When you have kids, you have to share what was once your relaxing garden haven with them, which means more climbing, ball games, and running around, and less lounging but that’s ok! It is possible to create a garden that’s great for the kids, and which you will love too.
Make it safe
When you’re creating a kid-friendly garden space, the first thing you need to do is make it safe, which means ensuring you have a secure perimeter, that any ponds are covered or fenced off (if children are very young), and perhaps even using a licensed tree removal service to get rid of any potentially dangerous trees before they fall and do damage, amongst other things. Assess your garden safety situation and make any issues right.
Create zones
If you want a garden space you can all enjoy, create separate zones by using screens to fence each area off. So, for example, you can have a lawn zone for playing and running around, a patio zone for sitting and relaxing, a flower zone for beauty and calmness, a playground zone with swings and slides… all of which are distinct from one another, so you can all share the space far more effectively.
Start a veggie patch
When you have young kids, it can be really good to start a veggie patch in the garden. Why? Because not only do the kids love getting their hands dirty and seeing the fruits of their labors grow, but when they’ve produced it themselves, they’re more likely to eat their veggies at dinner time, and you will benefit from lots of fresh fruits and veggies on your plate too.
Create a shady space
It’s easy for kids, and adults, to get overheated in the garden on a hot day, so you’re going to want to make sure that you have an area of shade, whether that’s a canopy, a particularly large tree you can shelter under or even a kittle summerhouse at the end of the garden.
Build a fort
Of course, when it comes to shade for the kids, a fort or treehouse is going to bring them the most sunlight. It’ll be their little basecamp away from the adults where they can share secrets and bond with friends and siblings, leaving the canopy or summerhouse free for the adults to have some fun of their own.
Paint it black
If you have a wall in the yard, why not use blackboard paint to create your kids’ their very own drawing wall? It’s just another way of ensuring that they have plenty to do in the garden so you can sit back and relax a bit more.
Storage space
Ensuring you have enough storage space for garden tools and toys will mean that your garden is never turned into a cluttered mess that makes it impossible to relax in. It will probably never be perfect when you have kids but with adequate storage, you can get pretty close.
Have fun in the garden!