Natural Pond
A natural pond is a body of water that appears to be formed by natural forces, but in reality has been carefully planned and constructed by man. The bottom of the pond will be artificial, similar to that of a swimming pool, but it will be covered with soil so aquatic plants, fish, and animals can have structure.
Such a water feature can be stocked with fish, if you like, and it can soon become home to all sorts of visiting wildlife who use it as a water source. Squirrels love to play around them in the daytime. Species frequently seen at night include such as raccoons, rabbits, feral cats, and opossums.
There are many benefits that come from adding a natural pond to your landscape master plan.
Your home looks more like a secluded country estate when juxtaposed against a lighted, natural body of water in the background. Your swimming pool also looks complimented by natural body of water that offers guests a more secluded alternative to the hustle of the pool party. Other structures like courtyards, outdoor fireplaces and summer kitchens can be built in all kinds of special relationships to a body of water that soften the sophisticated architectural nature of their design.
In effect, this whole aesthetic will soften your entire landscape design and makes your home look more harmoniously blended with the natural world.
The best place to have us build a natural pond is toward the back of your property.
This is because it will ultimately contain much more than water. It will also have a variety of aquatic plants growing in the water and around the banks. This will eventually provide a safe haven for many wildlife species.
Nevertheless they prefer to have a bit of distance between themselves and the average human, and the average human prefers to observe many of these species from a safe distance as well.
Invariably people ask us if attracting so much wildlife poses a risk to human safety.
In reality, there is already wildlife present in your back yard that you may not have noticed. Having a well-lit natural pond should actually help you see them better without either one of you being startled.
The only real dangers that you may encounter are the possibilities of venomous snakes and the breeding of mosquitoes which can carry disease.
Keep in mind that these creatures can be anywhere in your yard after a rain, so with or without a pond, we always have to be cautious during rainy seasons.
To put things in perspective about the snake issue, there is only one species of venomous water snake in Texas, and that is the water moccasin.
While there remains a possibility that a natural pond could attract a water moccasin to the back of your yard, landscape lighting is always installed to show you exactly where the water’s edge lies.
Pathway lights are used along human transit and observation areas so that walking areas are also clearly visible and less vulnerable to surprise visitors.
***If you do happen upon a water moccasin anywhere on your property, back away slowly and leave. Call animal control, and do not try to kill the snake. If you fail to kill it, it will attempt to bite you in self defense.***