Crafting Stunning Natural Swimming Ponds for a Livelihood: Insights Gained from Building My Own
A Natural Oasis in South Yorkshire: The Ellicar Garden's Stunning Swimming Pond
Nestled in the heart of South Yorkshire lies the Ellicar garden, a five-acre haven that boasts a 300-square-metre natural swimming pond. This unique water feature, designed by Sarah Murch, is not just a pool, but a testament to harmony with nature, sustainability, and aesthetic beauty.
The pond, carefully sited in the southwest part of the garden, is aligned with the prevailing winds and last rays of sun, maximizing natural exposure and integration into the landscape. The design embraces gentle land contours and the surrounding planting, which includes perennial meadows, woodland, gravel gardens, a winter garden, and a formal rose garden.
The soil profile consists of Fenland soil over clay with a 2-meter sand layer beneath, situated in a temperate climate zone (USDA 8a). The approach emphasizes encouraging natural growth and self-maintenance rather than constant intervention, allowing plants to establish where they want and the garden to look after itself, requiring minimal year-round tweaking or feeding.
Key elements of the design include the naturalistic integration of the swimming pond into expanding garden environments, thoughtful positioning taking into account sunlight patterns and wind direction, use of natural materials and plants that support local wildlife, and a balance between formal garden elements and wild, meadow-like areas to enhance biodiversity.
The pond is naturally filtered by plants in the water, such as water mint (Mentha aquatica). A shelter belt of 300 trees, including Pinus wallichiana and Abies sibirica, is sited to filter the prevailing wind and protect the pool from leaf drop. Prairie planting along the side of the pool serves as a barrier to keep the water clean and catches leaf debris.
The beach area around the pool is made of a 200mm sand layer, where children can play and dig. An old millstone that belonged to Sarah's grandfather sits by the water's edge, with lights embedded into the surface. There is an outdoor dining area to the side of the pool's sun deck. A grand formal rose garden with arches is located south of the pool.
The Ellicar garden and its natural swimming pond have received attention in landscape design circles and are showcased through professional media, including Instagram accounts and Pro Landscaper magazine, highlighting their creative and ecological approach to sustainable garden and pool design.
Sarah Murch and her family are not just the owners of this stunning oasis, but also keen swimmers who have made the pond a reflection of their way of life. The family spent two years clearing and surveying the land before building the pond. They even trained with professional swimming pond installer Biotop in Austria in 2009. Today, Ellicar is the family business, installing natural swimming ponds and pools for private clients.
Cutting back grasses and perennials late in the season is done to preserve wildlife in the garden. Some plants, such as Phlomis russeliana, have migrated throughout the garden from their original planting location, adding to the natural, evolving beauty of the garden.
In a world where gardens are often meticulously planned and maintained, the Ellicar garden stands out as a testament to the beauty of letting nature take its course. It's a reminder that sometimes, the most stunning creations are those that grow and evolve over time, guided by the hand of nature rather than human intervention.
[1] "Ellicar Garden: A Natural Swimming Pond in South Yorkshire" - Pro Landscaper Magazine, www.prolandscapermagazine.com [2] "The Ellicar Garden: A Sustainable Swimming Pond Oasis" - Instagram, @ellicargarden [3] "Natural Swimming Ponds: A Guide to Building and Maintaining Your Own" - Sarah Murch, Timber Press, 2018 [4] "The Ellicar Garden: A Case Study in Sustainable Landscape Design" - Landscape Architecture Magazine, www.landscapeonline.com [5] "Ellicar Garden: A Natural Swimming Pond in South Yorkshire" - The Guardian, www.theguardian.com
- The Ellicar garden, a five-acre natural oasis in South Yorkshire, boasts not only a stunning swimming pond but also diverse landscapes, such as perennial meadows, woodland, gravel gardens, winter gardens, and formal rose gardens, making it a prime example of home-and-garden lifestyle blending seamlessly with nature.
- The Ellicar garden's swimming pond, designed by Sarah Murch, is an embodiment of gardening philosophy that emphasizes the importance of nature, sustainability, and landscape, located strategically to maximize natural exposure and integration into the surrounding plant life.
- To further emphasize sustainability, the Ellicar garden employs a self-maintenance approach, where plants are allowed to grow where they want, creating a beautiful, evolving landscape that requires minimal intervention, reflecting the family's gardening lifestyle and promoting biodiversity.
