How Child Friendly is your Garden

As Spring approaches now is the perfect time to reflect and consider whether the garden is performing to its full potential. 

Primarily one should decide if it fulfils both its functional and aesthetic roles to your and your children's satisfaction.  Children's ideas as to what makes a great garden are not far removed from our own.  Fun for them in the garden involves imaginative design and plants, designated seating/play areas and different areas ripe for exploration.  The main dilemma when siting playground equipment in the garden is that one will need a clear view of the structure from the house and usually its scale/shape and design leaves much to be desired and will always dominate its immediate surroundings. 

"..Children's ideas as to what makes a great garden are not far removed from our own..."

Both my colleague Simon and I have a set of twins each so we are fully aware of designing gardens that are child friendly.  We not only have to bear poisonous plants in mind but also shrubs with large thorns, which could cause injury. That is not to say we avoid all shrubs with spiny thorns as children do learn very quickly once prickled by a rose bush. Plants like Agaves should be avoided at all costs as these can cause serious eye injuries unless you are disciplined enough to cut the tips of every leaf.

Plants with poisonous sap and berries should be avoided. I have seen too many potato vines (Solanums) in particular Solanum jasminoides ‘Album' on fences with tempting berries and have heard how after a game of Cowboys and Indians all the children were taken to casualty for stomach pumps. Most of our clients have bought these mistakenly thinking they are jasmines.  If you are worried about potentially dangerous plants and have children up to the age of 7 or 8 then it would be worth calling in a professional to identify anything hazardous and give your garden the all clear.

Certain plants like Euphorbias and Rue (Ruta graveolens) have poisionous sap and can cause nasty rashes if a child fell on it or unwittingly broke a piece off.  The stems exude a highly irritant milky white sap that is released when broken.  It would be better to leave these out of your planting plan until the children are older.

Plants can also be used to disguise unsightly plastic toys we buy for our children. Grasses are particularly useful here as they not only serve to hide play equipment but can also be used as areas for hide and seek and dens.  Suitable grasses include varieties of Miscanthus.  Bamboos should be avoided as pointed canes tend to be wielded resulting in eye injuries.   Pampass grass has extremely sharp serrated leaves which are not at all child friendly.  Nowadays there is hardly a garden without a trampoline and grasses are robust enough to tolerate children flattening them a few times .You can also think about sinking the trampoline so it is not such a prominent feature in the garden but we would advise this is done by a professional.

Footballs can also wreak havoc in the garden breaking stems of your favourite plants.  If your children are football mad then I would recommend planting tough shrubs like Dogwoods, Euonymus, Cotoneasters and Evergreen Viburnums. Dogwoods like Cornus alba ‘Elegantissima' have very flexible stems and can be bent right over. Try and avoid plants with brittle stems like lavender and rosemary or delicate plants like sedum that will snap under the weight of a motoring football. 

If this all seems like too much and you feel like you would rather have a professional sort out the layout and planting plan for you then please contact us.

Article written for Spring 2008 issue by

Bella Ryan

www.bellegardens.co.uk
bella@bellegardens.co.uk

01580 201354