Landscaping Tips For An Active Family

Posted on: 25 July 2019

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Your lawn is much more than a showpiece; it's also a place for your active family to spend their days playing and relaxing. When designing your landscape, you need to make sure it won't discourage the kids from spending time outside. The following are a few design tips that will help you have both a utilitarian and attractive yard.

Tip #1: Choose a sturdy grass

Any family with active kids needs a lawn area. Whether you leave it wide open for games of pickup football or tag or you add a playset or other activity structure, you will want a grassy area for play. Make sure to choose a sturdy lawn grass that will stand up to the heavy traffic of the playing children. You need to find a grass that meets your climate and traffic needs. In colder regions, perennial ryegrass or bluegrass are good options, while Bermuda grass provides similar benefits in warmer climates. Planting from sod is also preferred over planting from seed. Sod establishes more quickly than seed, which means the kids won't have to wait as long to get out and play on the lawn.

Tip #2: Opt for low-maintenance shrubs

Shrubs can be a great way to add height, color, and texture to your landscape design without a lot of maintenance. Generally, all shrubs need is a bit of water, some fertilizer, and an annual pruning. If you have areas you want to section off so the kids don't play there, then dense growing shrubs like juniper or boxwood work well. For a more open concept, then something like a lilac may be a better option. Just make sure the shrubs you choose do not have thorns and aren't toxic. This means skipping roses and oleander for something more pleasant. A thornless blackberry or similar can be a fun choice since the kids can also pick berries, or you can opt for something with pretty flowers, like hydrangeas, if you want some color without the mess of fruit.

Tip #3: Skip the delicate flower beds

Flower beds can be difficult to maintain when your yard is also a play area. No matter how careful your kids are, chances are that they will end up chasing a ball through a flower bed at some point. If you must have flowers, then get creative. Put in a few raised beds to discourage running through them. Or, use decorative pots in key areas to hold the flower well above harm's way. Another option is to install trellises against fences and walls, then train pretty nontoxic vines, like scarlet runner beans, to grow up them.

For more help, contact a landscape design service in your area.