Customer Reviews

Earth Ponds: The Country Pond Maker's Guide to Building, Maintenance and Restoration (Second Edition)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book is a good start to building your own pond. I would suggest it as a inexpensive first step to pond building. What I learned in my experience was there is just too much to consider when you want a high quality pond. I used a professional biologist to design my pond and got terrific results. I was happy I knew the basics from this book so I could speak somewhat intelligently with the fishery biologist. After investing tens of thousands of dollars, I learned that the small amount I spent on this book and the professional advice was well worth it. I was so happy I got a nice clear fishing and swimming pond instead of a muddy mess or one that was weed infested.

A great book for novice pond buidlers. If you are looking to move earth or referbish an old pond or lake this book will give ideas and help to make a pond for livestock or pleasure. Some in picture detail but good basic writing in foundation.

All those pages, all those words............yet if you are looking to satiate an appetite for information that will allow the building and managing of a pond...you will go hungry.

It's an average book for an average day for an average consumer, but not for construction or problem solution.
I will sell my copy or leave it as a "coffee table" book.

Sorry, but I made a bad purchase choice.

I bought this book for my husband, who has been planning the restoration for our 4+ acre pond. Many books on ponds seem to be focused on smaller water gardens, not on sizeable wetlands. This is the first truly helpful resource book that he's found. The author writes from the perspective of a conservationist, but his passion for what he's doing comes across as poetic. Extremely helpful guide for facts, resources, and the issues/challenges you're likely to encounter, as well as key environmental considerations.

A helpful guide for the pond owner with an easy to understand problem solving guide. It`s also a great book for the person attempting to construct their first earth pond or lake.

I was looking for more techinical and not so wordy reading. It was interesting reading in a Walden's Pond sort of way. I want to build a pond myself and have the equipment to do it. But wanted to know How the big boys do it.

This book is applies to northern ponds more than southern ponds. We do not ice over nor do we put trout in our ponds because of the warm waters. It is a good book for what it applies to.

i was looking for a book to help me design and build a pond, this book was more of a story, with a few helpful idea's.

This is a lovely, dreamy little book with some great black and white photos. It's perfect reading for a winter's night or for fostering fantasies. It's also a pretty good place to start before you call the county agent or start knocking on the doors of pond-owning neighbors.
It's perfectly true that some of Matson's writing is way over the top ("I wake up from a nightmare of valkyries swooping down out of the sun") and the illustrations are not enough to talk you through the whole process, but this could be the book that gets you started and that's worth quite a bit.

I purchased this book for instruction on new pond construction. The text was somewhat informative, but the pictures were a joke. They show pond construction using steam shovels! I sent my copy back.