Ideas for adding a natural pond or swimming pool to your garden, whatever its size and inspiration for hard landscaping materials <\/p>

More on ponds<\/strong><\/p>

Best pond plants<\/a><\/li>
9 of the best raised ponds for 2023<\/a><\/li>
We should all be building a pond in the garden<\/a><\/li>
Pond cover: the best ways to protect your pond<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
The pool at the Knepp Rewilded garden \u00a9 Richard Bloom – \u00a9 Richard Bloom<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><\/div>
How do natural swimming pools work?<\/h2>
Practical considerations for introducing a pond or pool into the garden from garden designer Andrew Wilson<\/h3>
It is important to disguise and cover the liners<\/a> as they emerge from ponds and pools. Firstly, this is unsightly and, secondly, exposure to sunlight can weaken and damage the material, which becomes more prone to leakage.<\/li>
Keep pond shapes simple so that excavation is easier. Introduce planting to create visual interest and a naturalistic quality. Complex shapes often produce shallower and narrower water, which will silt up and warm quickly in sunlight.<\/li>
Butyl rubber is available in sheet form but can be glued or welded to create large-scale pools. With larger ponds, be aware of the local water table. If this varies dramatically, pressure from a rising water table can force water out of a lined pond. Liners can then be vented to allow pressures to be equalised.<\/li>
Don\u2019t install lighting within a pool. This will reveal the lining, wiring, pump and detritus within the pool. Instead, light objects or planting on the far bank. Their reflection will be seen on the surface of the water after dark creating a more dramatic result.<\/li>
Existing streams and rivers cannot be dammed or altered. The Environment Agency is responsible for all watercourses and must be contacted before any work is considered. In general, create separate, self-contained ponds that do not overflow into nearby watercourses.<\/li>
Sunlight can create problems in ponds and water features in terms of solar gain, but it would be more problematic to site water in heavy shade. Sunlight brings life to water but does need to be controlled with careful planting allied with a good pool size and depth.<\/li><\/ol>
$\"Bignor$
\u00a9 Jason Ingram<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Landscape designer and architect Bart Hoes five key points for designing a pool garden<\/h4>
Materials<\/b>Using concrete when building a pool gives you an unlimited freedom of design. For the area around the pool, Bart recommends using splinter-free decking<\/a>, which can be cut into any shape and it does not get as hot underfoot as tiles.<\/li>
Colour<\/b>A grey finish on the pool\u2019s inside provides a much more coherent and natural look in a verdant garden than the standard blue. The darker you go, the more of a \u2018pond\u2019 rather than a \u2018pool\u2019 effect you get.<\/li>
Planting<\/b>The old adage of \u2018no deciduous trees around a pool\u2019 no longer applies, thanks to technological innovations, such as skimmers and robot vacuums, that get rid of leaves and debris. By bringing planting up to the pool\u2019s edge, you can alter even further the visual impact of the pool\u2019s shape.<\/li>
Shape<\/b>Although your plot may dictate the pool\u2019s area, it does not necessarily dictate its shape. Nowhere in this garden do you feel you are on a triangular plot. You can make a round plot look rectangular and vice versa, by choosing the pool shape you like and then blurring the outer boundaries<\/a> with shrubs<\/a> and trees.<\/li>
Layering<\/b>When designing a pool garden, think vertically. The water surface is always flat, so is the area surrounding the pool. If you line that with walls of tall trees, the effect is one of a box dug into another box. Plant a transitional, medium-height layer, such as shrubs or multi-stemmed trees.<\/li><\/ul> $\"Chris$
Chris Beardshaw Cotswold garden \u00a9 John Campbell – \u00a9 John Campbell<\/figcaption><\/figure>
Garden designer Frank Heijligers’ five key points for planning a mirror pool<\/h4>
Position<\/strong> Think carefully about the most suitable position for your pool. Ideally, you want a spot where you\u2019ll be able to sit by it in summer, but where it will also form a relaxing focal point from inside the house \u2013 this is where you\u2019ll probably be looking at it for much of the year. Bear in mind the main views from your home and also the architecture of your house.<\/li>
Safety<\/strong> A sunken mirror pool generates a wonderful reflective and relaxing effect, but isn\u2019t always practical when you have very small children or pets. To avoid accidents consider a raised pool. Corten steel or zinc troughs can look very effective.<\/li>
Design<\/strong> A mirror pool requires less maintenance than a natural pond, but it also demands well-designed furniture that\u2019s both comfortable to sit in and is interesting to look at.<\/li>
Cost<\/strong> Installing a mirror pool can be expensive. Depending on the size, materials and whether or not you want it to contain fish, it can cost from around \u00a3180 to the tens of thousands. You can reduce costs if you keep the design simple and, like Paul, you\u2019re happy to dig it out yourself.<\/li>
Size<\/strong> A pool is an asset in any garden, large or small, and can also enhance the sense of space \u2013 a rectangular pond makes a small garden look bigger. Dare to make a statement and don\u2019t shy away from a generous size.<\/li><\/ul>Here’s more on building a wildlife pond<\/a>.<\/p>
Natural swimming pool and pond inspiration<\/h2> <\/body><\/html>\n
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How do natural swimming pools work?<\/h2>