Winter is a great time to catch up on topics from the previous year and no better way than our annual Top Ten list for 2018. This year, water quality, koi, pond design and maintenance services are big themes on PONDTrademag.com. My favorite article of the year, is Natural Ponds Attract Wildlife to Your Water Gardens (from 2018 Jan/Feb) How about you?
Our list also included the most popular Contractor’s Corner article for 2018, see below.
Just click on the headline to read the article or watch the video!
1. Fundamentals of Water Filtration (Jan 2018 Issue) Frayne McAtee dishes on the many types of filtration options and some pros and cons of certain filtration methods, such as flow-through and gravity filters. Great read!
3. Pond Design: Natural Pond Blends Subtle with Spectacular – Jason Heller’s design includes an illuminated waterfall and large boulder in an inviting atmosphere. One image in this article looks down on this sizable pond build to provide great context.
4. Water Artisans of the Year Awards | The 2017 Pond Season Runners-Up – The wrap-up articles for the WAOTY awards scored high on our list, not surprisingly. This article details the ambitious pond projects and designs submitted for the 2017 year. The contest had more than 50 project submissions in five distinct categories and was judged by an all-new independent judging panel.
5. Best Pond Practices: Filtration Design in a Desert Koi Pond – This was part of our Best Practices in Pond Construction Series with Kent Wallace and it didn’t disappoint. In a nutshell, the owner ditched a spa and installed a desert koi pond!
6. Using Chelated Copper to Control Pond Algae – A great deep dive by Patrick Simmsgeiger on how chelated copper, a slightly more complex version of liquid copper, can be slow down the copper release in ponds and be more effective.
7. Online Exclusive: Essential tips for taking care of a koi pond – Ryan Holmes discusses the essential points of how to keep a pond thriving and protect a customer’s costly pond life investment.
8. Water Artisans of the Year | The 2017 Pond Season Winners – The wrap-up article of the winners of the 2017 WAOTY awards. The contest had more than 50 project submissions in five distinct categories and was judged by an all-new independent judging panel.
9. How to Make Medicated Koi Food – The article by Taro Kodama details how to do-it-yourself and keep koi happy and healthy.
10. The Foundation of Why: An Artistic Pond Construction Approach – Newcomer Chris Bell discusses his journey to becoming a pond builder and his approach on how to infuse your own style into your designs and builds.
10a. Top Social Media Post of 2018 | How to Correctly Repot a Hardy Waterlily – The top social media post is a video from Ken Landon, Tim Davis and Zac deGarmeaux on how to correctly repot an overgrown and overcrowded lily installation.
10b. Pond Gallery Spotlight – The popularity of this page is probably a direct result of the 2017 Artisans of the Year award winners showcase back in March 2018. The top image on this page is one of the winners.
10c. Top Contractor’s Corner Article in 2018 | The Pond Lady Rocks – This hybrid water feature provides both a meditative space for the owners to enjoy their fish as well as a swimming pond to take a cool dip in the summer.
Honorable Mentions:
