Having access to an outside space is for many people more than just a luxury – but a necessity for an individual’s emotional and physical wellbeing.

It can also have a significant impact on the value of your property. A well maintained garden, which has seen a degree of investment and improvement, can add between five and ten per cent towards the overall value of your property.

For families, your garden needs to cater to a number of different purposes. As an adult you may take pride in the aesthetics of your garden – a pride that risks being spoilt by the onslaught of children running around. Chances are you have invested a significant amount of money in garden rooms, maintenance saving luxury artificial lawns, proper fencing, outdoor lighting, decking and expensive garden furniture – all the things that both add value to your property and your life in general. These might not be a child’s idea of fun, but that is not to say that you can’t also incorporate separate spaces which are dedicated to improving your children’s experience and involvement in the garden as well.

If you have children – a garden may just save your sanity. Having a safe outside space for them to run around in, let off some steam, even on wet days, will give them the fresh air and rosy cheeks of yesteryear. The key is to create zones in your garden and teach your children to respect the boundaries between the adult zones, where they need to treat your surroundings with care and consideration.

Equally, you, as the adult, needs to respect your children’s boundaries. Their zone is a space where they can run wild, make a mess, experiment… without fear of judgement from an adult.

Here are a few ideas you could incorporate into your garden that would enhance their enjoyment, and your peace of mind.

Build permanent a den

Whether your children are four or fourteen, having their own space to escape to will encourage a sense of ownership, responsibility and independence that they wouldn’t experience stuck in their bedroom indoors. You can help them make it a special place where adults are ‘not allowed’. Help them get the foundations right – perhaps lay down an artificial lawn floor which is easy to keep clean but still maintains that outside space feel. Create a weatherproof canopy which has a private entrance. Fill it with old blankets and cushions and liberally thread around some solar powered fairy lights to create a cosy retreat which can be used all year round.

And the most important thing to remember – never enter without permission. This is your children’s domain. Respect it as their safe space and they will learn to respect yours.

Create a fairy garden

For smaller kids you can feed into their imagination by creating a tiny fairy garden. The beauty of this is that it doesn’t matter how tiny your garden is – even if you just have a small balcony or roof terrace, a fairy garden will feed into a growing imagination and keep them fascinated for hours. If you are creative and clever with your hands, you and your child could have some great fun making your own tiny garden designs. Alternatively, there are a myriad of options and ideas that you could browse on sites like Etsy and Instagram if you needed some inspiration.

Dig big and little veggie patches

Whether you are an established aficionado in vegetable growing, or just starting out, involve your kids by letting them dig their own vegetable patch alongside yours. As both a teaching and a learning activity for you both, it will get you working and creating together, giving you both the opportunity to chat about everything and nothing, and build a relationship away from the stresses and strains of daily life.

The golden rule is to not over invest in the child-specific areas of the garden. Save your money for some luxury garden furniture, or the premium grade artificial lawn, which you can enjoy in the evenings when the children are safely tucked up in bed – snoring after a day out in the fresh air! Children grow up and change incredibly quickly – no sooner will you have built the most amazing play space, than they will be clasping your car keys and waving through the window as they go off on their first solo drive in the car after passing their driving test!

The very nature of a garden is that it can grow and evolve around you and your family. Get the foundations right – what you create from the ground up can adapt to your changing needs.

Seeking support in creating the prefect garden

Whether you’re looking to create luxury relaxing zones for the adults, or hard wearing, maintenance free zones for your children, sometimes getting the experts in will give that added perspective. If you would like some guidance in creating an evolving garden for your family’s needs then get in touch with us.