NATURAL SWIM PONDS ND POOL DESIGN
Would you consider a natural swimming pond in your garden? Vicky Kingsbury finds out what makes
them interesting, how they work, and gets advice from those who have already taken the plunge
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design Swim ponds are inspired by nature and blend well into country settings. |
Imagine the scene - enjoying the summer sun with friends and family in your back garden, with the
added bonus of being able to swim in the clear, fresh waters of a natural swimming pond, with absolutely
no chemicals. Think of the incredible sense of peace and tranquillity you would feel bobbing about in the water, knowing that while you are relaxing you are also being good to the environment and kind to your skin.
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design |
Inspired by nature, the natural backyard swimming pond was first introduced to the UK at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show in 2001. Although still a relatively new idea in this country, it is well known and extremely popular in Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria, and is considered an environmentally friendly alternative to the traditional swimming pool. Today, the huge success of swimming ponds has spread around the world, with many now found in gardens in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
There is no fundamental difference between a swimming pool and a natural swimming pond; they are technically the same, and offer exactly the same possibilities when it comes to swimming. However, a swimming pond has the benefits of looking more natural because it’s surrounded by aquatic plants, while a swimming pool brings a more traditionally luxurious feature to the garden.
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design |
Natural pool design
If a swimming pond is something you have been considering, then you might be pleased to hear that only
basic maintenance is required, as the pond’s filtration system does almost all of the work. The skimmer or
filter system will need emptying every now and then, and any leaves or pond weed on the surface water
will need to be collected, but this is no different to a normal swimming pool.
A pond like this is made up of two main components: the swimming area and the regeneration zone, separated by an internal wall. The regeneration zone contains plants that help purify the water, and also add nutrients and minerals, which after a swim leave your skin feeling clean, silky and smooth - unlike after a chlorinated swim.
Plants for natural pool design
The right choice of aquatic plants for your pond is essential, not only for the pond but to also suit the theme
of your garden. Good examples include a variety of water lilies, Phalaris arundinacea var. picta ‘Feesey’, Gunnera manicata, Caltha palustris and Pontederia cordata. It’s important to cut and remove any faded foliage in the autumn to avoid the plant material rotting down in the water and unbalancing nutrients levels the following spring.
A natural swimming pond is an excellent leisure spot but can also provide a home for wildlife such as frogs,
toads, beetles, newts and dragonflies - but don’t worry, they will have left the pond by the time the water heats up and you want to dip your toes in. Birds come close to the water to drink, while at night local bats find rich sources of food in the insects that live around the edge.
If you already have a backyard swimming pool, pond or lake, you can easily convert it into a natural swimming pond. All ponds are individually designed and have low maintenance costs. There are no attached health risks, they are educational for children and are an attractive feature all year, as they don’t need cover in the winter. So what’s stopping you? Get planning now for super summer swims!
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design |
Natural pool construction
STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS
- Write down any inspirations or ideas you might have for your swimming pond.
- Organise a consultation with a professional swimming pond company - see our list, opposite.
- Site appraisal - the company will look at factors such as boundaries, surrounding landscape, soil type, existing structures and views from the house.
- A plan will be drawn up to assess the opportunities. Design and technical proposal - this includes planting plans and specifications for the project.
- The swimming pond is constructed.
- A guide to maintenance will be given.
NATURAL POOL CONSTRUCTION CASE STUDY #1:
HAMPSHIRE -WOODHOUSE NATURAL POOLS
The Bell family live in a Georgian house with about an acre of garden.
Their garden had no real water feature and was a classic 19th-century
rectory garden with a parterre designed in 1868, leading to a long walk
with views over the neighbour’s estate. One area of the garden had been
infested with long-standing honey fungus, and needed to be dealt with, so
it was suggested a natural swimming pond would suit the Mediterranean
theme of the house and garden combined (below).
‘We use the pond mainly between April and September, and we were
advised that we couldn’t have fish in a natural swimming pond,’ says Mr Bell.
‘Although the pond isn’t heated by anything but the sun, it’s amazing how
warm it can get - reaching around 21ºC, even during the past two very wet
summer seasons,’ he explains.
‘The trickiest task is to feed the water lilies, which requires pushing the
food pellet into the rootball - I normally wait until the summer to do this.
Apart from that we enjoy the pond to its full potential.’
NATURAL POOL CONSTRUCTION CASE STUDY #2:
HERTFORDSHIRE - GARTENART
Sacha Cole’s garden is unfinished and her pond is still new (below), but she
has no doubts about her decision to install one. ‘I first saw the concept in
a lifestyle magazine, in an article that gave the case for natural swimming
pond against conventional swimming pools. For me, there really was
no contest,’ she says.
‘We have an old 15th-century barn, which is listed, so we were limited in
what we could do. I wanted to be able to sit and look out from the garden
and see nothing unnatural. I also wanted the pond to be part of the view that
flowed seamlessly from the garden to the countryside beyond.’
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design |
Sacha was particularly enthusiastic about swimming with plants, although
a few of her friends thought she was mad, to say the least. ‘They said it
would be freezing cold and would cost a lot to keep clean and maintain, but
it doesn’t. Even my husband was worried to start with, but he loves it now
and my children absolutely adore it. Temperature is not an issue - they just jump
in, and so do I. The joy of swimming without chemicals is so refreshing.’
NATURAL POOL CONSTRUCTION CASE STUDY #3:
SUFFOLK -THE SWIMMING POND COMPANY
magazine explaining the benefits of swimming in fresh, chemical-free water. Although they instantly
warmed to the idea, they were unsure how a feature would fit into their garden. It offers
stunning views of the Deben Valley in the far distance, which needed to be considered in the
design. They also wanted to place the swimming pond in an area of the garden where it was going
to receive a great deal of sunshine, but also have a degree of shelter from the east coast sea breeze.
After realising that the swimming pond wasn’t going to sit well or look natural due to the garden
sloping considerably away from the house, they decided to connect the house and garden together.
The garden is now approached via steps from a raised terrace and along a boardwalk that visually
divides the swimming pond in two.
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| Backyard swimming pond, natural pool construction, natural pool design |
‘The first time I swam in it was on Christmas day, which was a bit cold, but last summer we swam on
hot and not so hot days.We also spent a lot of time with coffee or wine just quietly sitting and watching
dragonflies skim the water,’ says Chris. ‘I wish we had put in a swimming pond years ago.We recently visited my parents, who have a swimming pool, and it was not nearly as nice to swim in.The chemicals irritated and it was dull compared to the swimming pond, where you are surrounded by plants.Watching all the plants grow for the first time and seeing little creatures arrive is very exciting.’
CONTACTS
NATURAL SWIMMING PONDS
Anglo Swimming Ponds Strayfield
Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9JE.
Tel: +44 (0)20 8363 8548.
GartenART Unit 7 Block C, ImperialWorks,
Perren St, London NW5 3ED. Tel: +44 (0)20 7183
3333. www.gartenart.co.uk
The Swimming Pond Company Carpe
Diem, Common Road, Bressingham Diss,
Norfolk IP22 2BD. Tel: +44 (0)1379 688000.
www.theswimmingpondcompany.co.uk
Woodhouse Natural Pools Manna Ash House,
74 Common Road,Weston Colville, Cambridge
CB1 5NS. Tel: +44 (0)1223 290029.
www.naturalswimmingpools.com
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