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Before and After – Making a Natural Swimming Pool

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With climate change; Britain is warming up, and more people are taking another look at that long abandoned swimming pool in the back yard. It could get more use in a warmer future.

And with that new look comes a new way of thinking about a swimming pool. Instead of fighting nature with chlorine and harsh turquoise concrete surroundings, as we did back in the 20th century… how about a a 21st century retrofit that makes a pool into a natural one.

These homeowners in Kent, in the South East of Britain, where annual average temperatures have risen almost 2 °C since 1961, (probably around when this pool was built!) are perhaps typical. Their original pool had fallen into disuse. It not only looked dated, but it was badly in need of a redesign. Rather than a mere renovation – they decided to have the UK company GartenArt make a complete change.

Plantings were added to shield the view of the house from the pool, making it into more of a sanctuary from everyday life. The hedge at the side was allowed to grow its lush natural self, rather than try to be the tight prim hedge that made the area so sterile to begin with.

The “Before” view from the house side makes you wonder if anyone had ever been inclined to swim here, even when it was new – this looks so gritty and unappealing.

Now the total pool area is larger. Where the old pool had been is now the deep part for swimming. A shallow planting area has been added around the edge.

I doubt that the family dog loved to swim in the old pool. But I think he is definitely considering a dip in the new one. With natural pools, plants clean the pool. By keeping the levels of key nutrients low and in balance, algae is not able to grow and the result is clear, clean and healthy swimming water. The fence in the back has been removed and plantings will fill in to the edge of the paving, connecting the pool to the land beyond.

Source: GartenArt Pools