Having some space outside to enjoy together as a family can give you some brilliant memories. You can eat dinner outside when it’s warm, host parties, play together and have water fights in the summer. So if you’re not making the most of your garden then now is time to change that. Maybe you need to spruce up what you have, or maybe you’ve had a baby who will be old enough to play outside next summer and you want them to have a safe space. You might have moved into a new home and the garden needs some work. Either way, here’s what to consider to make it family friendly.
Remove dangers
First things first, for a family garden where you’re going to have pets and kids running around it’s important to remove anything that might be dangerous. There are tons of things to consider here but a few of them could be sheds or greenhouses that are on the verge of falling down. Plants that are poisonous when they’re eaten, and tools left out. Not even just power tools, but things like ladders that kids could climb on. Even garden furniture can be dangerous, things like deck chairs can be an entrapment hazard so look around and think about what’s accessible. Get yourself a good quality shed and make sure anything dangerous is locked away. If youre unsure of the plants that you have growing, use Google Lens, if you take a picture it can easily identify things and from there you’ll know if you need to remove it or not. If you have any ponds, pools or any other areas of open water then these especially will need fully securing, drowning is a huge risk to pets and kids and it can happen so much faster than you think.
Good fencing
Good fencing is important for security, it keeps strangers out and keeps your family in. Carefully check the perimeter of your property and look for any gaps in the fencing or weak areas. If you have a gate then having a good bolt and padlock is worth putting on there.
A seating area
Having a space to sit and eat together outside is important for a family garden! A good outdoor dining table with a parasol for sunny days and enough seating is something worth investing in. Not to mention some spare seating for bbq guests and garden parties. If you buy these things out of season, so in the autumn or winter they’re usually discounted and you can save yourself a fortune.
Space to play
Finally, a family friendly garden needs space to run around. You can’t make your garden bigger than it already is,but you can make the most of the space you’ve got. That might mean clearing out large bushes and shrubs that take up a lot of space around the edges, or getting rid of big planters or large items that aren’t a priority in the garden at the moment. Clear as much space as you can and lay a hardwearing lawn, if you speak to your local turf supplier and tell them what you need they’ll more than likely be able to help. Otherwise you could go with astroturf which is family friendly.
