Mike Palmer shares his recommendations for lovely, inclusive gardens
As children, my brother Murray and I were lucky enough to have gardening-obsessed parents, and to this day, I’m eternally grateful for their gentle introduction to all things horticultural. Our three, small to medium-sized family gardens over the years were crammed with roses, most notably the popular 70s rose ‘Superstar’, many perennials, stunning flowering shrubs and a variety of trees, all of which provided a veritable green playground for us both, and a biodiverse home to local wildlife.
Very happy summer days were spent chasing butterflies, making daisy chains and playing hide and seek with friends and family, before sitting down on a summer’s evening to watch bats swooping over the garden as we feasted on barbecued burgers and fresh, home-picked salad leaves. As an adult, these wonderful memories have stayed with me, and given me the most incredible career as a professional gardener, designer and garden writer.
Much has changed over the years including, thankfully, our ideas about what a family is. These days, a family is any group of people who live together, providing love, support, and guidance to each other, as they share their home, and, if they’re lucky, a garden together.
What does a family garden need to include?
Irrespective of how your family is constructed, a garden needs to be a place that allows all of its members to get outside together and enjoy it to the full. My small, but perfectly formed family comprises me, my partner of 30-plus years Peter, and our cats, Benson and Willow. When we first took possession of our blank canvas of a garden some seven years ago, we sat down and made a list of the things we both wanted to include within. As Director of Gardening, I might have had a few more ideas on the plants, but as Director of Interior Design, Peter also fed into the look and feel outside.
Welcome wildlife
As a nipper, I learnt so much about the importance of respecting and living alongside the wildlife that visited our gardens, so incorporating water, be it a small pond or water feature, is an invaluable investment. Water in our gardens provides a safe haven for such a wide range of creatures, and there are really effective, child-friendly adaptations that can be incorporated these days. Seeing toads and frogs hop around the garden or watching dragonflies and damselflies flit across the water is mesmerising.
Bird feeders and bird baths will encourage a fleet of our feathered friends into our green spaces. Watching them squabble over peanuts and splashing around in a bird bath is delightful and demonstrates to everyone the importance of building a garden that is rich in biodiversity. As impressionable kids, seeing this, first-hand, in our own back garden was better than anything I was going to watch on television. Wildlife became an integral part of my life from an early age and has never left me.
Grow your own
It’s good to introduce space for the growing of food and it’s without doubt a vitally important life lesson for younger generations. Easy, low maintenance crops with almost guaranteed results will enthral youngsters, so consider putting aside an area where small crops including cherry tomatoes, strawberries, lettuce, carrots and herbs like basil, and mint can be grown. If you’re slightly more adventurous, a small vegetable patch will allow you to grow your own potatoes, runner beans, beetroot, sprouts or sweetcorn. Getting kids involved in sowing seeds, planting out and harvesting crops is such a life affirming and heart-warming activity for the whole extended family.
Let’s play
They say that the family that plays together, stays together. As a youngster, even in our first, rather small family garden, I remember the utter joy of being chased around the lawn by my parents, me falling over, picking myself up, laughing loudly and repeating the exercise. My brother, meanwhile, loved kicking his football across the lawn with dad, while I would climb into the boughs of a colossal tree – it was, on reflection, just a small, aged apple tree, but as a kid it seemed to tower miles above me. If space allows, an area for kids to play is best sited away from the house to ensure those stray footballs hit boundary fences rather than expensive double glazed windows! And trees not only provide possible opportunities for climbing, but can provide bountiful crops of delicious apples or pears, shelter on hot, sunny days, a safe habitat for nesting birds and, as if that wasn’t enough, somewhere to hang a swing, a relaxing hammock or build a treehouse!
Paddling pools and sandpits are other great additions to a family garden to encourage young ones out of their bedrooms and into the great outdoors.
Let me entertain you
If I had a pound for each time I’ve read that our gardens are outside rooms, I’d be writing this article from ‘my’ villa in the South of France. But it’s true – our gardens are an extension of our homes, and weather dependent, bringing family, friends and loved ones together for a garden gathering is priceless. Patios make great spaces for entertaining so ensure the space is large enough to accommodate plenty of comfy chairs, a table and perhaps space for a barbecue. Think about the maximum number of people you’re likely to invite to ensure your patio, or entertaining space is large enough.
Pets and plants
Our furry, four-legged friends are an important part of our families. Our two cats love being in the garden with us but we all have a responsibility to ensure our pets are safe at all times. Ponds and water features should have ‘beaches’, comprising pebbles that will allow an inquisitive cat or dog that has fallen into the water to escape quickly and easily. Water butts should be covered and smaller gardening tools and gadgets that could be eaten should be stored away carefully.
And, as much as we all love our plants, some plants are particularly dangerous, not only to us, but our beloved pets, so do check before you buy and plant.
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