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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.

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 Saturday 23rd Improvers course 20th June Beginners course 4th July Beginners course 8th August Improvers course 29th August Beginners Course 5th September 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 Gardening Talks I am available to travel to your venue and present a range of talks based around Creating and managing a wildlife pond Creating and managing a wild flower garden. Formal lawns v's wild flower lawns or meadows. Replacing exotic species of flowering plant with natives. Book now to arrange your talk Wildlife Survey Training I am available to travel to your own venue to give a range of training based around: Identification Survey techniques Habitat management. Reptile and amphibian ecology Book now to arrange your training Gardening Talks Widlife Survey Training

Scything is an excellent, economical and environmentally friendly way to manage your lawns or meadows. Training courses available. Scything Scything is an excellent, economical and environmentally friendly way to manage your lawns or meadows. Scything is rapidly becoming more popular as a way to maintain lawns and meadows. Conservation charities and gardening groups, as well as individuals, are all getting on board with this traditional tool. With their light weight and ease of use, many people find scythes are an ideal substitute for powered machines. To find out if I'm all legit & can be trusted Benefits Of Scythes Cheaper to buy than strimmers/brushcutters and mowers. Costs nothing to use each time you mow. You aren't using fuel or electricity. No other ongoing costs, like fuel, oil, grease, plastic cord. You can maintain a scythe yourself, so there are no servicing costs. No atmospheric pollution from petrol fumes. No noise pollution from engines. No environmental pollution from bits of plastic cord being spread across the landscape. No need for ear, eye or face protection. You can get away without gloves or steel capped boots if you want. More pleasant to work as a team. Safe mowing distance between scythes is 3 metres. Safe mowing distance between strimmer operators is 15 metres. Regular scything is a great cardio exercise and core strength builder. Many of the people I have trained are on my mailing list the North East Cereal Killers . A volunteer group who help each other out with mowing large areas (usually in return for tea and cake) You might like to join also and get involved.

Learn to mow with our scythe course egift card full days training. Gift a unique experience with our scythe course egift card today! Beginners Scything Course eGift Card Choose the gift card that suits you best. £65 Individual day training course. Supply your own scythe. £85 Individual day training course with scythe supplied by Wilderness Tamed. £110 Discounted couples day training course. Supply your own scythes. £160 Discounted couples day training course with scythes supplied by Wilderness Tamed Scythe Course £65 Amount £65 £85 £110 £160 Quantity Buy Now

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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.

My current liability insurance for peace of mind. Insurance

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 .

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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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvV71REYAGk 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 (javascript:void(0)) 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. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN25E3K-Lsc 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.(javascript:void(0)) 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 (https://www.rospa.com/rospaweb/docs/advice-services/leisure-safety/pond-statistics.pdf)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 (https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nearly-2000-children-savaged-dogs-7635027)because, once again, many more children are mauled (https://www.statista.com/statistics/297523/dog-bite-victims-occurances-in-england-by-age/)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.

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

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.