Fergus Garrett of the fabulously beautiful Great Dixter gardens (@greatdixter7280 ) shares the secrets of having a gorgeous garden which is also eco-friendly and supports wildlife. You don’t have to have a ‘wild’ looking garden in order to have a good garden eco-system – Great Dixter shows that you can have any style of garden you like and that sustainable gardening practices make gardening easier for you too.
00:00 Can you create a garden that supports both wildlife and aesthetics?
00:27 Great Dixter House & Gardens: https://www.greatdixter.co.uk/
00:50 Small gardens in towns and cities – difference equals biodiversity
01:18 A biodiversity audit
01:37 How to make your garden more biodiverse and beautiful
04:53 Basic rules to improve your garden’s eco-system
07:35 Which compost for a sustainable garden?
08:48 What plants you do choose for a biodiverse garden?
10:48 How do you weed an eco-friendly garden?
11:52 How to water a sustainable, eco-friendly garden
13:16 Other maintenance tips for a biodiverse garden
14:35 Disposing of waste – create a habitat pile
16:38 Extract from the Sound Matters project showing the magnified sounds of insects eating the wood in a habitat pile. Sound Matters can be contacted here: www.sound-matters.com or @soundmatters and @soundmattershq on Instagram.
16:45 The role of moss, fungus and algae in a sustainable garden
18:15 Add water with a pond and other tips
18:38 Garden for a long season of flowers – the more flowers you have, the more food for wildlife
19:10 Don’t clear away all leaves
19:36 Get to know what wildlife you have in your garden
20:33 More about gardening for biodiversity – the top experts at the Royal Horticultural Society give their tips: https://youtu.be/B90oPvdAfLU
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20 Comments
I made a small compost heap and wood logs in my little garden and got a rat. I removed compost and moved logs, but rat tunnels are everywhere. What can I do to make it leave my garden?
How to make garden wildlife friendly and to not attract rats?
Grazie.
What we can all learn from our gardens even if we think we are at the top of our game. We still learn about our habits and all the little things that make a healthier solution for the environment
Another really terrific interview! You never disappoint! It's often not clear that a plant supports wildlife until you see it in action. This week our very old wall of ivy (it's so thick at the bottom it has trunks which have absorbed a chain link fence) is blooming. The buzzing is incredible. 🙂
Lovely video. I absolutely love Great Dixter. I have enjoyed seeing so many videos of it. I would love to visit sometimes. I got a few. Ore ideas about letting nature be – so thank you!
Fascinating sound in the woodpile Alexandra. Habitat for Nature is my main reason for gardening. Another great show.
Love the idea of learning about just one type of insect, like the bumble bee & try to identify it…will add so much more to any garden ‘wandering’, whether mine or someone else’s!
Hello I just subscribed your channel :))) Nice place. My Autum Garden is in full bloom and we're excited to share it with you as we take you on a virtual tour of flower garden! @angelgardenvlogHello I just subscribed your channel :))) Nice place. My Autum Garden is in full bloom and we're excited to share it with you as we take you on a virtual tour of flower garden! @angelgardenvlog
I am so happy I have found this channel. By chance I came across this channel exploring garden paths earlier. This episode however; is quite a bit more entailed. I too have a habitat pile, not by choice, local ordinance forbids burning. Lol. I visited this channel originally for simple advice and left with complex and reaffirming knowledge. I have subscribed. Although from across the pond; all pertinent information applies. Many thanks! My ears and eyes are open.
What a fantastic treat listening to this video. Things explained so simply. Very refreshing to watch. Thank you Alexandra. 💖
This is a wonderful interview with so much information. I saved it so that I can go back and watch it again! thank you both!
I love how simple and applicable the advice is, even on a lower budget! Love the passion for the little critters too
What a great interview, his calm reassuring matter inspires confidence. Thank u Alexandra.
Lovely pictures and great hints.
I live where the snow covers the garden for four months of the year. I get great decomposition over the winter when I cut down all the dead waste in my garden and let it lay on the ground. I then top dress with compost . In some gardens I run the corse material like branches, corn stalks, and sunflower stalks through a chipper and let it scatter on top of the garden bed. In the spring the "chop and drop" under the compost and snow is 80% broken down and I did very little work to feed the garden because I avoided raking and hauling away the old material.
Thank you for sharing such a marvelous garden and the very informative interview. This is a gardening technique after my own heart.
Super video great to listen to the munching, how very amazing. Thank you for all your valuable advice.
Such a fascinating and informative video. Your interview style always elicits wonderful conversation, thanks kindly!
One of the best gardening videos by far. Thank you! ❤
Abundant catapillars mean abundant birds ❤