A few years ago, friends retired and bought a house in a village. They were quite pleased with the house but not with the in-ground swimming pool. Being keen gardeners, they resented the fact that almost half of the lot was given over to the pool and the cement patio surrounding it. They decided to transform it into a garden pond.
By regulation, smiming pools have to be enclosed by a fence. They kept the fence and it produced an enclosed garden with lots of vertical spaces for climbers.
Most of the new enclosed pool garden is hidden by climbers growing on the fence and planting in front of it.
The paved area around the pool makes a nice broad walkway with room for lots of potted plants. A flower bed has been created between the fence and the paved area. All the edge of what was the swimming pool has been made less obvious with flat rocks.
The deep and shallow ends have been separated by a series of the same flat rocks and the shallow end was filled up with soil to create a bog.
The bog in what was the shallow end of the swimming pool.
Many of the plants are potted because there is a lot of flat area for pots and most of the plants they hold, like Agapanthus, have to be taken to a sheltered area in winter.
On one side of the new garden pool they built a pergola over a sitting area.
An that is how a swimming pool became a pond.
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| The new pond |
By regulation, smiming pools have to be enclosed by a fence. They kept the fence and it produced an enclosed garden with lots of vertical spaces for climbers.
Most of the new enclosed pool garden is hidden by climbers growing on the fence and planting in front of it.
The paved area around the pool makes a nice broad walkway with room for lots of potted plants. A flower bed has been created between the fence and the paved area. All the edge of what was the swimming pool has been made less obvious with flat rocks.
The deep and shallow ends have been separated by a series of the same flat rocks and the shallow end was filled up with soil to create a bog.
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| Shallow and deep ends separated by flat stones. |
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| The bog is surrounded by flat stones and potted plants |
An that is how a swimming pool became a pond.
How stunning, I much prefer having a pond than a swimming pool and we can enjoy it all year long
ReplyDeleteGenius! A big investment in time and plants, but a beautiful result.
ReplyDeleteI expect it was cheaper, beside being more environmentally and aesthetically sensible, to transform the pool than to have a contractor remove it.
DeleteThat looks good.
ReplyDeleteYour friend's garden is amazing, and it would be a treat to walk around it and admire it in person.
ReplyDeleteWhat a much better use of a swimming pool, very inspiring. The finished garden is very lovely indeed! There is always the local municipal pool if one needs a swim after all.
ReplyDeleteI totallt approve of the conversion of a sterile area into a beautiful garden.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered whether such a conversion were feasible. Apparently the answer is, "And how!" Thanks for the tour.
ReplyDeleteI love this! I'd much rather have a pond than a pool, anyway. This feels much more welcoming.
ReplyDeleteI did know a couple who just filled in the pool with dirt and grassed over it. This is so much better! What a nice job they did, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant way to re-purpose a swimming pool. Love it!
ReplyDeleteHello Alain : ) Thank you so much for your kind comments on my photography.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate it!
I too shake my head when I see someone's back yard swallowed by a pool .. it makes me sad .. new much smaller dynamic pools are coming in for which you can swim against a on going current but use much less space so ? the owners could have the best of both worlds a nice pool and a wonderful garden.
Your friends are exceptional gardeners taking on a pool like this and it must be heavenly to sit beside !
Joy : )
A great idea. I hate the look of swimming pools in gardens, specially when they are painted bright blue or turquoise. Your friends have transformed it very creatively. A great use of space.
ReplyDeleteHello Alain, you know, that's exactly what I would do if I ended up with a house with a swimming pool! The conversion your friends have done is truly stunning.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a number of people do just this. It is a great way to give an older swimming pool a new lease on life.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fascinating project!
ReplyDeleteThey have turned a problem into an asset.
ReplyDeleteBravo! Looks like a great subject for an article by Fine Gardening or some magazine like that.
ReplyDelete