Topic: Wrapped-up Landscapes
As if Wrapping Artist Christo Had Visited

Dates: September/October

Summary:
Its the same every year: the autumn winds blow leaves over hundreds of metres into our garden ponds. This causes a problem: Bacteria decompose the leaves and consume oxygen. The more leaves, the scanter the oxygen supply.
This is a deadly threat to fish and water animals.

It goes even further than that, though: The leaves' decomposition set nutrients free that fertilise algae. Some leaves decompose quickly, others begin decomposing in summer. This means that nutrients are released into the water during many months. The pond is never quite clear - and next autumn more leaves arrive.

This cycle has to be interrupted. The best solution is to cover the pond.

Consequently, the formation of algae is stopped and lack of oxygen is prevented.
The build-up of rotting sludge on the pond ground is slowed.
This means that the pond only has to be cleaned after ten to thirty years.

NaturaGart in Ibbenbüren, specialised in large pond installations, has developed a leaf barrier system that securely covers the pond during the critical period. It is easy to handle and to set up and offers all around protection.

Expansion:
In contrast to other products, the NaturaGart  net is very closed-meshed. When leaves dry, they roll up, break and can still fall into the water through larger mesh netting. Also important: the NaturaGart net lets light pass through, because a covered up pond needs light and air. Good protection depends on the correct installation of the net. Wet leaves tend to accumulate in the centre of the pond. This can cause the net to sag. The result is that the leaves are in contact with the water. The simplest solution is to make the centre of the pond the highest point of the net. Then leaves will simply blow on.
The long proven technology: An adaptable system of swimming supports keeps the nets up high and tensed. As a result, leaves will not accumulate in the lowest areas, but are immediately blown away by the wind. The stainless aluminium constructs are piratically indestructible. The leaf barrier is set up in a few minutes and stays on the pond for about a month.

Images:
Please contact us if you require more images.

Image rights:
Images are royalty free if the source is acknowledged close to the image as
Photo: NaturaGart

Further information:
Assembly instructions are attached as PDF.

The NaturaGart Park in Ibbenbüren is a perfectly wrapped landscape. Even large ponds find protection from leaves from the surrounding woods underneath the special nets.
		Large amounts of leaves fall into every pond during autumn.
Fine meshes prevent even dry leaves from falling through the net.	Wind blows the leaves across the tightly tensed net. This works only if the net doesn't sag in the middle.	In smaller ponds 1m high supports are sufficient to keep the net up. Several of these supports can be connected.
In larger ponds, 2m high supports are needed.	This results in large tent-like structures.	Although the NaturaGart net is very closed-meshed, it still lets plenty of air and light get to the pond.