Backyard ponds and water features are among the most rapidly growing segments of landscape gardening. The sight and sound of water is a natural element that brings a soothing ambiance to any landscape. Fish swimming leisurely around the pond cannot help but relax the gardener and visitors.

A pond is an ecological system. You will provide water, fish and aquatic plants. Nature will soon provide frogs, toads, dragonflies and, unfortunately, algae to the mix. Keep this system in balance and you (and the fish and plants) will be happy. Let it get out of balance and the trouble begins. 

Throughout these pages, we will try to emphasize the need to keep track of the Inputs and the Outgoes of your backyard pond. To prevent algae and other problems, for every unit of Input, there needs to be an equal unit of Outgo to maintain equilibrium. Sounds simple but it can get complicated. A pond that looses its sense of balance results in putrid, smelly water and dead fish. That is not acceptable to most of us.

 So, if you add a fish or two i.e. Inputs, you will need to increase filtration or water changes or cut back on the feeding or something else to get an equivalent Outgo. On the other hand, if you add another filter unit, you might be able to add some more fish or be a little less diligent in cleaning out the dead leaves and stems from the aquatic plants.

This website will show how to create and maintain a backyard pond for the best effects. Throughout, we try to emphasize the need for balance. Keep that in mind and you cannot fail.

is also enthusiastic about ponds and all of their benefits that we are devoting a major area of our website to this landscape feature. To cover the topic completely is a big job so, it will take us some time to complete the site. However, we will be adding and changing and upgrading the content almost daily. So, please check back periodically to see the progress.