As many a parent can attest, trying to achieve a lust-worthy garden is nigh on impossible if you have small children. Mine are 2 and 5, so at those lovely ages where flowers are for picking or stamping on, mud pies are made weekly and listening to their parents is relatively low down on the agenda.
This means the minute my husband and I try to turn our hands to making our garden look like anything other than an overrun campsite, our work is quickly ruined by our two small people and no amount of asking nicely ‘not to walk on the flowerbeds’ is going to stop them.
Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE them being outside. Not only does our garden give them a space to burn off their never-ending energy, they adore being surrounded by nature and I know how lucky we are to be able to provide them with a space to immerse themselves in it.
But I have quickly learnt that trying to adopt most garden trends into our outside space is pointless and that while they are young and unruly, we’re best off investing our efforts elsewhere.
So if you are also parent to young children and hoping to transform your outdoor space this summer, these are the 5 garden trends I’d never try with kids, so I can hopefully save you some time and money!
1. Gravel borders
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
As adults, we see gravel as a lovely way to fill in the space between paving slabs, or for edging an area of lawn. The kids see it as something to pick up by the first-full and chuck onto the grass for the lawn mower to chew up.
But gravel gardens are one of the garden trends we can expect to see more of this year, as Grace Thornton, Content Specialist in Domestic Landscaping at Marshalls Plc explains.
‘Gravel gardens are set to grow in popularity this year and can be achieved in a variety of ways, be that through small sections of gravel spread over the space, or a total revamp that predominantly uses gravel as a base. However, whichever option you go for, you won’t have to sacrifice nature and plants in your landscape. If you just want to bring gravel into sections of your garden, consider the likes of lawn edging to help contain the stones and keep the garden tidy and contained.’
And that sounds lovely, however if you have young children, you’ll already know that those stones will not remain contained and you’ll be forever picking them out from between blades of grass, sweeping them up from the patio or find them scattered through the house. So for that reason, gravel gardens are the first garden trend I’d never try with kids, or at least not until they have passed the stage of wanting to throw it around.
However, if you’re super keen to have some areas of gravel in your garden, look to mix in a resin binder (available at B&Q) which will keep the gravel together and stop those tiny hands from spreading it to places you don’t want it!
2. A water feature
(Image credit: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
‘Set to become bigger in the garden this year are water features, which not only create a stunning focal point in any garden but the soothing sound of water can promote feelings of peace and harmony,’ comments Danielle Le Vaillant, Head of Photography & Film at Cox & Cox.
Sadly, having a water feature or pond in your outdoor space, is another garden trend I’d never try with kids. While I love the potential tranquillity a water feature would bring, and the wildlife that a pond might attract, I could never fully relax for worrying if one of the kids either fell into it, or started drinking from it.
But if your heart is set on having some form of water feature in your garden, you could opt for a pond safety net, which you can pick up on Amazon, or even choose a raised pond to try to avoid the risk of accidents.
Still with my two being climbers, (they treat our sofas like mini mountains they must conquer daily) I just wouldn’t chance it and will just be sticking to a very supervised paddling pool on the hottest days this summer.
3. Fire pits
(Image credit: Future PLC/Dominic Blackmore)
The next garden trend I’d never try with kids is a fire pit. This is one I really mourn as I love the idea of sitting around an open fire of a chilling evening, maybe toasting a marshmallow or two.
And as Andrew White, outdoor expert at Harbour Lifestyle explains, the best fire pits are a great garden trend to invest in this year.
‘If you’re searching for a timeless piece that will elevate any garden style, look no further than the humble fire pit. The burning glow of natural flames has the intrinsic ability to enhance any outdoor set up – whether it’s from a built-in fire pit table, or a Love Island-style floor pit.’
But having a fire pit is just asking for trouble when you have small children, as not only will find yourself becoming a human shield standing between them and a red-hot oven, even once it is cooled and not in use, lumps of charred wood and charcoal will create the most almighty mess in little hands.
As an alternative, you could try a gas fire pit table, like this one from The Range, to keep the flames away from small hands, as this eliminates the tiny black handprints you’re likely to find around your home and garden with a charcoal fire pit.
Which leads us nicely on to the next garden trend I’d never try with kids…
4. Pale garden furniture
(Image credit: Future PLC)
‘Pastel colours are making waves this summer,’ comments Rikke Blaeside, Design and Range Manager at JYSK.
‘A simple way to add interest to your garden, muted pastel shades blend effortlessly with natural surroundings and add a subtle pop amongst lush greenery. From bistro sets in pale butter yellow for the perfect spot to enjoy your morning coffee, to garden lanterns in pastel green to add ambience to evening entertaining, or accessories in light powder blue to add both colour and comfort to your garden, pastel shades will help to create an inviting and serene oasis that is vibrant and on trend for SS25.’
But where pale colours are involved, mucky hands will soon find them and your beautiful new outdoor cushions will be covered in ice cream, soil and whatever else the kids have got hold of. Digging in the mud is a great afternoons activity for my two children, but if I’m sitting on an outdoor armchair or lounger, you better believe they are climbing all over me with muddy hands to boot.
So rather than risk ruining new pale garden furniture ideas, perhaps a chic dark grey set would be better suited while the kids are young and messy, or a least get something that can easily be hosed down at the end of a sunny day in the garden. Something like this B&Q grey modular corner outdoor sofa would work a treat.
5. Vertical gardens
(Image credit: Future PLC)
Finally, the last garden trend I’d never try with kids is a vertical garden.
Sean Lade, founder of Easy Garden Irrigation who has partnered with Protectivity, comments, ‘Vertical gardens and green walls are trends expected to grow even further in 2025, so I expect creative containers that allow greater flexibility, particularly for renters or those with limited space, to become even more popular this year too.’
Sam Stevens, garden design expert at Pergolux UK adds, ‘Vertical gardening is a trend we can expect to see more of this year for many reasons. Vertical gardening encourages those with smaller outdoor spaces to get creative with greenery, by making use of walls and balconies. For those with larger spaces, vertical gardening can be a great way to decorate garden structures and enhance aesthetic appeal.’
But growing plants and even vegetables you can grow vertically is just too temping for small people to grab and pull out when positioned at eye level. Just last week my son snapped off the tops of my parents’ lovingly-grown alliums, ‘just because’. I’d fear that a wall of flowers directly in front of him would cause carnage, a battlefield of petals sure to cover the ground below them.
But if your outdoor space is sparse and a vertical garden is perfect for your small garden ideas, try either to fake the look with artificial plants (which really have improved leaps and bounds when it comes to authenticity) or perhaps start your vertical garden up higher than a metre from the ground to avoid sneaky hands stealing your blooms or crop.
All that said, this is only the garden trends I’d avoid with my kids, who are right in the sweet spot of causing havoc and who I know currently see destruction as their calling card. If your children are older (or just better behaved!), which garden trend do you think would work with your kids?
