Our work

From the ground up

Every BioPond starts as an idea, a sketch in the dirt, and a lot of digging. Here's what that's looked like so far.

The finished BioPond at Swannie Creek, with clear water and surrounding garden
Completed · Western Cape

Swannie Creek

Our first BioPond — and the project that started it all. Built over one winter, entirely from scratch, with no outside contractors. Every detail — the excavation, the liner, the filtration zone, the planting — was researched, tested and built by hand.

The result is a self-filtering natural pond that needs no chlorine and no added chemicals. It's now home to plants, fish and the occasional dragonfly — and a daily swim spot for guests at Swannie Creek.

The build, step by step

From bare earth to living water

Excavating the shape of the pond 01Excavation
Laying the pond liner 02Lining
Installing the biological filtration zone 03Filtration
The finished BioPond, full of clear water 04Finished
Placing rocks and filtration media as the pond takes shape
The build

Designed on site, learned along the way

There was no existing template to follow — every decision, from the depth of the regeneration zone to the choice of plants, came from research and on-the-ground testing.

That hands-on, problem-solving approach is now the foundation of how BioPond Co. works on every project.

The new BioPond at golden hour, with the gazebo beyond
In progress · Western Cape

A larger BioPond, taking shape

Following the success of Swannie Creek, a friend and builder asked us to bring the same approach to his own property — at a considerably larger scale. The design includes dry-stacked stone retaining walls, a pebbled stream channel that feeds the pond, and a generous swimming area within easy reach of the garden's gazebo.

The rockwork and filtration zone are in, the stream channel is taking shape, and the pond is now filling and beginning to settle into its new life.

Progress so far

Stone, stream and the first fill

Dry-stacked stone walls being built around the pond 01Rockwork
Installing the filtration crates 02Filtration
The pebbled stream channel feeding the pond 03Stream channel
The pond filling with water and beginning to settle 04First fill
Before & after

The stream channel comes to life

The stream channel under construction, lined with rocks and pebbles

Before — under construction

The finished stream, with water flowing over the pebbles

After — water flowing

Close-up of the pebbled pond floor and stone edging
A note on the green water

Settling in is part of the process

Right after filling, a new BioPond often turns green — this is completely normal. As the plants establish and the biological filter matures, the water clears on its own, with no chemicals involved. We'll be tracking that transformation here as it happens.

What's next

Got a site in mind?

Whether it's a single garden pond or a feature for a larger development, we'd love to hear about it.

Get in touch