Landscaping Earth Ponds and Earth Ponds DVD

Reviews

HeraldNet.com

The Buzz

January 17, 2007

Pondering a pond? Very few people with acreage in the country have not created a pond or at least thought about it. A body of water has practical value for swimming and fishing and as a fire pond, but it also brings a placid contrast to the surrounding property and draws wonderful wildlife. There are a number of books about the engineering aspects of building and maintaining ponds, but few about the value of landscaping them. And yet, an artfully planted pond environment is one of the most powerful landscapes you can effect. Tim Matson's softbound book, "Landscaping Earth Ponds ($30), offers great insights into what to do (and not; invasive plants can soon consume your feature). It includes an illustrated section on suitable trees, shrubs, perennials and bog plants that will make your pond something beyond the ordinary. It also lists suppliers, nurseries and other resources you will need.

Washington Post

Garden books pave a path of poetry, history and adventure

by Adrian Higgins

December 14, 2006

Very few people with acreage in the country have not created a pond, or thought about it. A body of water has practical value for swimming and fishing and as a fire pond, but it also brings a placid contrast to the surrounding property and draws wonderful wildlife. There are a number of books about the engineering aspects of building and maintaining ponds, but few about the value of landscaping them. And yet, an artfully planted pond environment is one of the most powerful landscapes you can effect. I can think of public gardens where this has been done well: The trusty New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Chanticleer in Wayne, Pa., and Stonecrop in Cold Spring, N.Y., come to mind. But Matson's softbound book offers great insights into what to do (and not; invasive plants can soon consume your feature). It includes an illustrated section on suitable trees, shrubs, perennials and bog plants that will make your pond something beyond the ordinary. It also lists suppliers, nurseries and other resources you will need.

Book Review

Water Gardeners International
by Charles B. Thomas
October 2006

Countless water gardeners began their aquatic experiences with a fish bowl or an aquarium. Lessons learned from experience with an aquarium apply to the water garden, but with modifications and additions. Likewise, when water gardeners make the next big step up to an earth pond, many old lessons apply, but again with significant modifications and additions.

When I think of earth ponds, Tim Matson comes to mind. Michael Pollan, author of The Botany of Desire, says, “Aside from some particularly thoughtful frogs and phragmites, no one on earth knows more about ponds than Tim Matson.” He has been designing, restoring, and building earth ponds for nearly three decades. Along the way, Tim found time to author three landmark books on his favorite professional subject. He now shares his extensive experience with earth ponds and wetland in his fourth earth pond book.

In the book, the reader learns how earth ponds “enliven your landscape, create recreational opportunities, help the environment and increase your property value.”

Landscaping Earth Ponds - The Complete Guide Chapters include:

• New Ponds
• Existing Ponds
• The Pond at Strawberry Hill
• Techniques (Shaping the Basin, Planting)
• The Lornell Pond
• General Techniques
• Save That Tree
• Planting Considerations and Techniques
• Recommended Pond Plants

Two chapters (Strawberry Hill and Lornell) relate Tim’s projects from start to finish. Techniques cover vital aspects like shaping the basin, planting, siting, inflows and outflows. Helpful sketches, planning schemes, and beautiful pictures support the well-written text.

Reading this latest Tim Matson book provides the reader with essential information for anyone who owns or plans an earth pond or wetland.

Bookwatch Review

August 2006

A pond adds value to a property, but many books which extol its virtues are mysteriously silent on just how to install and landscape for maximum benefit – until Landscaping Earth Ponds: The Complete Guide. Tim Matson's proven methods and designs come from his background as an aquaculture consultant: he's been designing and restoring such ponds for over twenty-five years, and his tips update his prior Earth Ponds with new details on everything from assessing and maintaining water quality to considering types of fill and handling embankments. Color photos throughout enhance the presentation.

Review from Midwest Book Review

July 2006

Tim Watson draws upon more than 25 years of experience and expertise building ponds and developing wetlands in Landscaping Earth Ponds: The Complete Guide. Here is a informative, step-by-step, profusely illustrated reference for creating a more lively and beautifying diverse landscapes and home-area garden areas with ponds. Providing "user friendly" information on how ponds work to enhance a landscape, create recreational opportunities, help the environment, and increase property values, Landscaping Earth Ponds offers a complete and readily accessible account of a variety of methods and techniques to employ in the creation of a pond. An important addition to any personal, professional, or community library reference collection, Landscaping Earth Ponds is very strongly recommended for anyone searching for an all-inclusive instructional guide to pond building and encouraging natural beauty through the development of a customized pond appropriate to the rest of the landscaping environment.