Welcome to the world of natural swimming ponds!

If you ask Wikipedia, “A natural swimming pool or natural swimming pond (NSP) is a system consisting of a constructed body of water, where the water is contained by an isolating membrane or membranes, in which no chemicals or devices that disinfect or sterilize water are used, and all clarifying and purifying of the water is achieved through biological […]

Our Natural Swimming Pond Build: The Last Post!

Just add fish!

If you’ve followed this blog from the beginning, you’d be forgiven for thinking that I perhaps never got to finish our pond because of the brain eating amoeba.  Alas, nearly as surprising, we added a fourth girl to our lives which sent us from busy to bedlam.  (And if you haven’t read from the beginning, […]

Creating Your Own Natural Plunge Pool: 3 Expert DIY Tips

With all that we’ve written about natural swimming ponds, it’s easy to look at some of the photos and assume that they only suit large yards. Nothing could be further from the truth. Today we’re going to cover natural plunge ponds.. The reality is that most pools are not used for swimming. They are used for entertaining […]

Build your own natural swimming pond – The Basics

A natural pond designed and built by BioNova

Last week I covered the basics of natural ponds and the many reasons you might consider either installing one or converting an existing conventional pool. If you didn’t catch the post, you can find it here. As promised, today is all about getting your hands dirty.  Remember that this is a guide, not a bible. Soil […]

Is a natural swimming pond the solution to swimming pool headaches?

If you’ve got a pool, you know the routine. Everyone’s happy to use it but you’re the bunny that has to maintain it! Doesn’t it make you wonder that while many homeowners consider it a necessity, others see it as a daily burden and a disaster waiting and begging to happen? It’s a fact that […]

Brain-eating Amoeba and other possibilities

If you’ve followed this blog from the start (a big thanks for that), you’ll know that it has been a long series of holes being dug and then being filled again.  And the reed bed is no different, except for the fact that it is the last hole! I’ve read the comments from people worrying […]

Our Natural Swimming Pond Build: The day the pond got car jacked

We’ve certainly had our ‘moments’ during this project. It started as an idea, became a dream and at times came close to becoming a nightmare. But three daughters asking ‘can we have a swim yet?’ has kept my determination up. Our very limited budget has needed us to innovate more times than I want to count, […]

Our Natural Swimming Pond Build: Boys and their Toys

OK – it’s been a while! But before I could continue with the latest antics of our swimming pond project, I had to take a deep breath.  Why?  Because although the overwhelming feedback for my first eight blogs was positive (for which I thank you), the last post seemed to raise a few male hackles. […]

Our Natural Swimming Pond Build: The (W)hole Disaster Concludes…

Even if you’ve been paying close attention as you’ve followed my journey into the unknown, you’re forgiven if you’ve lost track of where I’m at.  Even I’ve lost track of where I’m at 😛  A quick recap is undoubtedly warranted… In the beginning there was an idea. That idea was to build a natural swimming […]