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.

A range of training & talks covering wildlife friendly gardening, reptile & amphibian ecology & scything. Scything Courses 2026 Dates Ditch the strimmer, come along and enjoy learning this traditional skill in some wonderful settings across the North East region. Experienced scythe instructor John Grundy has been teaching across the region and nationally since 2012.. John has attended a masterclass at the Green Scythe Fair. This course sets a high standard in proficiency and has long been regarded as the goal for those wishing to become future instructors. The scythe is fast becoming a popular tool of choice for many gardeners, conservation charities and community garden groups. Wondering if a scythe is a better option than a strimmer for managing your land? Check here for a comparison of the two. I have been hosting courses in the use of Austrian Scythes since 2012 nationally. A days training includes Anatomy of the scythe Setting up the scythe Mowing techniques Blade honing with a whet stone Meadow management Peening the blade using a jig Maintenance of the scythe and blade through the year Learn to mow with an Austrian scythe Scythe courses A full day course learning this traditional skill. Starting at 9am until 4pm. Venue Oaklands Garden Centre A694 Swalwell Newcastle Upon Tyne NE21 6RB Beginners course 15th August Improvers course 29th August Beginners Course 25th September Cost: £65 Full day learn-to-scythe training £20 Scythe hire (or you can bring your own scythe for free) Book Now