“I was very inspired by Monet. I saw the pond he would often paint and that's what inspired me to get this. I wanted my pond to be as natural as possible. It has been everything I hoped for…I wanted something that would fit with my wild garden, and it has done that beautifully - it looks as if it has always been there." SN, Hertfordshire, taken from The Guardian, March 2006
	“We both like swimming, but have always been put off having our own pool, as we do not like swimming in chemicals. We always swim in the sea, never in hotel pools; anyway, as organic eating, conservationists, it does not sit with our thoughts or ideals. Chemical pools, also, always look so miserable and unnatural in the winter.  So, when we read, in the Sunday papers, about the Natural Swimming Pool concept of no chemicals and simply moving the water around the plants across the swimming area to achieve clear water, we started to do our research.

We interviewed several companies, but decided to employ gartenART. We were impressed with Ralf Schmiel's attitude and approach and with his knowledge he had obtained in Germany, and he seemed to have more sympathy with the idea than the others; we decided to become their first customer.

We planned to have our pool so it couldn’t be seen from the house, so as to have a completely different area we could escape to with beautiful surroundings.

We are delighted with the result of our, pristine, clear pool, and very much look forward to next year, when we can have a full year’s swimming. In any case, it is a magical place to be, to just sit and watch all the natural activity, unfolding before our eyes."

MP, The Midlands, October 2004

Everyone who has seen our pool has been enchanted with its beauty and all the natural life going on. The water has remained clear and is clear now (March 18^th 2006). On a couple of occasions it went cloudy, but became clear again, in about 3 days, amazing!

We love it."

MP, The Midlands, March 2006
 

	"The pool has been great this year--I don't know what we would have done without it in that hot weather, the water was steady at about 25C for about a month--we last swam on Sept 23rd." MP, The Midlands, October 2006
	"We have enjoyed watching our new swimming pond mature during the spring and summer this year. Spring brought new growth and many insects, butterflies and dragonflies. One of the nicest things on a warm day is to sit by the pond with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and to watch the wildlife. We have noticed that we now have many more birds in the garden.  As the weather got warmer we began to enjoy swimming in the pond  and loved the feeling of swimming in non-chlorinated water – so different and so much nicer than a conventional swimming pool.

JT (Mrs), Cambridge, August 2006

"We liked the idea of a pond from a wildlife point of view. Ours attracts lots of birds and we also have frogs, newts and dragon-flies. Quite beautiful. You wouldn’t get that with a pool – and, anyway, I don’t like the form, the rigid look of swimming-pools.

I hadn’t really thought about the water quality but I realised how important it was once we had the pond. I don’t like swimming in chlorine. Chemicals are not a big issue but I wouldn’t choose to bathe in them."

“The swimming has been good. I enjoy going into healthy natural water and coming out feeling really clean – you don’t need to shower afterwards. The temperature’s fine, too. I wouldn’t say we’ll swim throughout the year but I was going in up to a week ago [i.e. late October].

“Throughout the process of the project gartenART were good. Budget was not an issue: they kept to it and were on time, too. We decided on them early on and they justified the confidence. We would recommend them; there haven’t been any problems.”

JT (Mr), Cambridge, October 2007

The bonus for us has been the lift it has given the garden: the creation of a natural wildlife habitat, the pond life, the beauty and changing colours of the plants. All very relaxing and not something we had anticipated. I cannot imagine a pool ever having given us all that.

The water temperature is much better than we expected. I know some owners have talked about heating theirs, but we have seen averages of 23 and 24 degrees over the last month.

Also, I do appreciate the fact there are no chemicals. It is a real plus that we can do without chlorine and filters churning away all the time. The experience of swimming in pure, natural water is so superior to a chlorinated pool or even the sea.

That is what gartenART should promote – that, and the wildlife aspect. Aesthetically, these ponds are a delight. Pools, by contrast, look artificial in a natural setting and unattractive when covered in winter. You can make a case for a pond at all times of the year.”

TB, Oxfordshire, September 2007
 

When we took the decision we didn’t really give gartenART much time. We wanted it for the summer, in fact mid-summer because we were getting married in June. Actually, it poured on our wedding-day but credit where it’s due – the pond was ready!

Everybody asked about it. There are lots of misconceptions. Some of our friends wouldn’t get in because they saw it as an ordinary pond. They were expecting it to smell and be muddy but when they finally tried it they all said how nice and natural it felt, and your skin comes out feeling really soft, not crinkly and smelling of chemicals  The water is clean and clear and never that cold.

Now it’s built I can tell you it has a real Wow! Factor. I don’t know whether it adds to the value of the house and I don’t care because we’re not going to move, ever!

There’s even a financial bonus. Once the pond is up and running, costs are much lower. There’s some plant maintenance and a skimmer to remove surface stuff and that’s it.”

AN, Bristol, September 2007
 

"We were down the week before last and I was in the pool on 5 occasions at 16 degrees - lovely if a bit nippy!"

JS, Cornwall, 21st October 2007
 

It’s only just been finished. I have to say I was thrilled with it when the boys showed me what they had done. But not Ralf. He came and looked at it and said he was disappointed – it needed one or two extra rocks and features. He must have seen the pound-signs in my eyes because he said immediately ‘don’t worry – there’s no extra charge: we said we would get this right and we will’. And they did. The boys came back and did some more landscaping, with extra rocks, and you know what? He was right. It is better.

I give gartenART huge credit for seeing the potential. There was a wildlife pond already there and they built a new pond behind it, using the natural lie of the land and adding a lovely rock bank so that they water cascades from one to the other.

I don’t like chemicals. I have swum in rivers often enough before and never worried about the quality of the water. Our pond is beautifully clear and it has unexpected warm spots, just like rivers away from the current.

I swam on the last day of summer – a lovely Sunday at the end of September – and it was a magical experience. The depth is just right: I can stand and there is the lovely feeling of silver sand between my toes. gartenART have worked with the contours so that the pond is cut into a hollow. There I was, not 50 yards from a busy public footpath, and I could swim in total privacy, secluded and enclosed.

It is my absolute pride and joy. I can see it from my bedroom window (another 50 yards away) and I find I can’t stop looking at it. I have a swimming place and a garden feature without any of the drawbacks of a pool – no ugly covers or concrete. Everyone’s kept on at us – you know, friends and neighbours – ‘Is it finished? Is it ready? Can I come round?’ I’m so proud of it I think I will give a talk to our W.I.

It is so much more than a pool area could be – a place for wildlife and beautiful insects, like Emperor dragonflies; a place to work and just think about things. What’s so good about it is that gartenART left me with a few extra rocks and stuff so that I could model it and plant it out and make it more mine, which I love. Their team was so nice, so helpful, always going the extra mile.

I can’t speak too highly of Ralf. I thought his boys did an excellent job. I was very happy with it but he said it needed more work and he did that for free. I would happily recommend gartenART. I felt immediately that they understood where we were coming from and saw exactly what was needed and how the site could be transformed, right down to small details.

My husband has problems with his feet and balance, and gartenART found some wood and rope and built this handrail which works just perfectly with the steps down into the pond. It’s the detail, the small things – just beautiful. You should see it now. It may be Autumn but I tell you, there are queues round the block waiting to see it. I haven’t finished my planting and I’m determined not to let anyone in till I’ve finished – but I must confess, a couple have sneaked a look when I wasn’t watching!

I’m absolutely delighted. I can’t stop jumping up and down, I’m so excited about it."

WB, Hertfordshire, 16th October 20077