A Natural Progression

The Pond Doctor, LLC was established by Mark King, a water garden enthusiast. Mark built his first pond in his own backyard after becoming a home owner.

Mark King, The Pond Doctor of Warrenton, VA "That pond is now home to 18 koi fish, and many happy frogs," Mark says. "Back when I dug that pond, I guess I got pond water in my veins. The thrill of water gardening has never left me."

Mark later brought those skills to the professional water garden industry, working as pond crew chief for one of Northern Virginia's most reputable garden centers. Under his leadership, his team installed ponds all over the region. But rarely were they called back to perform maintenance -- that wasn't the company's specialty. So Mark became "The Pond Doctor" to offer what he knew, and to serve people who shared his love of water gardens.

"Once the word got out that I had a passion for this, and a knack for getting ponds back to their intended beauty, people started to call and ask if I could fix their ponds," Mark recalls. "I started doing it on the side, then opened The Pond Doctor when the calls kept coming in."

Cleaning and installation of filtration systems Today Mark and his Pond Doctor team are known throughout the area for restoring, repairing and improving ponds and water features.

Over the years Mark has seen thousands of ponds, and has made a careful study of all of the problems their owners face. As The Pond Doctor, he now shares his specialty with many clients who trust him to maintain the beauty of their ponds and water gardens. His expertise covers all areas of water gardening:

Cleaning and installation of filtration systems

Maintaining the critical biological balance of ponds
Designing and installing filtration systems
Dealing with fish, plants and other pond inhabitants
Cleaning, repairing and maintaining beautiful ponds
Offering advice on how to be successful at water gardening
Understanding modern advances in water features

The pond industry has changed considerably since Mark King built his first pond. Modern technology has brought many improvements. New equipment, such as skimmers and upgraded filtration units - have brought water gardens a long way.

"Years ago I had to build my own filtration out of pumps and plastic trash cans," Mark recalls. "But many of the sophisticated systems that were designed for swimming pools are now available to the pond keeper. Filtration systems are better, and I keep up with all the improvements."

In the past, maintaining a pond could require a lot of guesswork, luck and experimentation. But as water gardens began are springing up everywhere, the art of installing them correctly and maintaining their quality becoming a science.

"Our business really thrives on repeat customers," Mark says. "When pond owners realize the difference proper maintenance makes, they keep calling us back. We have a vested interest in the success of their ponds, and they see the results."