Creating a relaxing but child friendly garden | Home improvements

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I wrote last year about how we had removed our garden pond, how we levelled the garden and were making it as child friendly as possible. Now, here’s a follow up…

Since re-levelling the patio last spring, we haven’t done much other than enjoy the garden and add more flowers and evergreen plants so we have ‘something’ to look at all year round.

The breeze block wall will be clad in decking boards, and perhaps next summer we’ll add a pagoda to cover the table. I imagine having grape vines growing up the posts.

I love the outlook from our patio, trees and colourful plants. I’ve moved our apple tree from the pot it was in for the last 6 years and it’s positively blooming.

The Acer tree purchased from Morrison’s last summer is also in full colour – I love the deep red of this tree (on the left) and the one that was already here (on the right).

I think I might get another for the right near the green fern in the photo below. This green fern alone really does give me the feeling of being on holiday, so maybe a few of them.

I envisage moving the pots from around the patio once the cladding is in place. I’d also love a little seat area to relax in the evening and take advantaged if the last of the sun in the back corner of the garden. It’s a real sun-trap. I’m thinking of either a small bistro set or garden swing like these to sit with a glass of wine and our kindles once the girls are in bed.

The other half of the garden is much more child friendly with the girls’ climbing frames, the mud kitchen and play house. I’ve popped the playhouse in this shaded corner of the patio next to the mud kitchen so it can be played with all year round, and not get as hot as it did in the direct sun as it did last summer. Oh and yes, that kids picnic bench needs a bit of a spray paint!!

Both girls love playing with sand so we’re toying with getting a sand pit for B for her first birthday – one of these, either a clam shell sand and water pit or a big square one, we can’t decide which:

Do you have one or have you owned both? What would you recommend? Which lasts longer?

I think we’ll either put it on the other side of the playhouse or by the shed, as that corner is quite a damp corner and isn’t great for playing on.

Have you separated your garden for kids?

I love sitting at our table watching H play but that my outlook also isn’t just filled with plastic toys! The aim is for more wood, and less plastic!