"k conover" wrote:

Maybe it's a stupid question--you either have netting or plants in the
pond, but not both?

A well designed pond can easily have both plants and fish and no
netting. The sides must be vertical so the herons can't stand on the
side and eat fish. You need shallow places for the plants, but they
don't have to be near the edge. You need protective outcroppings where
the fish can hide.

I accomplish this by having vertical walls where the water depth is a
minimum of 24". Then the marginal plants are planted on submerged
greenhouse benches that are covered with pots and baskets. The fish and
resident snake can hide under the benches. The oxygenators, submerged
plants and water lilies are no problem.

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