Small garden ideas that cater for the whole family
by
Checkatrade

As a family, a priority when buying a house is often the size of the garden – which should be functional for long summer days where children can run around and facilitate some grown-up areas for relaxation. However, for those living in cities, a garden is a luxury, with many of us forced to live without one The garden often takes a backseat to busy lifestyles. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Today, the children’s play experts at Foamë are offering several small garden design ideas to make small outdoor areas work for the whole family. From creating a space to burn off energy and savvy children’s play ideas like sunken trampolines to designated chill-out zones, with our tips you’ll have a garden that’s functional and appealing for all family members.

Think multifunctional play equipment

There’s nothing more exciting for your children than some new play equipment. However, with a small city-style garden, you’ll need to be savvy about which kit you choose – bulky items such as slides, monkey bars or see-saws will take over your lawn space. Instead, opt for a sunken trampoline that won’t dominate the landscape and be an all-consuming eyesore. This solution will provide a more open space that’s uninhibited by tall items – leaving you with a view that’ll extend from your home to the bottom of your garden.

Similarly, for younger children who aren’t old enough to enjoy a trampoline, install a sunken sandpit instead to prevent overcrowding your lawn space. Sandpits are a great way for multiple children to play together and can be great for small gardens, especially if you build a cover that can double up as decked seating area once the little ones have gone to bed.

When purchasing play equipment, keep in mind that these items should ideally be easily removable or collapsible to allow the option to create an open area for little ones to burn off some energy running around. This way, your garden is multifunctional and will cater to the whole family’s needs.

Designate space to relax

As part of your garden design, ensure the space also caters for grown-up time, whether that’s a sunspot for reading or a peaceful area for al fresco dining on balmy summer evenings.

One option is to create a designated relaxation space with a raised deck, or a small patio, which can quickly transform from play area to barbecue and dining zone for summer get-togethers. Be sure to make use of corners and compact furniture that’s foldable here to ensure you optimise the use of space. If your busy day-to-day schedule makes allocating time to update your garden difficult, why not consider getting some professional assistance from a reputable gardener or builder to make your garden a little more practical?

Alternatively, if you don’t have space or budget for a relaxation nook, a covered swing seat could be the perfect solution. Affordable, relatively compact and fun for all the family, you can create a relaxing zone using just one piece of furniture. Embellish the seat with soft furnishings, opting for comfortable and decorative garden cushions and throws to enhance the relaxing ambience. These can also be thrown on the grass for playtime and picnics with the children and stored away during the winter months.

Decorate the space freely

While it’s often tempting in small gardens to decorate with foliage and planters around the outside of the garden to maximise lawn space, plants are also a useful technique for dividing sections of the garden.

Make use of every inch of space, elevating plants to high levels with hanging baskets or hooks along fences to block out neighbours. You should also furnish cosy corners with tall, slim plant pots filled with colourful plants – just because your garden is small. It doesn’t mean that it needs to be boring.

Installing low walls to create raised beds and tiered heights is also a fantastic way to give your garden structure – and can double up as seating, too. Perfect for gatherings where more friends turn up than expected, you’ll never leave anyone short of a place to sit. Floor cushions can be a useful solution to offer extra seating if required.

If you’re an avid gardener, there’s still room in a city garden to practise your interests. Even modest outdoor spaces can include a bookshelf or cabinet style greenhouse for growing plants. Position them against a spot that usually catches the sun for the best results. You can also allocate a small amount of space for a vegetable patch on the edge of the lawn if you have the room or get creative with less conventional vertical planting ideas like wooden pallets or guttering along walls and fences.

There’s still plenty of time to make the most of your garden this summer. So, with this in mind, we hope these ideas will give you plenty of inspiration to design a multifunctional space that’s fit for all the family to enjoy, whatever the occasion.