A Mum’s Guide to the Garden – Creating a Family-Friendly Outdoor Space

A Mum’s Guide to the Garden – Creating a Family-Friendly Garden

Creating a family-friendly garden that works for both adults and children can be quite a tricky balancing act. You want a beautiful space, but it needs to be practical too. Neat paving or shingles look the part, but are ideal for kids to play in and around? But with some thoughtful planning and storage, you can strike a balance that encourages the whole family to use it.

Smart storage solutions

The first step to creating a functional family garden is investing in some high-quality bespoke garden storage. Custom storage solutions are a game-changer because for busy families, they allow for a dedicated place to put children’s toys, beach equipment, sports gear, and all the seasonal items in. Unlike standard storage boxes, bespoke options can be designed to fit perfectly into your garden’s layout and design. This gives you the aesthetic you’re after.

These tailored storage units can accommodate everything from buckets and spades to footballs and bicycles. It’s less about the storage containers themselves, and more about freeing up clutter in the garden. The tension between having no clutter yet a playful space is always tricky, but in the garden, you need shelter to prevent those toys from going rusty and old. They can also house bigger items like paddling pools, which are a big hit when the sun comes out.

This can be a chance to teach the children to tidy up after themselves, and perhaps even have their own compartments each within the storage area. It can actually become a sacred space where they look forward to reopening it when late Spring hits each year.

Creating comfortable shade areas

Every family garden needs adequate shade, so that all members can come out no matter how bright the sun is. This saves the hassle of constantly worrying about sun cream, too. Installing an awning or pergola is an instant retreat from the sun, making it comfortable for family meals and relaxing under.

Retractable awnings offer decent flexibility too, allowing you to extend shade when needed and retract it during cooler weather or when 6pm hits. For a more permanent solution, consider a pergola with climbing plants that will provide natural shade while adding a sense of vertical drama. 

Designing child-safe spaces

Safety should be a priority of course, in any family garden. Choose your plants wisely, avoiding anything toxic or with sharp thorns near play areas. Popular garden plants to avoid are foxgloves, yew, and laburnum, all of which can be dangerous if ingested by curious children. Instead, opt for child-friendly options like sunflowers, nasturtiums, lavender… These are both safe and engaging for young gardeners.

Next up is to create clear pathways with non-slip surfaces. Consider installing soft-surface play areas using rubber mulch or artificial grass in zones where children are likely to run and play. Nowadays, higher end artificial grass is actually quite realistic and a lot easier to maintain.

Low-maintenance landscaping

As a busy mum, you need a garden that looks good without requiring constant attention. Opt for hardy, drought-resistant plants that can withstand occasional football impacts and don’t need daily watering. Sedum, ornamental grasses, and Mediterranean herbs like rosemary/thyme are your best friends here. They look the part and can some can even save you money when cooking.

Raised beds can help protect more delicate plants while making gardening easier on your back. They also create natural boundaries that help children understand which areas are for playing and which are for plants – this demarcation can passively protect your more aesthetic spaces, cutting down on maintenance. 

Creating dedicated play zones

Designating specific areas for different types of play is your best way to maximise your garden’s potential while maintaining some semblance of order. Consider creating a sandpit area using railway sleepers as borders – this can be free if you can get hold of free crates. These can be covered when not in use to keep cats out.

A dedicated ball games area with some robust boundary plants can contain wayward footballs while protecting more delicate garden features. Choose tough shrubs like potentilla that can bounce back. Some are even robust enough to act as a goal backdrop/net.

For younger children, consider installing a small climbing frame or swing set on a soft surface. Position play equipment away from windows and fragile plants, but also make sure it’s still visible from the house for easy supervision. The kitchen window looking out onto that area of the garden, for example, would be ideal, but not always possible.

Every element in a family garden should work harder. Choose outdoor furniture that doubles as storage, or plants that doubles as boundaries. Planters can become seating, and play equipment can blend into the background. With thoughtful storage solutions, it’s possible to pack in all the fun goodies into a confined space that frees up clutter.

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