A natural swimming pond is a great alternative to a conventional swimming pool. Here's how you can create it yourself.
Swimming ponds can easily be integrated into larger gardens. Characteristic of a swimming pond is the interplay of nature (e.g. by planting parts of the water area and the bank edge) and crystal-clear, biologically maintained bathing water.
If you are now thinking about creating such a swimming pond, then we have a step-by-step guide for you on how best to proceed and what you need to consider.
Creating a swimming pond - step-by-step instructions
Step 1 - Planning:
Ideally, you first plan the size (from approx. 70 square meters), depth and shape of your future swimming pond before you dare to plan the details in the form of the terrace area, footbridges, bridges and terraced entrances, etc. next to the swimming pond.» Tip:
You can, of course, hire a specialized garden planner (garden architect) or a gardening company with the appropriate expertise for a detailed plan.
Professional planners also subdivide a swimming pond into a pure bathing area and a pure plant area. This makes maintenance of the swimming pond much easier later on and ensures a sufficient supply of oxygen.
You should also always plan for an electrical connection and, if necessary, sanitary facilities, e.g. in the form of a free-standing shower, near the swimming pond.
Step 2 - Excavation:
Due to their size and depth (average 2 meters in the middle), swimming ponds generally have to be excavated with a small excavator. For which it is also advisable to hire a specialist company. But you can also rent such an excavator.
Important:
You should provide a detailed plan for the excavation and erect a batter board beforehand.
Step 3 - Determine the shape of the swimming pond:
After the excavation has been completed, the precision work begins immediately, in order to achieve the desired shape of thedisplay the swimming pond as perfectly as possible. Here it is necessary that you attach gradations (e.g. terraced entrances) very well and rework the later shape as realistically as possible so that you can then easily spread the necessary pond liners on it.
» Tip:
One way to demarcate individual pond areas is to use the demarcation sacks available in specialist shops to measure. With these softly filled sacks, each individual water area can be easily formed with little effort and without the necessary prior knowledge.
Step 4 - Removal:
You should start expanding your swimming pond by laying a generous overlap of non-rotting pond liner within the excavation area. You can fix this foil at any time with so-called plastic edge strips and the associated fastening posts, which are offered especially for pond construction. On top of that, the pond liner can be easily covered with soil on the bank area and weighed down with beautiful natural boulders.
If the pond liner is damaged during the expansion (a tear occurs), you can stick a patch of liner directly onto it with a specially available adhesive.
» Tip:
In the meantime, complete kits for the construction of a swimming pond are offered in specialist shops, which a rather inexperienced pond gardener can easily fall back on.
Step 5 - Equipment:
Even a natural swimming pond cannot do without technical equipment, such as a filter pump, a compressor for oxygen enrichment, etc. Depending on the size and shape of your swimming pond, you must therefore integrate an appropriate technical shaft in or on the pond.
Furthermore, the equipment of a swimming pond also includes a jetty, a ladder, a seat on the bank and the like. When it comes to all of the furnishing details, you should use natural materials as often as possible.
» Tip:
Larch wood planking is extremely durable and relatively easy to maintain, despite a wide range of weather conditions.
Step 6 - Planting:
Ideally, you should fill a swimming pond with hardy pond plants within the plant basin that proliferate as little as possible. Which is why planting water lilies is often discouraged. However, the following are particularly recommended for planting a swimming pond:
- water lilies blooming in different colors (full sun)
- the water star(Oxygen supplier also during the winter months)
- the thousand leaf (for flat areas)
- Water primrose (partial shade)
- Sweet flag (good filter plant)
- Crownfoot (for deeper areas)
» Tip:
The individual aquatic plants in the swimming pond are usually planted in a nutrient-poor substrate. It is recommended that you choose a fairly fine-grained substrate for the lower layer, in which the pond plants can usually take root better. You should then fill up the upper layers with coarse-grained substrate.
As for the waterfront, you can plant whatever you like. However, reeds, bamboo canes and pampas grass look particularly beautiful here.
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