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Create a family-friendly garden

A successful family garden needs to cater for the demands of family life and fulfill a number of uses - from a play to planting area

The priority for most families is to incorporate a safe play zone and a comfortable patio eating area, with of course a splash of greenery courtesy of lawns, trees, hedging and planting displays. The challenge? To create a desirable space for children without compromising on your aesthetic requirements.

While the kids may think there's nothing wrong with the array of toys strewn across the entire garden, parents don't want to lose their stylish barbeque area for entertaining.

Play area vs chic design

Sunday Telegraph writer and mother of two Bunny Guinness knows only too well about the space children need to play - but they can wreak havoc among your carefully-planted borders.

In her book Family Gardens, she says: 'We seem to veer between extremes, either the whole garden becomes merely an area to contain plastic climbing frames and the like, that make any attempt to create an attractive garden impossible, or else any hint of family fun is banished, sacrificed to the cause of a garden that is purely for admiring'.

The solution to her dilemma is quite simple: plan your garden carefully before you spend a fortune. Alternatively, work with a garden design or landscaping company that also has the relevant expertise and experience to create your family's dream outdoor area.

Create a child-safe garden

As part of the planning process you'll also need to take into consideration some important safety factors. Allow your children some freedom of expression in their outdoor play rather than an 'ultra boring' play zone.

For example, at the 2008 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Marshalls' unveiled the Garden That Kids Really Want, which had been developed in conjunction with primary school children. The garden featured a dramatic rock stack for climbing and scrambling over, a hidden inner chamber, a shallow pool for skimming stones and a den with a raised observation deck. All of these features combined to create a safe practical outdoor space.

There are some basic safety issues for a family friendly garden:

• If your garden is hedged, it will need to be checked regularly for gaps. You might want to run chicken wire down the base of a hedge if it isn't bush all the way to the ground, to keep children contained.
• Secure, robust fencing and a well-hung gate are vital to keep your kids within the safe confines of the garden. Check any crumble walls for signs of collapse.
• 'Au naturelle' gardens are all well and good but be aware that you'll need to keep your borders trimmed back from paths so that any sharp leaves or thorns don't get in the way. Try to avoid planting prickly or thorny shrubs as they tend to be at head height for smaller children.
• Beware of dangerous plants in the garden and educate the children on the hazards of eating them. Some plants have sharp stems which are quite capable of delivering a nasty cut (such as pampas grass), while the pointy leaves and thorns of holly or roses can give a nasty prick.
• You'll definitely win brownie points if you install a climbing frame or a playhouse in the garden. Be careful where you position these features, they should be well away from concreted areas and not too near any walls, fences or large bushes. Ideally, you should set up any play equipment on a dedicated play surface.
• Take a good look at the condition of the paving in your garden and replace any damaged slabs as soon as cracks appear or if they work loose.

Information provided by Marshalls Gardens and Driveways who offer garden transformation services. Call 0845 30 20 110 for more information, or visit www.marshalls.co.uktransform for more information.

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