PermaGuanacaste Costa Rica

More than 10 years in and this natural swimming pond has become a thriving ecosystem. 🌿💧

We use EMs (Effective Microorganisms) to help keep the water healthy and balanced naturally. These beneficial microbes break down organic waste, and do the hard dirty work here to reduce sludge buildup, and support clearer water without harsh chemicals.

Our improvised pump system helps circulate water back through the biofilter when the pond needs an extra clean (our old pump broke but this does the trick for now). The established biofilter includes a wide variety of plants like cattails and papyrus, and tall red ti plants in the background that bring it all together!

With bougainvillea growing all around it, the whole pond feels like an absolute paradise, and the aracari love it 🦋🪷

In Costa Rica, water lilies (Nymphaea) are a familiar and natural part of freshwater landscapes. The country is home to six native species of this genus, they are plants that occur here naturally and provide shelter for fish, insects, and amphibians that depend on calm wetlands.

Alongside these native water lilies, non-native species have also taken root, like Nymphaea caerulea and Nymphaea lotus. These introduced varieties can spread fast and alter wetland dynamics over time. Their presence in protected regions of Costa Rica is a reminder of the delicate balance between natural ecosystems and introduced beauty.

This matters even at the backyard scale:
What we choose to plant in private ponds can move beyond fences and filters, especially in a country connected by rivers, wetlands, and seasonal flooding. Be careful what you put in your pond, sometimes opting for native species helps keep beauty local and ecosystems intact.

🌸 Native plants carry history, balance, and resilience
💧 Protecting wetlands starts with knowing what grows there

🇨🇷

Cumbungí (Typha) isn’t just a beautiful aquatic plant; it’s edible, incredibly versatile, and one of the most powerful natural filters you can add to a pond. Across many cultures, cumbungí has been used for food, weaving, insulation, crafting, and even traditional medicine. But in our work, its ecological value is what truly stands out.

In fact, studies on aquaculture wastewater (some of the most nutrient-dense waters you’ll find) show that cumbungí can remove more than 95% of excess phosphorus within just a month, even under high nutrient loads (https://doi.org/10.1002/jeq2.20608). That translates to cleaner water, less algae, and a healthier, more balanced ecosystem.

Here’s why we love using cumbungí in our natural pond designs:

1. Elite nutrient removal
Cumbungí thrives in water high in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Instead of letting those nutrients feed algae blooms, Typha absorbs them through a dense root system, acting like a living water filter.

2. Proven performance under heavy loads
In controlled wetland systems, Typha handled nutrient loadings more than ten times higher than what a natural pond typically sees, and still cleaned the water to near-pristine levels.

3. Stabilizes shorelines and prevents erosion
Its thick rhizomes lock soil into place, protecting pond edges and creating refuge for beneficial insects, frogs, and birds.

4. Supports long-term water clarity
By blocking nitrate spikes and pulling phosphorus from the water column, cumbungí helps prevent eutrophication (when excess nutrients cause algae overgrowth and reduce oxygen) keeping your pond clearer and more stable over time.

5. Low-maintenance and self-regulating
Once established, Typha requires no fertilizers or special care. It simply does what nature designed it to do: filter, stabilize, and regenerate water systems.

❗️❗️A quick note: Cumbungí is a strong grower. In our pond designs, we always plant it within a defined biofilter zone so it stays contained and easy to manage. With proper placement and occasional thinning, it remains balanced and highly effective.

For all these reasons, we love incorporating cumbungí into our regeneration zones and shallow edges. It’s one of the most powerful natural tools we have for maintaining crystal-clear, balanced water, without harsh chemicals or complicated equipment.