipping costs are non-refundable unless the fault was ours. If the item shows signs of use or damage not caused by us, a partial refund may apply. Exchanges If you need an exchange for the same item (e.g., different size or color), contact us at contact@wildernesstamed.com We’ll help you arrange the exchange based on availability. Damaged or Faulty Items If your order arrives damaged or defective, contact us within 7 days with photos of the issue. We’ll replace the item or issue a full refund at no cost to you. Non-Returnable Items Gift cards Digital/downloadable products Personalized or custom-made items Final sale or clearance items Late or Missing Refunds If you haven’t received your refund: Check your bank account again. Contact your payment provider; processing times vary. Contact us at contact@wildernesstamed.com if you still need help.

A volunteer group set up to encourage mowers with scythes to help each other out as a community. Join our mailing list. The North East Cereal Killers Scythe Group Are all scythers from around Northumberland and Durham who have trained with John R Grundy of Wilderness Tamed. A volunteer group set up to encourage mowers with scythes to help each other out as a community. Some of our members have large gardens or areas they help manage in a traditional way. They can call on the rest of the group to help out with mowing in exchange for refreshments. This helps mowers practice on different vegetation types, meet each other and enjoy a pleasant day in good company and surroundings. Scything was traditionally a group effort. Whether harvesting crops or managing the lawns and verges of stately homes and local byways or common ground. Join the North East Cereal Killers mailing list Now Available to help with mowing and management of wild flower meadows, lawns and control of invasive plants. If you would like any help with vegetation you want managing please get in contact Find out how to mow with an Austrian scythe here We also do ingrowing toenails and soul removal.