Summer garden safety essentials

In a typical year, our garden is a place for the whole family to hang out on sunny days. However, during lockdown, it has been an absolute lifesaver…both for the kids and us adults!

To keep everyone as safe as possible, it is worth noting that some things in the garden can be a bit risky to the little people, so I thought I’d list a few things to ensure your garden’s in tip top shape for everyone.  
Plants
Most gardens have some type of plant in them (even us, the non-green fingered family, have branched out in recent months) For the most part, plants and flowers shouldn’t create too much of a safety issue. It may be worth reminding the kids that plants are for looking at and watering and definitely not for snacking!
There are quite a few common garden varieties of plant that can be poisonous when ingested, so it’s always better to err on the side of caution here. 
 
Trees 
Most people think themselves lucky if they have a garden with plenty of well-established trees. After all, they provide shade, privacy and can look really beautiful as well. They can even make excellent bases for play sets and treehouses for the kids. 
However, before you put any load-bearing structure on a tree, it is essential to ensure that it will be able to cope. To that end, if you have trees on your property that are unstable, or rotting; it is often safer to get a professional tree company to come in to assess them. Then they can be safely taken down if they do pose a danger to those using your garden, or to your home itself. 
 
Trampolines
Trampolines can be the most fun, especially if you have kids that love to keep fit and healthy. However, it is imperative to use the equipment wisely. I know my heart leaps out of my mouth when I see the kids bouncing without the safety zip being down!
We actually watched a couple of videos where people had chosen to sink their trampolines into the ground so the surface is lower and users have a shorter dance to fall if the worst does happen – but we decided to try and get the kids trained in getting on and zipping in..
 

 
BBQs
One of the biggest joys of the summer months is to be able to have a good old cook up on the barby. In fact, we know of families that barely eat or cook indoors at all once July hits!
It goes without saying that BBQs can become hot to the touch very quickly, and therefore need to be positioned in an area that is away from the frequent through routes. You may even want to go so far as to set up some sort of barrier around the BBQ if you know the garden will be full of kids charging about! 
*This is a collaborative post.