Now that Summer is here, the boys have been out in the garden loads. Our garden is not always looking its best and I am really trying to make more effort to sort it at the moment so that we can make the most of it, especially with this lovely weather.

I have recently had some more paving put down in the back garden, as we had some sections of gravel and this was a nightmare for keeping the garden tidy as the boys were forever digging into the gravel and spreading the stones everywhere. It looks so much neater and tidier now with the paving from edge to edge and I am hoping to get some more paving or decking installed in another part of the garden where we currently have loads of overgrown foliage. I am thinking if we rip all of this out and added another patio section with some decking, we would gain a lot more use-able space.

outdoor_traditional_stop-chamferedAn area like this where we could keep the picnic table and seating area would be nice so the adults could sit and chat and relax while the children play. I am also planning to buy some deck chairs and loungers so we have more of a chance of relaxing in the garden. The decking pictured is from richardburbidge.com

I am also planning to treat the children to some new play equipment as I won some money to spend in B&Q (thanks to my room for improvement challenge by MoneySuperMarket which you can see here)

I am thinking of this play centre from Plum but I have not yet made my final decision, so any recommendations will be welcomed! I’m trying to get a balance between one that will be easy enough for the younger children to use, but then won’t be outgrown too quickly considering my oldest is now five. I might go for a trampoline and/or a playhouse too – depending how much space is left! As I mentioned in my chalk activities post, I want to add a chalk board section on one of the outside walls too

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I also need to think about the plants and how to keep them well maintained. I admit, I don’t always find it easy to keep my plants in a good condition! There is plenty of advice available from Gardenhealth.com, covering plant care, bird care, lawn care and more – which I am desperately in need of. I would really love to have a garden with beautifully blooming flowers, always looking its best. We are very lucky to have quite a good sized garden so it would be better to really make the most of it! It is also a great idea to take the kids for a day out at your nearest garden center. They always have a cafe for a little break, thee kids can explore the different types of plants and the one close to our house has a fish shop with variety of fish and you can also feed them which is always fun!

I would also really love to add some cool features like a sensory garden or little sound garden, but don’t think this is feasable for the moment! I would love a water feature too but I will leave this for now as I would worry about the children and possible drowning risks if I turned my back for a minute so that will be something to keep in mind for when they are all older.

What are your plans for your garden? Please do share in the comments and pass on any ideas or suggestions