Many people associate gardens only with a place to sit when the weather’s good. But there can be a lot more to it than this. It’s the perfect setting to bond with your family and a great space to encourage your children to grow. It can also be a sanctuary and a grown up space that you and your friends can enjoy. It might seem that these two uses don’t mix, but they can.
- Set aside some space for child friendly toys and activities, such as ball games or a sandpit. Keeping this separate from the rest of the garden will mean you have space to grow plants without them getting squashed by balls or toys.
- Involve you children in growing plants. This is really really important. Kids love dirt and digging, and actually as long as they wash afterwards getting outside and into a bit of dirt is good for them. So get them to help to dig flower beds or pull up weeds, and at the same time you can teach them about plants and making things grow. This gives them a great sense of achievement and an appreciation of life.
- Think about the furniture. You want nice furniture outside that you can sit on when the weather’s nice, perhaps have a barbeque with friends and family. But it also needs to be child friendly. Rattan furniture is durable but also lightweight, and easy to clean. If your children are running around a knock over a rattan chair the damage will be minimal.
- Limit hard surfaces and research plants before buying them to make sure they’re not toxic or spikey. Herbs are great for adding colour and scent and as they’re edible they’re also really useful.
- Putting up a summer house or play house for the children gives you a way to enjoy the garden even if it’s raining, while little heaters make it nice even if it’s cold. Children are more resilient than we often think, and if you put them in a raincoat and some boots they love splashing about outside, and the fresh air and exercise is good for them, so don’t discourage them from playing outside and enjoying the garden.
Author Bio:
Kat is a blogger who writes about many aspects of lifestyle and home improvement, including family life and furniture for sites such as http://www.thefurnituremarket.co.uk/
