I have been looking at houses for what feels like years now, trying to find the right house for our family. They are either too small, or too dark, too new or not enough “toy space”. One thing I have been focussed on though is the garden. I want the right garden, no negotiations. It has to be a big garden. It has to have space for the children to play, the grown ups to relax and the furbabies to run around. Quite a large list and quite impossible with our budget. But, there is always light at the end of the tunnel. I am a half glass full person after all. Any space I offered, I can make it “perfect”. All I need is the right outdoor furniture to make it happen. Here are some things I am planning for when we eventually get our new family home:
Make sure there is a grass area
This is kind of essential, not only is it safer for the kiddies to run around on it is great for the pets too. There is nothing more satisfying that seeing a nice lawn, freshly mowed and a rich green. I am not going for artificial grass as with the pets that would be disgusting, but I would want my grass to be as near to looking artificial as I can get it.
Get a shed
In whatever form, I will need a space to hide the lawn mower, rake and all those things that are like “shiny” objects for children, to prevent any accidents. It is also a good idea to be able to tidy away the children’s toys or the seat cushions in the evening. We have had to get rid of quite a few outdoor items in the past because they became weathered. A shed could also help to block out areas of the garden, like a wall.
Create “rooms” in the garden
What I mean by this is: think of the garden as a house layout. Block off the different areas that are suitable for the different members of the family. For example we could block off the bottom of the garden for vegetable growing and have raised beds and it fenced off. Then have a section that is a wild garden with a trampoline, swing-set, tree-house and climbing frame for the kiddies. Then I envisage a nice chunk of lawn, that perfectly cut greener than green grass for running around on and making stripes with the lawnmower! Maybe a patio area that is sectioned off by a raised decking area or something like that, with outdoor seating for alfresco dining. I have it all planned out. As you can tell I am after a long Victorian garden, the ones that go on forever.
Get the right dining set
We have gone through many dining sets, they either bend in the weather or rust! I want something that I can easily stack away, or cover. Cushions that are detachable to keep inside out of the bad weather too. I love the picnic bench style dining sets and the plastic rattan style furniture too. They look stylish and are easy to maintain too.
Do some homework with plants and flowers
I had no idea until my Uncle enlightened me a few years ago, some plants are best in the back of beds and some in the front. Some plants do not like being near others. There’s a lot of thought that goes into planting things, investigate the plants and flowers you want and then work out where best to put them. You can use plants to border off the different areas discussed above too, as a fence. Some nice potted flowers are always a treat for the eye around the dining area too!
Outdoor space image by ShutterStock.
