Zone the garden<\/h3>
Plan different places for different moods. In garden designer Ann-Marie Powell’s garden<\/a>, the woodland area at the front of the house is for peace and solitude, the decking area is for entertaining and ‘The Sink’ is an enclosed play area for the children that miraculously accommodates a hammock<\/a>, a trampoline, an assault course and two large space hoppers. It is screened by vegetables and perennials, Calendula<\/em>, Eschscholzia<\/em>, sweet peas<\/a>, beans, sorrel and Verbena<\/a> bonariensis<\/em>, jostling riotously. <\/p> In this small family garden in the Netherlands, designed by Carrie Preston, a solid bench creates options for seating, but is also great fun for children to walk along or climb on and jump off. It is a good idea to try to integrate features into the garden that can have a double function like this. A climbing frame or even a swing can be combined with a pergola<\/a>, using the same wood and style, to make them appear as a single unit. A shed<\/a> could serve as a playhouse intially, and an adult space later on. A smooth, meandering path can double up as a scooter track for children. <\/p> Don’t forget to use what you’ve already got – a mature fruit tree, for example, can act as a climbing frame in its own right. You could also hang a wooden swing from it.<\/p> Rather than go for garish piece of play equipment, such as a playhouse or swing, choose one that is made of natural materials, such as wood. Avoid plastic play equipment in bright colours – it will be the first thing that draws the eye. As Ann-Marie Powell says: “Just no plastic swings.”<\/p> Yes, trampolines are ugly, but children really love them. At this small family garden in the Netherlands designed by Carrie Preston, the trampoline has been made less of an eyesore by lowering it into the ground \u2013 leaving a hollow area beneath it \u2013 and surrounding it with tall, soft planting. Hydrangeas and evergreen hedging are a good choice because they are tough, but soft enough to break any falls.<\/p> \u201cI don\u2019t go for boringly indestructible childproof plants<\/a>,\u201d says Ann-Marie Powell, \u201cbut football is not allowed.\u201d Ann-Marie loves to use tall plants in a small garden. Rodgersia<\/em>, Deschampsia flexuosa<\/em> and loads of Veronicastrum<\/em><\/a> get really big, but make the most of vertical space<\/a>. <\/p> \u201cMost people with children<\/a> think they need a lawn,” says Sarah Samynathan, who designed a child- and wildlife-friendly garden in California<\/a> without any grass in a neighbourhood where a neat square of lawn is the norm. “The clients understood that not having a lawn still allows for curiosity, exploration and creativity,” explains Sarah. When she visited the garden after it had been completed, the clients’ girls were cutting the flowers off with scissors and drawing them. “It was really good to see them enjoying, and connecting with, the garden in that way.\u201d<\/p> “A garden doesn\u2019t just have to be for kicking a ball around, Sarah adds. \u201cKids use their imagination \u2013 they\u2019re creative in how they play and they work with what they\u2019re given. Having little trails through the tall plants encourages that same playful energy.\u201d<\/p> Top gardeners and garden designers often mention that their parents or grandparents gave them a small area to experiment with when they were children. Choose a sunny spot<\/a>, where their endeavours are more likely to succeed. <\/p> For engaging (not entirely gardening-enthusiastic) children, use plants that are fun to grow and encourage wildlife \u2013 sunflowers<\/a> work perfectly on both counts. <\/p> In garden designer Ann-Marie Powell’s garden<\/a>, benches on the deck near the house are groaning with pots<\/a> and baskets filled with tomatoes<\/a>, basil, salads and strawberries, which her boys can pick and eat. <\/p> Garden designer Jo Thompson<\/a> introduced a water<\/a> fountain into a family garden recently. “One of the ideas mentioned at the beginning of the project was to have a paddling pool for the children, but a water fountain is a far more exciting and sustainable solution,” she explains. \u201cI spent much of my childhood in Italy and saw first-hand how the fountains in the piazzas there quickly become places of relaxation and gaiety \u2013 you see people splashing their hands or little children sticking their feet in,\u201d she says. Her bespoke fountain is set within a patio, so takes up no space when not in use. Since the fountains are turned on only when required, energy use is minimal too.<\/p> If you thought children’s play areas and a stylish garden don’t mix, here’s our advice on pleasing the whole family in the garden. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":28527,"template":"","categories":[1,17,72],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"5"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-scaled.jpg",2560,1708,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-768x513.jpg",768,513,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-1536x1025.jpg",1536,1025,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/48\/2023\/11\/how-to-make-your-garden-child-friendly-without-ruining-it-2048x1367.jpg",2048,1367,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"If you thought children's play areas and a stylish garden don't mix, here's our advice on pleasing the whole family in the garden.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/28526"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28527"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/gardensillustrated\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Add features that have more than one function<\/h3>
![\"A](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/11\/21212-27b80aa-edited-1-scaled.jpg\")
Use what you already have<\/h3>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/11\/GettyImages-1190852634-edited-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>Opt for natural materials<\/h3>
Submerge the trampoline <\/h3>
![\"Submerged](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/11\/MdR-12814_76-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Forget childproof plants – but set ground rules about games<\/h3>
Don’t be afraid to lose the lawn<\/h3>
Give kids their own planting area<\/h3>
![\"Sunflower](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2023\/11\/031008Sunflowers-045-e1e37e8-e1655114175589-edited-scaled.jpg\")
Replace the paddling pool with a fountain<\/h3>
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