On the rare occasions when we have a hot day, I feel tempted to have a swimming pool installed.
The trouble is, they tend to look ostentatious, and, for the few sultry days we have, is the expense worth it?
However, a company that creates natural swimming pools has transformed the entire concept.
Woodhouse Natural Pools (www.naturalswimmingpools.com), in partnership with Biotop, have a wonderful range that look like garden ponds and consequently fit in harmoniously with their surroundings instead of creating a visual jolt.
Unlike a conventional pool, these are a delight to look at when they are not in use as they are softened with plants, and come in a variety of gently curving shapes.
They are filled with soft, natural water that supports microscopic life and plants, which, between them, provide a powerful self-cleaning system, so there’s no need for harsh chemicals.
As the pools are relatively shallow, they warm up quickly in the sun, and therefore don’t cost a fortune to heat and there’s no burning of fossil fuels involved in keeping them warm either.
And another bonus is that they are pretty low maintenance.
These pools have been popular in mainland Europe for many years, but are only just beginning to catch on here.
Once people realise there’s an attractive, sympathetic and environmentally-friendly alternative to the angular ugliness of conventional styles, I’m sure they'll be selling like hot cakes.
The Landscape Ornament Company (www.landscapeornament.com) has a great collection of sculptures that provide a garden with a focal point. Look out for the strawberry, apple, walnut or acorn cast in reconstituted stone.
Alternatively, you can have the acorn carved in a Bath or Portland stone finish.
I was very taken with the fountain carved in a water lily shape too.
Placed in a pond with a pedestal to hold it at the appropriate height, it appears to float on the water’s surface.
The company’s timber furniture is painstakingly handmade, and is left untreated so that it weathers evocatively. Modern and traditional designs suit every location from a city garden to a country cottage, conservatory to a roof terrace.
The raw beauty of natural stone works equally well inside and outdoors. A company called Island Stone (www.islandstone.co.uk) handcrafts stone tiles, and these are ideal for a multitude of purposes, from cladding walls to create a rustic finish to landscaping aspects of the garden.
Available in marble, sandstone, quartzite, pebble, and slate, they would make a great feature wall when combined with Island Stone’s eye catching glass tiles, while outdoors they create an interesting effect for pathways and driveways.
Although expensive, stone is immensely durable, so you can expect it to last a lifetime once installed. All natural products tend to wear appealingly as well, so that they actually look better with age, whereas synthetic products have a tendency to look tawdry once the effects of wear and tear kick in.
the myriad of designs in the Island Stone stable.
Reuse and recycle is the mantra of the modern age. Re-found objects (www.re-found-objects.com) makes great use of random pieces of ephemera. The decorative metal shelf edging for example turns prosaic shelving for storing surplus pots into a work of art. At £19 it’s an affordable piece of eye candy for the garden this summer.
Yvonne Jones is a Royal College of Art trained designer, and is the owner of Chameleon Interiors. Tel: 029 2037 1277. www.chameleoninteriors.co.uk
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