Make space for family

Q How can I make my garden more child friendly, without spoiling it?

Youngsters needn’t spell disaster for green-fingered parents, grannies and grandpas. Dawn Isaac explains

Thankfully a child-friendly garden needn’t look like an explosion in a plastics factory or a scaled down version of the local playground. Although it’s worth investing in one or two key play items such as a trampoline or a decent-sized playhouse, it’s important to remember that children have an incurable need to keep growing up, so what might be a must-have one year may be redundant before next summer. Instead, it’s better to create lots of play opportunities on a much smaller scale that integrate better with the garden. These are easier to change or replace as the children’s interests – and abilities – grow. Luckily the child-sized nature of these attractions means you can fit plenty in, and they often slot neatly into otherwise neglected spaces. Never forget that a family includes more than just children, so make sure the garden can still work as a place for adults to relax after the children are tucked up in bed. It’s a good idea to set up a small bistro table under a clematis-clad arbour for ‘gin & tonic time’.