Pond & Water Garden Resources

Ponds and Water Gardens

Ponds are a Piece of the Ecological Puzzle
In biological terms,  a community can be defined as plants and animals interacting with one another in the sharing of available resources and restraints in a defined area. Ponds and Water Gardens are ecosystems, in that they play host to a total interrelationship of all organisms in the environment - birds, fish, frogs, plants and many microscopic organisms.

As wild habitats are depleted due to commercial development and other factors, pieces of the ecological puzzle are depleted. A backyard water garden or pond restores one of these pieces to the ecosystem. So don't just see a pond as an independent, unrelated element. See it instead, as part of "the big picture," the regional environment.

A pond ecosystem or water garden ecosystem can be likened to a triangle. In a regional ecosystem, ponds, streams, and lakes (water) are the base of the triangle. In the pond ecosystem, the water is the base of the triangle. Everything found above the base is completely dependent, either directly or indirectly, on water.

How Does Pond Building and Water Gardening Affect the Ecosystem?

We should remember that our backyard water features are not only enjoyable for us, but also necessary for the well being and functioning of our environment. As we understand how water gardens and ponds work, and what plants and animals live in them, we learn to appreciate nature instead of being scared of it. So relax, nothing in your pond will hurt you!

Do you want your pond to be more diverse? Given time and some proper plant selection in and around the pond, you can create a very diverse ecosystem in your yard. Just remember to keep it simple, and with patience, your ponds and water gardens  will mature over the years into beautiful parts of nature.

One pond in your backyard may not seem very important, but when you have a thousand similar backyard ecosystems functioning simultaneously. there's truly a positive impact being made on the environment. Large amounts of habitat are restored for frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders, all of whose numbers have been declining sharply for many years now. Birds have also been driven from many of their natural wetland habitats, which they need so desperately to survive. So at a grassroots level, as the pond and water garden industry grows, there are additional habitats and diversity being added to our stressed suburban environments.

The Pond & Water Garden Resources Website

What is the purpose of this website?
The Pond and Water Garden Resources Website was designed to educate the public through free information on ponds and water gardens, and to promote the natural "balanced ecosystem" method of pond building pioneered by Aquascape Designs, Inc. (ADI).

Thirty-year-old entrepreneur Greg Wittstock began his career in the water gardening industry in 1982, when at the early age of 12 he built his first pond. What began as a hobby, soon became an obsession and Greg's first pond became the setting of his own "backyard classroom." With his heart set on creating the perfect water garden pond, Greg began experimenting with construction materials and homemade filters. In 1991, using the experiences with his own pond, he launched Aquascape Designs, Inc., a residential and commercial water feature design firm.

Today, Aquascape Designs has become the country's largest water garden builder. As a wholesale manufacturer and supplier of its own patented pond filtration systems, Aquascape Designs is the single- leading manufacturer of complete, ready-to-assemble pond kits. The 20-products and 20-step construction process makes pond installation simple. Greg has presented to well-over 5000 Green Industry professionals on topics ranging from the impact of water features on contractors and retailers, to water gardening myths and design, construction, landscaping, sales, public relations, and marketing.

This website is not only put together to help the public build their own "balanced ecosystem" ponds and water gardens, but also to help them find the professionals who can help when the job is too big. For that purpose we have our online directory of Certified Aquascape Contractors.


 

Ponds - Water Gardens - Pond Supplies - Pond Construction - Pond Liners - Pond Filtration - Water Garden Construction - Water Garden Plants - Water Garden Fountains - Backyard & Indoor Waterfalls - What is a CAC? - Find a CAC - Become a CAC - Sitemap

Aquascape Designs, Inc. © Copyright 2005