Kids don’t care about prize-winning roses, a four-tier fountain, or an intricate paver patio, so artistically designed Michelangelo would swoon.
You need to focus on different elements to make your landscaping appealing to kids.
What should be included in a family-friendly landscape design? Safety first. Room to romp. Grass that feels good under bare feet. No fussy plants. Or toxic ones. Maybe a garden that invites birds and butterflies or where you can pop a kid-sized cherry tomato in your mouth straight from the plant.
Ground Source landscape designer Eric Frisch shares some kid-friendly landscaping ideas.
Keep reading to learn more about:
- Safety first for child-proof landscaping
- Avoiding dangerous plants
- What about the lawn?
- Kid-friendly plant choices
- The right mulch
- Beyond the swing set: birds, butterflies and basil for pizza
Safety First for Child-Proof Landscaping
“The main thing is safety,” Frisch says.
A few things to consider when landscaping for safety:
Pool and Pond Safety
“Is there an existing pool, pond or lake on the property that could be a hazard?” Frisch asks.
He says fences are foremost, from proper fencing surrounding pools to safety fencing to keep dangerous alligators from encroaching.
Avoiding Dangerous Plants
Some plants are not kid-friendly, with sharp spines or thorns or poisonous leaves.
Frisch avoids these:
- Agave
- Cactus
- Crown-of-thorns
- Bougainvillea
- Holly
- Roses
- Oleander
- Sago palm
For a more extensive list of poisonous Florida plants to avoid, visit Florida Poison Control.
Lawns for Kid-Friendly Landscape Design
What's the best grass for wiggling bare toes?
“Zoysia sod feels great to play on, and will hold up better to traffic or sports activities with the kids,” Frisch says, “but if you have dogs, it'll get brown spots when they pee in the yard.”
Kids need space to romp, so a big expanse of lawn is great, if possible.
“I try to make sure they get a nice long and wide area, but not all yards are big enough or flat enough to provide a play area,” Frisch says. He says smaller yards can accommodate a mini play space, with room for “running through a sprinkler or kiddie pools.”
Frisch says a bit of strategic hardscape can work wonders in high-traffic areas. A paver walkway or stepping stones can prevent turf and plants from being trampled.
Plants for Child-friendly Landscapes
“Avoid filling up the yard with planting beds and too many trees,” Frisch says. “Shade is nice to have in one part of the yard, but sod that gets a lot of play and not enough sun will quickly get worn down to nothing. Having a dirt yard is not a good play space.”
Frisch uses fewer plants when designing a kid-friendly landscape, but if you’re a plant-loving family, some plants are tougher than others.
“Leafy plants would get squashed easily but can grow back,” he says. “Branching shrubs would snap off and take a lot longer to recover.”
A few plants that can take some rough and tumble:
Blue Flax Lily
It sounds delicate, but this fast-growing grass-like perennial is sturdy, drought tolerant, and does well in sun or shade and hot, humid weather.
Frisch says that if the kids trample it chasing a frisbee, it’ll grow back pretty fast.
African Iris
A tough, durable perennial that keeps coming back, African iris produces pretty flowers year-round and is fast-growing, Frisch says, so if they get a bit trampled, they’ll come back quickly, perfect for child-proof landscaping.
Fountain Grass
A landscaping standout, fountain grass is named for its graceful spray of foliage and striking fuzzy flower plumes, but it’s tough. If the soccer-playing kids run over it, no biggie.
Liriope
Also called lilyturf, this easy-care vigorous grower spreads fast into a carpet of green and stands up to romping kids.
Mulch for Child-friendly Landscapes
Frisch loves mulch for kid-friendly landscape design around playground areas. He prefers either pine bark or specialty chips designed specifically for playgrounds.
“Shredded mulch can have sharp points and is not as soft to land on,” he says. “Another option is rubber mulch, but it can be quite expensive and hard to clean out leaf debris if a large tree is overhead making a mess of the mulch.” It can give off an unpleasant smell in the sun, too, he adds, and can get hot.
“Wood mulch can be raked out and replaced for minimal cost compared to replacing rubber mulch.”
When possible, Frisch situates playground areas so they’re not the main focal point from inside the house when you’re looking out onto the yard.
Kid-Friendly Landscaping Beyond the Swing Set
One of the best parts of being outside is just being outside, enjoying nature, gazing at clouds, watching for hummingbirds, and listening to crickets.
Even a small yard can offer family-friendly landscape design that encourages a connection with nature:
Plant Good Stuff to Eat in an Edible Garden
“Make growing your own food a hobby to share with your kids,” Frisch suggests.
Grow basil for pizza or strawberries for strawberry lemonade. Harvest kid-sized munchies like cherry tomatoes and mini sweet peppers.
Welcome Birds and Butterflies
Encourage kids to appreciate nature by inviting birds and butterflies to your yard for family-friendly landscaping, including an air show.
“Kids might like the idea of planting trees for birds and making birdhouses to hang in the trees,” Frisch says.
Birds and butterflies love native plants. Plants native to Florida provide better food and cover for these fluttery friends than non-native plants and do you a favor, too. They need less water and fertilizer and are more resistant to pests and diseases.
Many birds love the berries and fruits of native plants like American Beautyberry and Red Mulberry.
Coral Honeysuckle, Wild Columbine, and Cardinalflower provide nectar some birds love.
Coneflowers offer seeds that attract sparrows, warblers, finches, nuthatches, chickadees, cardinals, and indigo buntings.
After blooming your flowers, leave the seed heads for your feathered friends.
Butterflies love Florida. There are more than 200 species here, including some not found anywhere else in the world. How cool is that?
Invite them to hang out with your family by planting things they love:
- Milkweed
- Coonti
- Walter’s Viburnum
- Fakahatchee Grass
Ready for Kid-friendly Landscaping? Trust Ground Source
Kids grow up fast. Make sure you enjoy that fleeting family time with family-friendly landscaping you all can enjoy together.
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