You may be forgiven for thinking that designing a family garden will limit you to brightly coloured plastic play equipment and climbing frames; however, this is not the case. A modern family garden may well be a fashionable, but child-friendly garden, but creating a family garden is about providing an environment that is stimulating to children and to adults.
Family Gardens to Appeal to Adults and Children
Successful features in gardens that will appeal to both adults and children include a mysterious path or a secret garden. Sandpits and trampolines are not strictly necessary, in fact children will benefit just as much from creating their own games. Non prescriptive play is often the most entertaining for children. When designing a family garden include objects and surfaces which, with a little imagination, can have many different functions. A summer house can be useful for role play; fill it with cushions, a chalkboard and some board games and it becomes a play room; put a small table and chairs in and it can be used as a café. Children love to make dens, so have plenty of corners where they can sling blankets over low branches and hang signs.
Children are curious and love to explore. Help them to do this by placing a winding path behind a line of low plants and planting soft sensory plants, such as grasses or aromatic herbs, close to path edges so that children can brush past them or crawl under their canopies. Gentle slopes and low level stepping logs or stones will call for increased motor skills in very young children but will still hold an interest for older children playing more boisterous games.
Use Sensory Plants and Materials
Using a variety of materials will make the garden more appealing to children and adults alike. For paving use gravel between stone paving slabs and make mosaic paths using pebbles, cobbles and other materials. Planting should include non toxic, soft species at a low level for children to investigate. Different leaf shapes, textures and aromas will invite children to touch and examine the plants. The design of a family garden should also look to the future and one should consider planting trees with one's children and teaching them about how things grow.
It is important to provide shade in gardens where children play for long periods of time. This may come in many different forms, for example dappled shade from a large tree, a pergola with climbing plants, a retractable awning or a fixed sail shade or canopy.
Bird feeders and tables are great for giving the whole family the chance to see wildlife close up. Site them where they can be seen by the children, but not too low, as the birds will not visit if they feel vulnerable. Many parents choose to exclude water features from their gardens as a safety measure whilst their children are small. However, children are fascinated by water and something as simple as a puddle to splash about in or a pile of pebbles to drop into a bird bath will be enough to hold their interest.
It is refreshing to see family gardens that are not over safe and sterile. It is important to remember that whilst parents are responsible for the safety of their children, all children love to explore and use their imagination and their own garden should be a good place to do this. However, children grow up and their needs change. Good design takes account of this and a successful family garden will mature and evolve with the family.
