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>More Pond DesignsPuddling with ConcreteSafe Ponds for ChildrenClay puddling, I am glad to report, is an art in pond construction that went out with handlebar mustaches and high-wheeled bicycles. It never was much of an art, in my opinion, but I don't think any discussion of pond building would be complete without some mention of it, for it was one of the pioneer techniques of water gardening. Puddling with Clay
The builder of a clay-puddled pond first made a concave excavation, sloping the sides carefully at an angle of not more than 40 to 45 degrees. He then lined the concavity with a 6- to 8-inch layer of the coarsest straw he could find. On top of the straw he put a 6-inch layer of clay, which he moistened and tamped down into the straw as tightly as possible. DEW PONDS Natural dew ponds, also known as cloud ponds and mist ponds, are near-miraculous works of nature. They just happen, sometimes, in shady places that remain constantly damp, even in hot, dry weather. The mystery of them is their principal fascination. They have no apparent source of water, and yet they thrive, their cold, clear waters never seeming to diminish. A few English water gardeners with plenty of time and even more patience have been able to construct them and make them work. An artificial dew pond is built, much as a puddled-clay pond, although on a much smaller scale. The layer of straw that goes into the excavation is much thicker, perhaps a foot or more of it. The clay lining is tamped in upon the straw in the conventional way. Continue to Puddling with Concrete |
Planning Your Pond |
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