Sacha Cole lives in Hertfordshire with her husband James and two young children.  "I first saw the concept in one of those lifestyle magazines." she says. "The article pitted the natural swimming pond against conventional swimming pools and, for me, there really was no contest."

"I wanted to be able to sit and look out from the garden and see nothing unnatural.  I wanted the pond to be part of a view that flowed seamlessly from the garden to the countryside beyond.  I talked to a couple of companies about what I wanted to do but they were quite hesitant, as if they weren’t totally confident they could do the job.  I must say I was very interested in the GartenART website, and when I contacted them, Tim came to see us and just seemed to understand what we wanted.

“The company gives the impression they know what they are doing, basically.  They also give you options for construction, so we were able to use a friend for the excavation and GartenART did the rest."

“I was expecting a lot more mess and, frankly, more delays, but it was slick, quick and clean.”  In fact, the only problem with a project which kept to time and budget despite incorporating complex stonework and a waterfall feature was with the electrician, “and that was down to us”.

Sacha uses the word “natural” a lot.  It is the mainspring of her enthusiasm for swimming ponds and the heartbeat of her argument with friends who worried about “swimming with plants”.

“A few thought I was mad.  They said it would be freezing cold and would cost a lot to keep clean and maintain.  Even my husband was worried to start with, but he loves it now and my kids absolutely adore it.  Temperature is not an issue – they just jump in and so do I.  I love the idea of swimming with plants and, frankly, they do a fantastic job of keeping the pond clean without chemicals.”

Bearing in mind her friends’ initial doubts, we asked Sacha what one argument she would use to convert a stranger.

“Oh, the natural beauty of it.  The way it grows and becomes part of the garden.  But of course I couldn’t stop there: I’d have to tell him about the lovely clean feeling of the water and the joy of swimming without chemicals like chlorine that we really shouldn’t be allowing near our skin. 

"Just this last weekend for example we've been in it all the time.  It's absolutely fantastic."

Susie Warwick first heard about swimming ponds in 2003 when, as a member of the Mediterranean Garden Society, she read about the concept in a newsletter. “At the time, we had a house in the mountains in Greece, where we thought any kind of pool would be frowned upon.  However, we moved to the coast (in the Southern Peloponnese) and had a house built on a raised site.  It is quite difficult to climb down to the beach, so we put in the pond.”

Why not a conventional pool?  “I hate that artificial blue look.  I hate flying over hot countries and seeing all that blue concrete.”

Susie became interested in the idea of a swimming pond after reading Michael Littlewood’s book and surfing the web.  She called a couple of companies, she says, but they were not enthusiastic about going to Greece.  “GartenART were completely different.  They said ‘why not?’ and asked us to come and see them.  I came back having signed a contract!”

The construction work was completed on time, and she blames herself for the cost overrun – due, she says, to using a Greek architect.  “Looking back, we should have done everything with GartenART.  Everything that fell within their remit was perfect.  They kept to their costings and everything arrived on time.”

As for the pool in use, “it’s been an absolute joy,” she says.  “We don’t have to change the water as you do with a conventional pool and there are no chemicals to contend with.  Then there’s the whole idea of swimming in fresh water, among plants and flowers; it’s actually better than I thought it would ever be.”

We ask her how exactly it has exceeded her expectations.  “I suppose it’s the way the pond frames the view.  It’s so lovely being in the water, looking out to sea surrounded by big, white water lilies.”

Unprompted, she says she has already recommended GartenART – to a complete stranger who stood up at the AGM of the Mediterranean Garden Society and asked if anybody knew about natural swimming ponds.

Meanwhile, locally, there has been huge interest – “none of us wants to be swimming in chemicals any more” – but also some myths to debunk.  “People here say to me ‘what about mosquitoes?’ but the fact is, they’re not interested in fresh water.  I’m also asked about snakes and frogs.  Well, I haven’t seen a single snake, and as for frogs, they don’t like heat.”

As the seasons change and plants develop, she finds more and more reasons to be glad of her decision, but the one she keeps returning to is water quality.

“The sea water is too salty and I hate it in my eyes.  We talked about water quality with Ralf (the GartenART partner who advised us).  He came out to Greece and spent a week with us.  He told us that the water would just get better and better, and eventually it would be better than the bottled water you buy locally.

“Can you imagine?”

	John and Jenny Talbot live in Cambridge and had their natural swimming pond built in 2005. "We liked the idea of a pond from a wildlife point of view." says John. "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.

“I was swimming every day last summer until the end of September and it's been absolutely brilliant. 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.

“Throughout the process of the project gartenART were very 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.”

Jenny Talbot agrees: "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.  We love the feeling of swimming in non-chlorinated water – so different and so much nicer than a conventional swimming pool. Everyone comments on what a delightful experience it is to swim in such beautiful surroundings."

At the time, he says, he was undergoing “a lifestyle change”.  He wanted some water in the garden “which would be a feature but also something I could use”.

“I like the idea of a swimming pond.  I see it as something which replicates or can be made similar to the kind of informal, natural swimming arrangements people had in the country years ago.”

He has nothing but praise for gartenART’s readiness to listen and openness to client ideas.  “We talked about the design and worked it out together.  I believe in Feng Shui and wanted to use its principles to make the garden a better place: more interesting, more useful and ecologically sound.

“I think we have achieved that – and it has had a considerable effect.  People who have come to the house and sat by the pond talk about a calming experience.”

The installation had been as straightforward as the design phase, he says.  “It was done neatly, tidily and on time.  I really liked the people gartenART put on the job too – really knowledgeable and helpful.  I’d have no hesitation in recommending them – though I must say the pond does a very good job on its own: everybody who comes to the house and sees it is interested.”

Had he expected a swimming pool?  “I never considered a conventional pool.  I said to Ralf (Schmiel) ‘look, you have created something extraordinary here…I mean, why do people put in swimming pools?  Status?  Do they honestly think they will swim regularly or just enjoy the occasional dip and sunbathe alongside?

“I can do all of these things with my pond.  I have everything I could gain from a pool but with a nice natural environment which actually looks after itself.”

This was down to gartenART’s choice of plants.  Doubling as feature and benefit, they kept the water consistently clean through all weathers.  “You can see right through to the bottom,” he says.

He adds that it was his idea to talk about the concept and help promote it.  “The way I live my life, I don’t seek publicity – but this is such a good idea and they are such nice people that they deserve much wider coverage than they are getting.  Like I say, everybody who has seen it loves it.

“If you are putting water in a garden – whatever the size – why would you not do this?”

"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 in the warmer months.

"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.”
 

"Unlike other companies gartenART had a natural approach from the outset. They understood the importance of the environment to us and explained how the reeds and rushes and other pond-plants they use all work together to keep the water clean.

"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. 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.”
 

"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 the 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.

"Swimming is a magical experience. There I am, not 50 yards from a busy public footpath, and I can swim in total privacy, secluded and enclosed. It is also 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.

"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. Their team was so nice, so helpful, always going the extra mile.

"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."
 

The concept, he says, “coincided very much with our view of the world”.  And particularly of putting chemicals in water.

“I wanted something structured and formal,” says Sean, “my wife was for a more natural design that would blend in with plants and landscape.  garternART helped us create something that incorporated both points of view.”

But if gartenART’s input was vital at the design and specification stage, we took a back-seat during construction as Sean assumed the project manager’s role.  We had developed the part-build option to give clients flexibility and the chance to make savings.  Sean showed just how well the model could work.

“We developed a system which allowed things to evolve: the design, the choice of site and then the construction.  We used a local builder for the ground work and the paved area.  All the rest I did myself: the stone-work, most of the shingle and the jetty.

“With this cooperative model, I reckon we saved a third of what it would have cost for gartenART to do all the work.”

He is, he says, “very pleased” with the result and the “wonderful clarity” of the water.

“You find yourself drawn to the space.  You want to just sit there with a cup of tea, absorb the peace and contemplate the world.” 

Friends and neighbours have been won round.  “Many were sceptical of the idea.  I think they expected a mud bath with a few rather mucky plants, but once they saw it – and saw what a feature it would make in the garden all year round – they were really enthusiastic.  It will evolve and change and grow – unlike a piece of pre-cast concrete or a bright blue plastic rectangle.”