See also:
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Swimmable Ponds (Natural Swimming Pools)
Natural swimming pools are pools that do
not rely on the use of chemicals such as
chlorine to keep them free from the harmful
bacteria and viruses that would normally
grow in an untreated pool. Natural pools
instead use plants to filter and clean the
water in the pool. They have recently become
very popular in Europe, and the concept is
rapidly spreading to other parts of the world.
These pools offer the delight of swimming
in refreshingly clear and odor free water.
They also allow the gardener to install a
swimming pool that fits more gracefully into
the landscape, without the dominating presence
of a cement structure surrounded by hardscape
paving. Natural pools can be blended into
the landscape by surrounding them with lush
plantings, so they appear to be ponds.
If you are considering a natural
pool for
your property, consider the following:
- Natural pools are composed of two parts:
the swimming area and the planted area, which
cleans the water. Water is gently and constantly
circulated between the two parts. Each area
of water must be about the same size if the
pool is to work efficiently. They can be
adjacent to one another and separated by
a low shelf, or they can be completely separate.
- The pools are constructed by using a heavy
plastic liner made from PVC
or rubber to
retain the water. They can
be any size and
shape, although 500 square
feet is regarded
as a minimum. They should be
constructed
on a sunny site, and they need
to be regularly
cleaned of any debris that
falls into them,
just as a conventional pool
would be.
- The plants in the cleansing part of the pool
are grown in gravel. They need to be sparse
and low so that they are constantly hungry
for all the nutrients that float their way
from the swimmable part of the pool. Most
of these plants should be species that normally
grow at the water’s edge. The pools can be
surrounded by lush plantings to increase
their beauty.
- In order to create the most natural effect,
these pools should be constructed
in pleasing
organic shapes that mimic ponds.
Decking
is often made from wooden boardwalks,
rather
than any kind of paving.
Existing conventional pools can be converted
into natural pools by adding a separate plant
filled pool or by surrounding the existing
site with a shallow extension for the plants.
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