Hi Everyone! New to this community, but I feel like you guys might be my best bet for ideas.
I have a huge magnolia tree in my backyard. Growing grass under it is impossible (after multiple attempts), so I’m leaning into the no grass life. The only issue with that is I have a 2.5 year old and hoping to eventually have another child. I want to have a very child friendly backyard for them to use safely and enjoy things like plants, mud kitchens, etc. in the yard. I just want them to be able to move freely through the yard with minimal obstacles for them to navigate.
I live in zone 6a. I have attached a photo of the yard to give an idea of what I’m working with. It’s a pretty small space.
Any and all ideas welcomed! Besides pea gravel… we moved in and the yard was covered in pea gravel and my husband just got done removing it… never want to do that again.
by quietlibraryhall
4 Comments
Garden areas at the fence with natives for shade in your area. Paths of either pea gravel or cedar chips near them. Tree house built up next to the tree (attaching to trees can really hurt them / kill them, so do your research). Some big rocks if you can get them in there, because big rocks are freaking cool to play on and climb up. Possibly a small pond with recirculating pump to allow frogs and dragonflies, which are cool. Tuck away a spot for fallen leaves and you may get fireflies under the tree.
If it’s something where your kids can imagine themselves in a jungle, or castle, or mountain – you can have a landscape that works for adults and kids, and if it has native plants then you get to share it.
Wood chips have worked well for us!
For a shady area where kids will play, I’d encourage you to look into groundcovers or short grasses/sedges. A few examples of the top of my head that could work well are violets, wild strawberry, or Pennsylvania sedge.
I always recommend broken sight lines with tall flowers to make for a killer hide and seek experience