Natural Backyard Swimming Pond Installation Tips
These eco-system swimming creations are environmentally-friendly and will protect you.
If you care about the Earth, or if you hate the way your skin smells and feels after swimming in a chlorinated pool, consider going au naturale.
What is a swimming pond?
Split 50/50 to accommodate vegetation and swimming, its been dubbed the swimming pond as the new and improved backyard pond.
The plant section of the pond is around a foot deep, while the swimming area typically ranges from six-and-a-half to eight feet deep. Timber usually separates the two zones.
How clean is it without chemicals?
Very. The regeneration portion isn’t just there for ambiance, it’s also the pond’s natural filter.
Plants like flag irises and water lilies keep phosphate levels in check while getting rid of nitrates so there’s no algae. Gravel also plays a role in filtering the pond.
To keep the water moving, go the scenic route with a waterfall or install a small pump — this will also help keep the pond clean.
Bonus: Your natural oasis will attract wildlife (think dragon flies, birds, tadpoles.), which will help control pesky insects. To avoid snakes, the surrounding grass is kept as short as peach fuzz.
Does a swimming pond cost more than a pool?
The upfront payment is more expensive because of the regeneration zone, but the cost per square foot is about the same.
Thinking ahead, the initial cost pays off. Unheated natural ponds evaporate less than normal pools, don’t have energy costs, and you save around $350-500 on chemicals and chlorine.
How much does a swimming pond cost?
The design you choose plays into the overall cost of installation!
Is it maintenance-heavy?
According to Aquascapes, a pond requires less maintenance than a pool. You don’t have to worry about chemicals, the pond essentially cleans itself, and you can keep it uncovered and full during the winter (ponds make great ice-skating rinks).
Tend to it as you would a garden — and make sure the surface is skimmed.
Is this really something people are doing?
While the trend is still developing in the U.S., Europe is all over natural swimming ponds and pools. The idea originated in Austria and Germany in the 1980s and has evolved from there. Last month, the UK unveiled its first man-made public swimming pond in London!
Long stream with multiple waterfalls flowing to a beautiful pond
Introduction to Koi
Introduction to Koi
Let’s talk about Koi. What are they? In simple terms, Koi are fish. Specifically, they are an ornamental variation of a carp that are in the family Cyprinidae. In fact, the word Koi is the word for carp in Japanese.
Koi become popular in the 19th century when farmers in Japan started to use them in their rice gardens. They are now more common place in the world and have become a lucrative industry if you have the inclination to breed and grow them. That is not necessary to enjoy the simplicity of these wonderful fish as they are quite relaxing and mesmerizing to keep as pets.
Commonly in the wild, carp only live for twenty years but captive carp or Koi can be kept in a confined setting like a garden pond for up to fifty years with proper care and maintenance. Like any animal, they are a long-term commitment and certainly will last longer than most other pets.
Where can you get Koi fish? Common carp varieties can be found in many garden ponds and they can be purchased from reputable pond and aquarium dealers. The cost for each one ranges in price from fifty to eighty dollars.
What are Koi like? These lovely fish are very peaceful and will interact with others in their school and prefer to leave other species of fish alone. Typically, a school of fish will have between five and fifteen individual fish. When in a school, they will swim in a coordinated fashion that is beautiful. These are active fish and prefer to free-swim and show off their vibrant colors.
When you first purchase Koi, they will explore every part of their new environment. Expect to see them swim along the top or middle and look for natural food along the bottom of the pond.
Koi forage for food by taking a large inhale of food and then will filter out any debris that got into their mouth. For this reason, they are not recommended for freshwater ecosystems as they can disturb the natural setting of an aquarium. Koi will burrow and dig into sediment and uproot plants to eat on the seeds.
Will I have enough room for Koi? Koi fish are schooling fish and as such, you will want to have a few of them so they don’t get lonely. They can grow up to three feet in length. This is an important fact when calculating how big to make your garden pond if you eventually want to have Koi in your pond. The general rule of thumb is to have ten gallons of water for every inch of fish. This means you will want to have around 250 gallons of water for a single Koi fish at minimum.
If you are considering setting up a Koi pond, our professionals can help you with planning and design. Next time we will discuss the multiple varieties of Koi and setup for their pond.
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