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Get Out, Kids!
Spruce up Your Yard for the Little Ones By Jacqueline Rupp
, an interior and exterior designer. "Lock up tools and chemicals. Be careful what plants you use. Thorns and razor sharp leaves make very bad playmates. Also, most parents don't realize that some commonly sold plants can be toxic. Try to hold off on installing pools, spas and ponds until your children are old enough to enjoy them without constant supervision."
Rocklin has a unique suggestion for including some water affects while maintaining safety. For kids too young to be near a pond, Rocklin suggests installing a natural looking spring. "Install a fountain with no exposed surface water, only running water," she says. "This can be done by covering the pool of the fountain with a grate and covering that with rocks so the fountain looks like a spring of water coming up out of the ground." When children are older, Rocklin suggests adding a pond. "Any activity spots that involve water and motion are great for children," she says. "Even a small pond at home can help teach children many valuable lessons about ecology, nature, animals and how to be a good steward for our environment."
Create a special area for noontime picnics, like under a big shade tree or patio area. Add-on stylish but sturdy decorative touches like a serving tray, colorful picnic-ware and plantings to make the kids feel like they are at a "grown-up" caf笠
Rocklin says to think about what your kids like and translate that into the garden. At the children's garden, this is done by incorporating popular nursery rhymes, including "Jack and the Beanstalk," into the gardens. Rocklin says projects like these can easily be done at home. "'Jack and the Beanstalk' is a very simple garden to make at home by building a beanpole and growing as many different kinds of climbing beans as you like on the pole," she says. "Peter Rabbit's garden is also an easy project for home. Just read the story, pick out which vegetables your family likes and plant them around a garden gate. Hang a little rabbit's coat on the fence for whimsy, and the result is nothing short of inspiring."