With spring here, now is the time for families to think about creating a child friendly garden. If you have got kids the chances are that in the warmer months your garden becomes a full time playground – but this doesn’t necessarily mean it has to become an eyesore. Here are my top tips on how to create a garden that all the family can enjoy.
Space of their own
Designate an area of the garden just for the kids – somewhere that has space for a camp or a den and enough privacy so that they can feel as if they are hiding. The good news is less is more when it comes to elaborate and expensive play equipment …children just love to scramble under and among plants – bamboos and laurels can also make great natural dens.
Water play and sand pits
Every garden, however small, can accommodate a sand-pit, which will amuse young children for hours. They cost very little to construct and are perfect positioned just below the kitchen window, where you can check that they aren’t eating too much sand or rubbing it into each other’s eyes. Use a PVC liner and some special playpit sand, not builder’s sand. On warm days water is vital, sticking the sand together for more effective castle building. A paddling pool alongside provides a mini-beach effect.
Get them gardening
it’s never too early to introduce children to growing their own veggies. For quick results, grow cress and bean sprouts. For delicious baby leaves to pick throughout the summer, plant up a large pot of spinach. But if your garden is prone to summer slug invasions, like mine, then it is always a good idea to cover your veggie projects with netting to avoid disappointment. For competitive siblings try buying sunflowers, runner beans and sweetcorn, and see who can grow the biggest by the end of the summer.
Grass
The reality is that grass will become patchy if kids are constantly playing on it and bare patches will quickly turn to mud, so if you want your kids to make the most of your garden without turning it into a quagmire opt for artificial grass. Trulawn Luxury is realistic and has a lovely deep pile which makes it the ideal play surface for kids, which also looks great all year round.
If you are thinking about incorporating a trampoline why not go for the sunken option – with artificial grass surrounding it. They look much neater and you do not need a trampoline safety enclosure, which can look unsightly.
Create no-go zones
Sowing pretty annuals may seem like a good idea but they are too easily damaged by balls and little feet. Stick to a planting perennials and seedlings in a patch that can be fenced off and which you can explain is special and a no kid zone. Container planting is a good idea and you can buy tubs that are tough and stable and preferably as wide as they are tall. Wooden tubs are just the job.
Whatever concessions you have to make for the kids in the garden …just remember that they won’t always dictate the garden layout – sand pits, paddling pools and tree houses won’t be there forever and neither will they so make the most of them while they are.
