Building Natural Ponds : Create a Clean, Algae-free Pond Without Pumps, Filters, or Chemicals

**Build a natural pond for wildlife, beauty, and quiet contemplation**Typical backyard ponds are a complicated mess of pipes, pumps, filters, and nasty chemicals designed to adjust pH and keep algae at bay. Hardly the bucolic, natural ecosystem beloved by dragonflies, frogs, and songbirds.The antidote is a natural pond, free of hassle, cost, and complexity and designed as a fully functional ecosystem, ideal for biodiversity, swimming, irrigation, and quiet contemplation.__Building Natural Ponds__is the first step-by-step guide to designing and building natural ponds that use no pumps, filters, chemicals, or electricity and mimic native ponds in both aesthetics and functionality. Highly illustrated with how-to drawings and photographs, coverage includes:• Understanding pond ecosystems and natural algae control• Planning, design, siting, and pond aesthetics• Step-by-step guidance for construction, plants and fish, and maintenance and trouble shooting• Scaling up to large ponds, pools, bogs, and rain gardens.Whether you’re a backyard gardener looking to add a small serene natural water feature or a homesteader with visions of a large pond for fish, swimming, and irrigation,__Building Natural Ponds__is the complete guide to building ponds in tune with nature, where plants, insects, and amphibians thrive in blissful serenity.**Robert Pavlis**, a Master Gardener with over 40 years of gardening experience, is owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a six-acre botanical garden featuring over 2,500 varieties of plants. A well-respected speaker and teacher, Robert has published articles in__Mother Earth News__,__Ontario Gardening__magazine, the widely read blog GardenMyths.com, which explodes common gardening myths and gardening information site GardenFundamentals.com. Introduction 1. Understanding a Balanced Ecosystem Oxygen Cycle Nutrients pH Algae Animals Trees and Shrubs Plants Microbes Maintaining Balance in the Ecosystem 2. Environmental Benefits Pond Ecosystem Breeding Site for Amphibians Dragonflies and Mosquitoes Birds and Mammals Water Conservation Environmental Awareness Less Lawn Permaculture Food Sources 3. Natural Looking Designs Native Ponds Man-made Ponds How Natural Can You Get? The Borrowed View Enjoy the Pond Stones, Stones, and More Stones Plants Are Key Your Final Design 4. Planning and Design Location Legal Issues Access to Electrical Power Size Depth Water Source Bogs and Rain Gardens Trees Pond Liners Human Access Rocks Shape of the Pond and Planting Shelves Plants Excavated Soil 5. Building Site Evaluation Soil Type Installing a Preformed Pond Flexible Pond Liners Digging the Hole for a Flexible Liner Preparing the Hole Installing the Pond Liner Footings for a Dock or Bridge Adding Water Protecting Planting Shelves Stones for the Planting Shelf Leveling the Pond Edge Adding the Spillway Allowing for Inflow Edging the Pond Adding the Finishing Touches 6. Fish Fish Care Hobby Fish Game Fish 7. Plants Planting Fertilizing Starting Small Too Many Plants Plant Pests and Diseases Undesirable Pond Plants Selection of Water Plants Workhorse Water Plants 8. Maintenance and Troubleshooting Don't Do These Things Adding Water Removing Organics Winter Care Pond Leaks 9. Large-scale Ponds Special Pond Types Regulations and Permits Water Sources Liner Options General Construction Considerations Aerators and Fountains Constructing Dams Designing the Inflow Designing the Outflow Plants Eutrophication 10. Pools, Bogs, and Rain Gardens Natural Swimming Pools Bogs Rain Gardens References Index About the Author A Note About the Publisher Build a natural pond for wildlife, beauty, and quiet contemplation Typical backyard ponds are a complicated mess of pipes, pumps, filters, and nasty chemicals designed to adjust pH and keep algae at bay. Hardly the bucolic, natural ecosystem beloved by dragonflies, frogs, and songbirds. The antidote is a natural pond, free of hassle, cost, and complexity and designed as a fully functional ecosystem, ideal for biodiversity, swimming, irrigation, and quiet contemplation. Building Natural Ponds is the first step-by-step guide to designing and building natural ponds that use no pumps, filters, chemicals, or electricity and mimic native ponds in both aesthetics and functionality. Highly illustrated with how-to drawings and photographs, coverage includes: Understanding pond ecosystems and natural algae control Planning, design, siting, and pond aesthetics Step-by-step guidance for construction, plants and fish, and maintenance and trouble shooting Scaling up to large ponds, pools, bogs, and rain gardens. Whether you're a backyard gardener looking to add a small serene natural water feature or a homesteader with visions of a large pond for fish, swimming, and irrigation, Building Natural Ponds is the complete guide to building ponds in tune with nature, where plants, insects, and amphibians thrive in blissful serenity. Robert Pavlis, a Master Gardener with over 40 years of gardening experience, is owner and developer of Aspen Grove Gardens, a six-acre botanical garden featuring over 2,500 varieties of plants. A well-respected speaker and teacher, Robert has published articles in Mother Earth News, Ontario Gardening magazine, the widely read blog GardenMyths.com, which explodes common gardening myths and gardening information site GardenFundamentals.com. "Building Natural Ponds is the first book to walk through the steps required to design and build a natural pond without the need of pumps, filters, and nasty chemicals. Coverage includes pond ecosystems and natural algae control, planning, design, aesthetics, and siting, plus highly illustrated step-by-step construction guidance, plants and fish, maintenance and troubleshooting, and large ponds and pools."--Provided by publisher. Read more... "Building Natural Ponds is the first book to walk through the steps required to design and build a natural pond without the need of pumps, filters, and nasty chemicals. Coverage includes pond ecosystems and natural algae control, planning, design, aesthetics, and siting, plus highly illustrated step-by-step construction guidance, plants and fish, maintenance and troubleshooting, and large ponds and pools."-- Provided by publisher