A Garden Makeover

Our garden is in desperate need of some TLC and despite our best efforts getting quotes this year, we have still yet to do it as more essential work was needed inside the house.

When we bought our house, the previous owners were very dark and the garden had a huge rockery along with some very gothic statues.  Thinking back, they remind me of the weeping angels from Dr Who.  Thankfully the statues went with them, which just left the rockery, the mahoosive (technical term) hedge and the rotten fences to get rid of.















We did that in the first year, but apart from replacing the fences the garden has remained as is since then.  The grass area is more weeds than grass and is very uneven and the tiny concrete patio area is unloved and unused.  The neighbours replaced their fence last year and moved it a foot closer to their house, which is great as I have gained some more garden but my flower bed no longer meets the fence either and is stuck in some sort of limbo.



We live in Poole, Dorset – not walking distance to the seaside but close enough to be able to visit daily if we choose.  The whole family loves the beach and I would love to create a seaside inspired garden.

As we live in a terraced house with no garage or storage space, the first thing we need is somewhere to store the toys in winter / bad weather.  What better than a Beach Hut style shed, with fairy lights adorning it at night and bunting for the day!












With three children 5 and under the garden will all be for them, with a small patio area with a table and seating for us adults so the children can be supervised and we have a safe area to do a Barbecue in the summer.

Grass and garden toys are a no-no.  Artificial grass is so much better than the old AstroTurf of old, so my garden would be evergreen and gently padded with no need to try and move large garden toys around to be able to mow the lawn or keep it green.  In fact, it doesn’t even have to be green!!












Much as I would love a huge play frame with swings, slides and a climbing wall my garden just isn’t big enough…….even with that extra foot I gained from my neighbour.  Poole has a history of Pirates, with the very beautiful Old Harry’s Rocks named after Harry Paye and we have great fun celebrating him and his achievements to this day, so what better than their very own Pirate Ship.

Activity Toys Direct



No seaside would be complete without sand for building those all important castles to try and destroy from the Pirate Ship.  With the amount of cats we have in our neighbourhood, one without a cover would be a bad idea as it would be used as a kitty litter tray, so this Premium Sandpit and bench would be ideal as it also has a lid.

Activity Toys Direct


Eliza needs somewhere to escape from the boys and her very own beach hut would be perfect and we would create a little fairy garden underneath.  I am sure she would let the boys use it too……wouldn’t she?

Activity Toys Direct


We already have a much loved trampoline which has a circus tent cover for all year play. Not only is it used for bouncing, but as a performing area for the kids very own plays…….what a Punch & Judy show we could have in there!!



For our adult space we have room to put a nice patio in front of the kitchen between the extension and the fence and I would add some comfy rattan seating and a table so we can enjoy a glass of wine coffee and cake whilst watching the children enjoy their new play space.


Finally, to give the garden some added colour, I would have a few large barrels and hanging baskets full of colourful flowers that the kids can help me look after.  Why not check out my Pinterest board for all my other ideas.  




This blog post is an entry into the Tots100/Activity Toys Direct garden makeover competition




5 thoughts on “A Garden Makeover”

  1. My Boy loves that pirate ship! I wish I never showed him!

    Good luck with the garden, and if you need any tips to keep the cost down just shout, where in the north east so we cant help directly but we can share a few tricks to getting looking fab!

    Reply
  2. I would love to see someone do a garden makeover with colorful artificial grass. That would be so pretty. Why settle for green, right? Have a lovely day.

    Reply

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