"The Perfect Pond Recipe Book" by Peter J. May

Here it is, you thought you would never find it. The legendary Perfect Pond Recipe Book is now on its fourth reprint and still selling world wide. At first sight this little volume might make you think that the vast amount of know-how required to build a water garden could not possibly be contained in these few pages, let alone in the variety of styles and the range and choice of materials there is at the modern gardener's disposal. What is more there is so little to read. One critic described it as "THE definitive guide". It is mostly in comic strip style drawings. But Peter May, ex-cartoonist, garden designer and landscaper of over 25years, makes every line count. Everything on the page, every line, every word counts as being true and exactly all you need to create any water garden out of any pond products available at the aquatic centres, be it preformed or flexible, electrical, growing or moving or anything you imagine a water garden to contain, including the water. One aquatic centre owner in Pembrokeshire gives one away with every large pond or liner he sells.

Originally it was devised Peter May to show potential clients who might want a water garden just how much was involved in such a project since most prospective pond owners did not have a clue. It was conceived as being good value for money just to match the expectations of what many people thought a water garden might cost. So as a result you have a really honest account of what is involved, but it has to be the cheapest guide for what can be a very expensive luxury especially in ill-informed hands.

So if you are contemplating how much a water garden may take in time and effort and whether that effort should be yours or someone else's then buy this book. You will find that it is the best guide and contains all you NEED to know. The only better guide is it bigger younger brother, Designing and Creating Water Gardens (see below), which has much more in the way of reference and inspiration. But it is the same basic ingredients.

At £4.95 including p&p, it is the best fiver spent in any water garden project.

Click on the thumbnails to see examples of some inside pages.

Page examples: How to tackle preformed pools The beginnings of large flexible liner project. An alternative approach perhaps for a wildlife water garden, plus the start of a waterfall project.