Garden safety: ways to make your garden safer for your children – Growing Family

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If your children have a passion for playing outside – or even if they don’t – you probably want to find ways to nurture it. While the use of video games, both on consoles and mobile phones, is becoming increasingly popular, it’s important that children also experience the pleasures of imaginative play and time outdoors.

One easy way to encourage children to spend more time outdoors is to make your garden a safe place to play. As well as thinking about the obvious things like well-maintained play equipment and trip hazards, it’s also worth thinking about how safe your garden plants and hedging are.

The benefits of hedging for garden safety

Hedging is a great way to prevent children and pets from leaving the garden. As an added bonus, hedging can also make your garden more private and provide a habitat for many species of garden wildlife.

Rather than needing to wait months or years for hedging to grow, you may want to think about using instant hedges in troughs to fill any blank spaces. You can use these in combination with a fence; this works particularly well if your house is near a busy road.

Hedging species that are bushy at the bottom are the best option for keeping little ones safe.

Choose hedging carefully

As with flowers, hedges are available in a number of different styles. Some varieties are relatively compact, while others have an impressive final height and spread.

Regardless of the size of hedge you are aiming for, go for a variety that is safe for your children. Some types of hedging also grows berries, and while these may be fine for birds and other garden wildlife to consume, they can be poisonous to humans. Some hedging also has thorns or barbs that are a safety hazard to children.

Opting for an evergreen variety that doesn’t feature poisonous berries or sharp thorns will help your garden to look great, and keep your children safe, all year round.

Look after your hedging

The plants in your garden will only thrive if you give them adequate care and attention. The same goes for your hedges.

Rather than simply planting hedging and then ignoring it, you need to maintain it regularly to keep it safe and looking good. This includes checking for pests, and treating them accordingly if you find them. Be sure to pay close attention to any weed killer or sprays you use, as some are toxic.

It’s also a good idea to check your soil regularly. The soil underneath hedging can be a popular toilet area for animals. To maintain garden safety with children around, you need to remove and dispose of animal waste to minimise the likelihood of toxoplasmosis. If you need to enrich your soil and use manure, make sure you supervise your child’s outdoor play to keep them away from these areas.

Hedging can protect your children from some of the dangers found outside your home. With care and attention, you can create a safe outdoor space for your children to play. Do you have any tips for making a garden safe for children?