Design and build your own pond (The Bumper Book of Garden Ponds)

Member Name: markos9

Product:	The Bumper Book of Garden Ponds
Date:	26/09/09 (73 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Extremely comprehensive.

Disadvantages: None.

A pond adds an extra dimension to a garden; colour, movement, and the sound of running water can all enhance the enjoyment we get from our open spaces. A garden pond can also be important for wildlife, too. The number of ponds in the British countryside is diminishing at an alarming rate, harming already threatened wildlife even further.

The Interpet Bumper Book of Garden Ponds aims to help the reader design, build and maintain a garden pond, of whatever type is required. And there are many different pond types: do you want a large or small pond, sunken or raised, formal, informal, or semi-formal, natural, or one suitable for gorgeous Koi carp?

These different designs put differing demands on the planning and maintenance and it is important that the right information is obtained before digging a hole in the ground.

Part One of this book concerns the all important design. The siting of the pond must be carefully considered, avoiding overhanging trees and too much direct sunlight. The size of the garden will, of course, dictate the size available for the pond and the shapes that will fit in the available area.

The book includes beautiful pictures of formal and informal ponds as well as Japanese water gardens and natural ponds that will inspire the reader towards a pond of his or her own.

Building the pond is discussed in Part Two. The care needed with electricity is given due consideration as are the materials that can be used for construction. Installation of cascades and fountains is detailed; these can be problematic, but the book shows the reader how it should be done properly.

If the pond is to contain a significant number of fish, then a filtration system will be required. These can be built from scratch or bought 'off the shelf'; either way, the book has advice for installation of these systems, minimising the visual impact of what can be ugly pieces of kit.

Following the advice here will avoid pitfalls such as non-level waterlines and poorly placed ponds.

Part Three concerns plants for stocking the pond. There are many different types of plants that can be used, but care must be taken. Some are incredibly invasive (and, indeed, some are now banned due to their impact having escaped from garden ponds in the past) so should be avoided. Others such as lilies should be matched to the size of pond required.

This section will give the reader all the required information for stocking a pond with plants which will provide oxygen during the day, as well as providing shelter for the pond's inhabitants. Planting is also covered, giving methods to ensure that they are not uprooted by fish.

Part Four concerns the pond inhabitants. Fish, such as goldfish, can make a lovely display in a garden pond, with their colour and activity providing endless amusement for people spending time in their garden.

Koi, are much larger than goldfish and require specialist care for their wellbeing. Koi are very expensive (can be £1000 for a champion!) and grow to a very large size, so large ponds are required. Koi can be messy, but if the advice on planning a Koi pond is followed, the owner will end up with a pond that's the envy of everyone who sees it.

If a completely natural pond, with native British wildlife is desired, advice is given on how to stock and maintain this most maintenance free type of water feature. Natural ponds can have an attraction all of their own: birds will use the shallow edges to drink, frogs and newts will breed here, as will gorgeously coloured dragonflies and damselflies.

This is an incredibly informative book. Packed into its 240 pages, is all the information a prospective pond keeper will need. I kept a pond for many years and this book was my 'bible' once it became available.

The best advice I can give anyone contemplating building a garden pond is get hold of this book before putting a spade in the ground. It will more than pay for itself in helping with the design and maintenance of what will hopefully be a centre piece of the garden.

The book is available from Amazon from £3.99.

Summary: All the information needed to put a pond in the garden.