Janice Cripps | Beautiful Gardens by design
 Garden with swimming poolA restored antique gate provides an attractive entrance to the garden |  View form the sunken seating area |
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 Miscanthus grasses provide informal screening |  Wide grass steps lead to the pool |
 This saltwater lap pool stretches 14 metres in length and allows two people to swim side by side |  Corten steel edging with its rich rust patina sits well with the brickwork and gives a more contemporary feel |
 Hand made clay pavers laid in a classic herringbone pattern form the sunken terrace |  When one seating area is in sun, the other is in shade |
 Architectural planting by the sunbathing terrace |
Before photos
Garden with Swimming Pool
For this family of keen swimmers, a 14 metre lap pool was number one on their wish list and to get maximum enjoyment they wanted plenty of space to relax and entertain.
As the garden is relatively small, I was concerned that such a large pool would predominate and there would be insufficient opportunity for to soften the hard-landscaping with planting. The design was further constrained by the sloping site and access difficulties; we wanted to keep as much soil as possible but the project demanded major excavation works.
The pool construction is an insulated block work shell with a tailor- made PVC liner chosen to give an inviting aqua appearance to the water. A remote-controlled heat-retaining cover is cleverly concealed under the paving at one end.
To blend the pool with its surroundings, access is restricted to 2 main entrances and planting is close to the perimeter with architectural evergreens and softly swaying grasses. The three terraces and landings are paved with hand-made clay pavers chosen for their warm rich tones and the feeling that they’ve been there forever. Lawn borders are edged with corten steel to complement the paving and a restored antique wrought iron gate provides an attractive entrance to the garden whilst affording added safety for children and pets.