Perfect and succinct. Very calm and well delivered. Cheers!

Beautiful project, very concise, all in under 10 minutes ... the perfect video for beginners like myself. 😊

Excellent vid to encourage people to help wildlife in any way that can! It's up to each and everyone of us to do all we can.

Two ideas about mosquitoes (for USA folks): 1) get a solar-powered water pump to create movement in the water (you could even fashion it as a tiny waterfall over the rocks) and this should generally prohibit the mosquitoes from being able to lay eggs. This will alter the ecosystem of the pond, so you'll have a different kind of habitat and different creatures drawn to it than if it were still water. 2) I have heard that some people keep small fish in such ponds, and I suppose if you have both fish and amphibians coming around, it should pretty much control the mosquito population. Maybe someone here knows what kinds of fish would be appropriate for a tiny pond? I don't know. However you do it, look to what nature does itself in ponds or streams, and think about your pond as a mini ecosystem that should self-manage as nature does. Now, the only issue with all of this of course, is that some municipalities in the USA make it illegal both to keep standing water or to collect rain water. Those laws need to be updated!

@norinickrrostron9001

8 ай бұрын

Illegal to collect rainwater...what’s the reasoning behind that..? Is it purely to stop people from utilizing something that’s free..?

@EH-vzzy

5 ай бұрын

Thanks for the advice! Nice to hear other ideas! Such a shame about the silly laws around rain water collection

@TheDogWaffle

4 ай бұрын

Rice fish

@chrisrusso4512

3 ай бұрын

If legal, trap some small fish from a local pond

@kmsch986

Ай бұрын

@@norinickrrostron9001 water rights in some areas are managed closely because surface water used for irrigation. For example, I had a farm with irrigation rights I paid 20,000 dollars for and the water came on to my property through a ditch and drained into a retention pond we then pumped out of. My new neighbor didn’t understand the law, dug a trench and dam diverting it on to his property and I had to explain he couldn’t do that. The water collected into the main reservoir farmers use comes from rain water so some states have limits on the amount of rain water private owners can collect on their property, in Colorado I think it is 110 gallon for most households, unless you own a separate water right (almost like a mineral right) . We had people trying to buy ours or lease ours all the time.

TIP: Place this is a shady or paritally shady location if you are in zone 7 or more. It'll become a bathtub in the summer if not (cooking all occupants)

Thank you! I’m going to do this for the wildlife. I love to hear the frogs and toads in the summer!

great video and you covered all the points. I've got quite a few pond pots and bigger pond. The frogs and toads use both but the newts only use the pond. I never get frog spawn but I'm quite happy about that. I'd have trouble going into the garden with a carpet of little frog and toadlets. I remember when I dug my big pond. I had dragon flies laying eggs before I'd even finished. I tried to remember the turves they'd laid on and put those at the side of the pond. My neighbours got a big pond too but there's still always a queue of blackbirds in winter to use my pond. I really mean a queue of them too. They really do take their turn. Looks great with the sun behind.

Fantastic and inspiring video; I'm putting a barrel pond on my balcony for all the birds and bees that enjoy the flowers in our apartment garden

Thank you for posting this! Hugz

Thanks for all this good information. I'm going to attempt to do something like this with my clawfoot bathtub that I've put against the house between two fig trees. Wish me luck.

@wwtorguk

16 күн бұрын

Let us know how it goes!

I loved this video thank you

How fun! Thank you for this.

Great looking barrel - thanks for the video!

Great looking barrel 👌

Lovely job 💯. Thanks 👍

Brilliant and inspiring! Thanks.

Lovely!

Thank you that’s the best advice ever on a wildlife pond

Khu vườn của bạn thật nhiều bóng mát 👍👍👍.

Thats my next garden project. Thanks.

Thank you! - very relaxing to watch

Simply lovely!

Love the idea and love the Opinel

I learned a ton here, thank you so much

Fabulous and inspiring... Thank you

You are a Real natural at making these videos...great job,

Very helpful thanks

Lovely! Thank you :)

awesome job, thanks

I love it!!!

Best I've seen ..

thanks! it was very inspiring

Nice. Thank you.

Great info thanks

Love it!!! I imagine that the water shouldnt be too cold.

Thanks for the great video I'm going to copy the idea.

Beautiful

merci encore

that is so nice

Thanks for your video, good tips 😊

@wwtorguk

8 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Love it

so nice videos ❤

We are prone to mosquitoes here in Hawai’i. I’d need to move the water and have guppies to eat the larvae.

Perfect

Hi, this looks great, thank you so much. Just a quick question (I live in the SE of England), what happens with the pond in winter time? Also, is there a 'best time' to add something like this to your garden? Would September be ok? Thanks again.

@wwtorguk

8 ай бұрын

Hi there glad you like the video and thanks for the questions, in the autumn/early winter you can trim the plants back and let the water freeze over - things should then start growing back in the spring and with any winter rainfall your pond should keep topped-up. September would be a good time to build as you might find that garden centres have discount, end of season plants on offer. Just you'll have to wait until next summer for them to flower but they will have plenty of time to settle in. Let us know how it goes!

Beautiful! I really want to do this, but worry about all the neighborhood cats using it as an easy place to ambush prey, especially birds visiting. 😢. And also not sure what to do with it during winter (Northern Utah so it would freeze solid I’m guessing, and kill larvae/eggs of the insects I’m hoping to provide habitat for). I’ll keep researching.

Just what I was looking for as we embark on wilding our garden for nature. We need to put water in to the garden for wildlife, this will be our first water, later we plan to create a larger water area or mini wetland, may be later this year by the time we get to create it. My only comment on your excellent video is, would it also be an idea for a ramp from the pond water to the edge. Water levels can drop and possibly wildlife can be trapped, unable to haul themselves out. Having said that they might be able to do this from the plants in the tub. I know you will do a daily check of water levels, I am not sure if I would trust myself to be so diligent. Thank you for an excellent video, keep them coming.

@wwtorguk

Ай бұрын

Hi James, thanks for the positive review! If you check back to our final shot of the barrel pond from 07:40, we placed a rock that leans on the back edge of the barrel to allow wildlife to exit. Let us know on our socials how you get on with creating yours - we'd love to see it.

Inspirational! I live in southern Spain, about 650 metres above sea level in a small village. Very hot dry summers, but enough rain through Feb-April to keep the countryside fairly green for most of the year. Rarely if ever drops below freezing in winter. I'd love to install something like this in my small garden, and I'm wondering about the partial sun recommendation, because here of course the sun can really heat up water. My garden is south and west facing, so it can be a challenge to find cool, shady spots. If anyone has any experience of making a barrel pond in a hot zone I'd love to hear your thoughts! TIA.

Great information about soil, plants and especially for creatures getting in and out safely, have you got any ideas on what small fish can be kept in the barrel pond ? please, I have some shrimps and snails living in there and would like to see something swimming about if possible

I love it

Oh, I love this. Can you put little fish in there? Thank you for showing us how to make it.

hard to find those barrel halves in NZ for anything below $100, even with the huge wine industry here!

What a great video, thank you. I really want to do this in our garden in the Sw of England. Please could you privide some advice on the type of barrel? There seems to be so many and I worry about previous uses and if I need a liner. I'm on quite a budget though.

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Hi there, thanks for your question. Any barrel that hasn't been used to hold harmful chemicals will be OK. Old alcohol barrel is ideal but you can purchase others. We were lucky to find a good barrel which held water straight away. If using a barrel where the wood has been allowed to dry out and shrink you can try soaking it and it may swell back and seal. If not then you can always use a rubber or plastic liner stapled to the inside - fill with water before cutting off the excess liner to let it conform to the shape of the barrel. Good luck!

A wonderful and informative video, thank you! ❤ I've heard elsewhere you should have a ramp for wildlife to be able to get out from inside. You have an external ramp, and mentioned you thought the water level might go down a few inches, which surely would leave things trapped inside? Hopefully I've just misunderstood.

@wwtorguk

10 ай бұрын

Hi, thanks for watching and raising this important point; we do have the large rocks both in the centre and back-edge of the barrel that touch the edge, and that edge itself is carved to be at the waterline height.

@simonrose1598

10 ай бұрын

True - an empty container with smooth vertical sides is not great for amphibians or any small creature that falls in - we put plenty of rocks and things in ours so it shouldn't be a problem.

Watercress is a type of amphibious carnivorous plant. I have heard that it eats mosquito nymphs. I also know that mosquitoes need standing water to lay their eggs.

What a wonderful resource! I am in the process of creating a wildlife pond and found this really helpful. It would be great to have the names of the plants you used. 😊

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Glad it was helpful! Take a look at the video description for the plant names. Do let us know how you get on with your wildlife pond build.

Hi excellent video thanks! my barrel is charred inside - should I use pond liner?

@wwtorguk

9 ай бұрын

Hi thanks for your comment, charring is not in itself a problem - it is done to give flavour to the previous contents of course but will not affect water chemistry going forwards. It might though mean that the wood has dried and shrunk; try re-wetting and see if it holds, if not then you will need a liner.

Thank you for sharing. In our area we have mosquitos and standing water allows them to lay eggs and produce even more mosquitos. Do you have that problem and if so how do you solve it? I had a large ponds years ago and have gold fish and other fish which seemed to keep the mosquitos down. Not sure it you could put fish in these small containers.?

😻

We have an established bathtub collecting rainwater. I’m wondering if I can incorporate the baskets of plants into it without the muddy results? Also thank you for this beautiful video! What a kind and gentle soul you are 🙏🙏🙏

@wwtorguk

3 күн бұрын

Hi there, you might get a little mud, but hopefully a whole lot more wildlife! You might be interested in our drainpipe wetland build kzread.info/dash/bejne/mq6pqZKGgNmfiaw.html

Would it be possible to keep fish in this or would you need to have a pump drawing water through a gravel filter with bacteria to convert the ammonia which the fish produce and which eventually poisons them into nitrites and nitrates?

Hi! What a beautiful wee wildlife pond! I notice that you didn't use a pond liner? Are they necessary in a wine barrel...seems counter intuitive as they are designed to hold precious liquids!

@wwtorguk

3 ай бұрын

Hi there, thanks for your question - we were lucky enough to find a good barrel which held water right away (6 months on and it's still full!). If using a barrel where the wood has been allowed to dry out and shrink, it might be less watertight; you can try soaking it and it may swell back and seal. If not then you can always use a rubber or plastic liner stapled to the inside - fill with water before cutting off the excess liner to let it conform to the shape of the barrel. Good luck!

@christinehughes9267

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for replying! I did infact have a different problem- the water became very smelly after just a week. Not sure if I should empty it all out and start again? I am in NZ and it's a hot summer and we have water restrictions at the moment too. Maybe I need to wait until Spring?

Excellent video 👍 I was just wondering if it is possible to put barrels and large containers into the ground and not above the ground as that will help amphibians get in and out more.

@wwtorguk

8 ай бұрын

Hi there yes absolutely you can, although avoid wooden containers for this as they will become rotten. Let us know how you get on!

@thetallweatherman2246

8 ай бұрын

@@wwtorguk Thanks 😊

@melig7543

13 күн бұрын

Never stopped frogs getting into our above ground pool. 48 inches high.

@jetv1471

7 күн бұрын

@@melig7543😂

what about rain and overflow? in uk rains like crazy

@dbatesdob

Ай бұрын

It will run down the sides ... not a prob

Love this idea and such a helpful video! Where can I buy all the things you mentioned in the video please, like the pond plants and plant baskets etc.?

@wwtorguk

9 күн бұрын

Hi there, you should be able to pick them up from any good garden centre with an aquatics section.

Does the barrel have to be water tight? Can fabric growing baskets be used to hold aquatic plants in the water? Thanks for the video!

Is a barrel waterproof enough without a liner?

@wwtorguk

7 ай бұрын

Hi there, this can depend on the barrel - the one we used in this video fortunately turned out to hold water well. If using a barrel where the wood has been allowed to dry out and shrink you can try soaking it and it may swell back and seal. If not then you can always use a rubber or plastic liner stapled to the inside - fill with water before cutting off the excess liner to let it conform to the shape of the barrel. Let us know how you get on!

Thank you, an excellent video :-) Question, will the gravel and plant life ac as a natural filter to help he water stay healthy?

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Hi there, yes the plants will take out excess nutrients from the water and the large surface-area of the gravel is a great place for microbes to fix any nitrates. 10 months on and the water is still clear!

@raiseyourworld5324

14 күн бұрын

@@wwtorguk Lovely! thank you so much for responding 😁

Hi, just wondering if you need any sort of filter to clean the water and stop it from stagnating?

Looks great. Three questions: 1) Was the barrel waterproof or sealed when you go it? If no, what do you recommend to accomplish that? 2) What about mosquitoes in the standing water? 3) I live in the Pacific Northwest of USA where we get about 44 inches of snow and the freezing that goes along with that. Any suggestions? Just let the water freeze? What about the plants?

@simonrose1598

10 ай бұрын

I was lucky to find a good barrel which held water straight away. If using a barrel where the wood has been allowed to dry out and shrink you can try soaking it and it may swell back and seal. If not then you can always use a rubber or plastic liner stapled to the inside - fill with water before cutting off the excess liner to let it conform to the shape of the barrel. Good luck!

@wwtorguk

10 ай бұрын

Regarding the mosquitoes, we do get a lot of similar comments from viewers in USA; they aren’t such an issue in the UK but we know that small insects are essential to the food chain and provide food for a multitude of larger insects, fish and birds. So if you can cope with them, the wider wildlife will benefit! Tough one on the cold weather - perhaps try stocking with native plants that are used to surviving in those extremes? Thanks for watching.

@TroySwezey

10 ай бұрын

@@simonrose1598 Wow. Cool tip. Thank you. I think there is some spray at the hardware store to seal small cracks or gaps but the liner may be the better way to go.

@takamatsuiki

9 ай бұрын

​@@wwtorguk curious ... would a solar powered water pump be appropriate? It would help the folks dealing with mosquitoes.

@TheDogWaffle

4 ай бұрын

@@takamatsuikiye

If legal, gather some pond water and dead leaves from the bottom, even some muck and sand. Add it to your pond

Really enjoyed this video. Always wanted a little pond. I do have a question........ I know its an old barrel.... but it is old and you haven't used a pond liner for it. Why is that? Thanks

@wwtorguk

3 күн бұрын

Hi there, great to hear you enjoyed our video. Many older barrels, especially those originally used for alcohol storage, are well-sealed. Most will likely leak a little, but topping up with rainwater sorts that.

thank you for this beautifully photographed and spoken video -- strange how I felt this was a holy information - it must be that the wetland core idea and reality goes back to the very dawn of creation, life began -- I wish we could build up a strong green movement worldwide to protect the whole planet more effectively thank you thank you

This is so beatiful, but and the filter? Dont wil have?

@wwtorguk

6 ай бұрын

No filter needed here, the natural plant system uses up any excess nutrients in the water and keeps it clear!

Where do you get the plants from ? An ordinary Garden Centre ? Do you have to change the water if it gets polluted with leaves ?

@wwtorguk

10 ай бұрын

Hi there, yes any Garden Centre with an aquatics section should stock these plants and they should be labelled as native species. Any dead plant matter should be taken out, especially from fallen autumn leaves, as they will add excess nutrients, but if this is done fairly regularly there should be no need to change the water. Thanks for watching!

@simonrose1598

10 ай бұрын

Plants came from a nearby garden centre that stocks a good range of aquatic plants - do a search to find suppliers near you.

How do you know if your whiskey barrel is a rectified one with creosote?

Thank you. This makes me think I can actually make my own pond. My daughter wants to add fish. Would this size be big enough?

@PredictableEnigma

15 күн бұрын

Only for nano sized fish, and not too many. Fish are animals that need a LOT of research before taking them on, but they are wonderful.

it would've been useful to talk about the plants and if they perform any roles in the pond or are they just for aesthetics

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Hi there please take a look at the video description for more information on the plants. Many flower, providing pollen for insects, shade to shelter critters and some oxygenate the water.

Not sure about log for birds as they can take fish or other species

Pond update please!

I'd give the whole family west nile virus a week after getting this set up in the back yard.

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Put a fountain pump in it

@jetv1471

7 күн бұрын

😂

@moomoo3031

Күн бұрын

dragonfly larva eat mosquito larva!

Question !!!! ??? is it ok to use water produced from condensed air machines such as dehumidifiers ?????

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Hi there thanks for the question, this isn't advised as contaminants can remain in the water. Treat it as 'grey water', i.e. reuse it for mopping the floor, washing the car etc only.

What about oxygen?

Great idea. How do you keep mosquitoes out of it?

@wwtorguk

20 күн бұрын

Thanks! Mosquitoes aren't a problem here in the UK, thankfully. In fact, we need more of them to form the base of the food chain for other insects and birds.

@littlejoe9381

20 күн бұрын

@@wwtorguk : Unfortunately, they are a big problem here in the US, particularly in the South. I have dogs and cats, and mosquitoes are very bad for them. Thanks for responding to my question. 🙂

@jetv1471

7 күн бұрын

@@littlejoe9381state bird in many states

Great video, but where do you buy the plant baskets for £1?

@wwtorguk

22 күн бұрын

Thanks Patricia. That may have been mis-spoken by our presenter - most plant baskets will start from around £5.

@patriciastenhouse2735

22 күн бұрын

Thank you

What kind of maintenance is involved? Does it need to be cleaned to remove slime?

@wwtorguk

2 күн бұрын

Hi there, ours has been built for almost a year now and no maintenance needed - just a little plant trimming.

What do; you do about mosquitoes?

When is the best time of year to have a go at this?

@wwtorguk

22 күн бұрын

We built ours in early summer which is a great time for invertebrates like water skaters to find the pond and it also gives the plants an entire season to grow and settle in.

🐸🐦🦎😊

Isn't this effectively stagnant water? What will prevent it from rotting after some time?

@wwtorguk

22 күн бұрын

Hi Alex, the wood in the barrel will rot eventually but they are generally built to last, it could well be years until issues from this arise. If you're worried about this, a plastic barrel would be an OK alternative.

@alexverdigris9939

22 күн бұрын

@@wwtorguk Thanks for the reply and sorry for my ignorance; I was thinking about the water rather than the vessel. I assume stagnant water goes bad, is it the plants that prevent this, and keep it in a fresh state?

The barrel doesn't leak??? How to keep this clean???

@wwtorguk

8 күн бұрын

Hi there, a little leakage is inevitable especially with a wooden barrel, but mostly it is well sealed. Rainwater also tops it up. The barrel pond stays clean due to microbes living on the gravel, fixing nitrates. Water is also filtered by the plants, who take up excess nutrients.

How do you limit mosquitoes? Any standing water we get is almost immediately filled with loads of mosquito larvae.

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Thankfully not such an issue here in the UK and small insects are essential to the food chain, providing food for a multitude of larger insects, fish and birds. Hopefully wider wildlife will benefit!

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Put a fountain pump in it.

Do you have any problems with mosquitos since it is standing water?

@wwtorguk

3 күн бұрын

Hi there, no issues here in the UK, thankfully (and we hope to encourage emergent insects as they are vital to support our other declining wildlife) but realise is an issue in other parts of the world.

@zenrockgardens

3 күн бұрын

@@wwtorguk Here in Missouri we would be building a breeding ground for Mosquitos but I just had a thought that I could also put hummingbird feeders near it so they can eat the mosquitos also. So I'm inspired either way with your video.

Are mosquitoes a problem?

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Here in the US, yes, the UK maybe not.

Q Question- How or what prevents 'sitting water' from simply turning 'bad'- stagnant and green???????????

@PredictableEnigma

15 күн бұрын

The plants removing excess nutrients can out-compete alege. He didn't add anything to keep the water moving in his pond, but I'd have added a sponge filter just to get some more oxygen in the water while still keeping the flow low enough for egg laying

@jetv1471

7 күн бұрын

@@PredictableEnigmayes this video is truly lacking some key pieces of info. I usually use cheap Amazon solar pumps but the sponge filter sounds interesting. Ty

Joel Ashton woz ere

@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton

6 ай бұрын

🤣

@ev1677

6 ай бұрын

@@WildYourGardenWithJoelAshton hahaha 🐐

how to create a breeding groud for mosquitoes

@wwtorguk

14 күн бұрын

Thankfully not such an issue here in the UK and small insects are essential to the food chain, providing food for a multitude of larger insects, fish and birds. Hopefully wider wildlife will benefit!

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Put a fountain pump in it.

What about mosquitoes?

@wwtorguk

20 күн бұрын

Mosquitoes aren't a problem here in the UK, thankfully. In fact, we need more of them to form the base of the food chain for other insects and birds.

@CristinaNogueiraAlves

20 күн бұрын

Dragonflies larvae take care of that

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Put a fountain pump in it.

What about mosquitos?

@metimebygraciela

Күн бұрын

What about snow/winter all the plants died?

In Brazil this gives you dengue fever 😕

@vaderladyl

10 күн бұрын

Put a fountain pump in it.