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Topic: An Ideal Pond Shore
Many Ponds Have Unsecured Shores

Dates:
September - November: For protection against ice
Spring - Summer: For protection against the sun

Summary:
Seen all too often: On many garden ponds' shores the liner lies unprotected. This threatens the pond's durability in two ways: During winter, knife sharp sheets of ice; during summer, aggressive UV radiation.

After the freezing period in winter, the  ice begins to melt around the edges. The floating sheet of ice has knife sharp edges that end up damaging even the best of liners. In summer the ultraviolet radiation poses a risk. Liners are only stabilised against a few thousand hours of UV radiation. After that they become brittle and break.

Exposed shores have to be avoided and the liner has to be protected in these areas. Gravel is a bad and expensive protection. Frost can make the pebbles burst and the fragments which are then pressed into the liner by the sheet of ice pose a risk in themselves.

The safest protection is given by the shore mat that is supplied by NaturaGart, a company from Ibbenbüren that specialises in large ponds. The mat is made completely from artificial fibres, which - unlike organic materials -  make it rot resistant, and is laid down onto the shore like an artificial bed of moss. Moss and flower seed sowed in leads to a completely natural and perfectly protected shore. Hence, the shore mat doesn't only protect the pond shore, it embellishes it, too.

Expansion:
Protecting the liner all year round is essential. Organic materials are often inadequate. Jute, coconut or sisal fabrics deteriorate after months or a few years. They rot around the water line, tear and slide into the pond. Other artificial materials have meshes so wide that only gravel gets caught in them. And only few pond plants can grow in gravel.

In order to conserve the 150 different species and varieties of plants, a natural shore structure is called for. Other pond owners prefer moss around the shore. Moss roots, however, are not very strong and offer inadequate protection against the wash of waves and ice.

A solution to all these problems comes with the shore mat from the pond specialists at NaturaGart from Ibbenbüren. The material consists of a tough carrier layer and a moss green top layer where flowers and moss can root.

It is very easy to apply: The mat is laid out on the shore, a bit of loamy sand washed in and it is ready for sowing. The company supplies a mix of various moss shoots and also, if desired, seed of long-lived shore flowers. After a short period the plants will have formed a dense layer of roots that safely and naturally protects the liner.

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:
Application instructions are included as PDF.

In spring a heavy sheet of ice often drifts on the pond for weeks. Its knife sharp edge bumps into the unprotected liner. This will deteriorate even the best materials.
The image clearly shows: The naked liner is ugly and deteriorates with sunlight. The layer of moss on the shore mat is a perfect protection.
Another comparison between an exposed liner and a shore mat planted with larger plants (Calla).
The plants send their roots through the mat forming a dense layer that gives additional protection.
During April and May the pond shore blooms gorgeously.
Shores with decorative plants are nicer than gravel beds.
The shore was covered with a 65cm shore mat. Moss and flower seeds begin to germinate.
This is what it looks like at first: The shore is covered with the mat. Even now, this is a perfect protection.
After sowing, the first plants begin to germinate, mosses start growing.
The liner is brought up the wall or palisade. The shore mat overlaps the liner.
Liner and shore mat are secured using the NaturaGart clamping profile.
The shore mat is folded back into the pond. The profile is now invisible.
Liner and the securing rail are perfectly covered with the shore mat.