A natural swimming pool creates a holiday vibe in Judy Shardlow’s design
JUDY SHARDLOW’S NATURAL SWIMMING POOL AND HAZY PLANTING HAVE A WILD HOLIDAY VIBE
My clients love the outdoors and wanted to create a garden for their family – including their two younger daughters and the family dog. Located in the centre of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, it’s an unusually large garden of around an acre but was quite neglected when they moved in a couple of years ago. The redesign was to incorporate a strong visual and social focal point, and the family quickly gravitated towards a natural swimming pool.
There are two elements to the planting. Around the perimeter of the pool is marginal aquatic planting – plants suited to the water’s edge. They have different roles, some are to create height and colour, while others provide low groundcover and help to oxygenate the water – these are part of the balance of plants and microorganisms that create a beautifully clear pool.
Beyond there’s a bank of plants and smaller trees that provide a colourful backdrop and the aim was to create a haze of naturalistic planting. It’s a sunny location and the slope means that the bank is well-drained, so long-flowering planting, including salvia, agapanthus, perovskia, helenium and various grasses, was added.
At the back of the garden ornamental grass Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’ provides great structure through the summer and winter and in the foreground hazy Stipa tenuissima and Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ catch the light and move beautifully in the air.
The grasses are in many ways the backbone of the border. They are easy to care for but they do need a hard prune at the end of February. The miscanthus and pennisetum need what I describe as a number two haircut – pruning right back to base. Don’t worry – they quickly sprout fresh green growth for the coming year.
“We used a lot of softer blues and greens to reflect the colours of the pool, in particular Perovskia ‘Little Spire’ and beautiful Rosmarinus prostratus”