When planning your family garden you must always incorporate an adequate level of practicality into the design as your garden must cater for all of your needs in order for you to get the maximum pleasure out of it.
Different surfaces can be used to cope with various activities that your garden will be subject to and planned areas of interest are vital. Ideally you should try to add an area for growing your own food too.
Before you begin to design your garden think carefully about the activities that will be carried out in your garden. How old are your children? As they grow what will they want from a garden in years to come?
Starting with the basics
If you have a moderately sized garden a lawn will provide your children with a good area to ride their bikes, play football and other activities. The soft lawn will cushion any falls and act as a great surface to play upon throughout most of the year.
Decking is another highly practical surface for children to play on, although you must be aware that after rain it will become slippery. You can purchase decking kits which are easy to install and provide fantastic dining areas. If you plan to use both decking and a lawn in your garden, divide the two spaces up with low planting to soften the edges. Pick easy care plants like flax and use a combination of different coloured foliage to add interest to your garden.
Improving the privacy of your garden
If your garden is overlooked or next to an uninspiring view, you can use tall plants to provide a screen. These tall plants can also be used if your garden is on a road or noisy street. The foliage will not only block any views it will reduce the noise and stop people peering into your garden. Use evergreen plants that will last all year. Bamboos or spiky architectural plants such as cordylines will help to give your family garden that contemporary look that you are after.
Create an area where you can relax and unwind in the privacy of your back garden. Decking or a patio will provide you with a good hard surface for your sun loungers. Think about using plants and a pergola to create shaded areas where you can sit and cool off in the warmer summer months.
Patterns
You can define the overall shape of your garden and help to make it appear tidier if you incorporate so clear and simplistic lines in your design. Keep borders edged and square slabs set equally apart in gravel. Doing these simple things will add neat visible interest to your family garden and is easy to maintain.
There is nothing worse in a garden than a well worn muddy route from one side of the garden to the house. The easiest solution is to create a path to the shed, back gate or vegetable patch.
Low maintenance
A family life is often an extremely hectic one! Keep your garden low maintenance by planting easy to care for plants. Plant out plants that enjoy the sun in sunny positions and those which don’t in shady spots. A small vegetable plot will allow your children to learn about the food that they eat but do not allow it to become too large and burdensome.
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Good Luck
Gardener Jack!
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