Pond my pool!

May 16, 2020 3:13 PM

I want to convert a disused unground pool into a pond. What are the best resources for tackling this project?

I’ve found a few web sites with low quality content, and a few that are full of information but aren’t applicable to my climate zone (Zone 5).

Are there books I should check out? Specialists in New England who could help me? Think permaculture, not “landscaping”—something on the wilder side that isn’t tightly manicured but can have a functioning and healthy ecosystem.

posted by overeducated_alligator to Home & Garden (2 answers total)

Are you considering a living pool or living pond? These are great it might be the closest to natural thing you can do with a disused pool. Most of these do need some kind of circulator or filter, but if your pool already has one that seems doable. This one is UK based but you can get the gist of it.
Or maybe something more like this?
posted by newpotato at 3:31 PM on May 16, 2020 [4 favorites]

Some Landscape Architects could help you with this but you need ones that know about water and living pools/swimming pools. Also you want ones that can handle permacultural/ecological thinking. I've been working a natural pool here NZ and there's a lot to consider.

These are quite common in Germany, so that works for Zone 5. Many of the plants typically used are perennials, although it is common to drape evergreens over the edge: essentially you are copying how nature keeps a pool clean so you need some of the same things.

What is the pool liner? if concrete it will need an interior coating to stop the cement messing up water pH. How deep/how large?
posted by unearthed at 5:27 PM on May 16, 2020