When you have young children, you probably want to keep them both safe and happy. Planting hedges in your garden could be a simple way of achieving both, especially if your children enjoy spending time playing outside. The use of hedging could allow them to spend more time playing outside, even if you can’t be out with them in that moment, as well as to still appreciate the garden when viewing it from indoors.
Setting boundaries
Without something in place, your children may be able to leave the garden and venture out into the streets where they could potentially get hurt. To prevent this from happening, it could be a good idea to look for Griselinia hedging which may not cause any harm to your child, but could act as a barrier between them and the street. Younger plants may be less expensive, but they can take some time to grow. Therefore, to have those boundaries in place as soon as possible, it may actually be more beneficial to order instant plants which have already been grown for some time. These can then be planted in and act in the same way as a fence or wall, but still look great. Over time, the hedging may continue to fill out until there are no gaps that your child could get through.
Protection from others
Although you may want to trust your neighbours, as well as people walking near your home, it is important to remember that strangers and familiar people alike could pose a risk to your children. Therefore, you might not want people to be able to see your children when outside playing. Having hedging in place can offer your children privacy within their home and garden. Although the likelihood of this danger coming to fruition may be low, it could be a better idea to prevent it from happening than take that chance. Remember to give your children instructions about what they should do if they do see a stranger lurking outside the garden.
Viewing nature
Many children enjoy seeing different animals. Rather than going to an animal park to do so, you may want to pique their interest in the natural wildlife that lives in your area. Hedging can be a welcome sight for nesting birds, as well as little creatures. Your children may love telling you about the sounds of chicks they hear, or even if they spotted a fox slinking under the hedge at night. Providing a place for wildlife to live and hide can help to encourage them to visit your garden more often. You could even set up cameras or keep a diary with your children to document their findings.
There may be a number of reasons why hedges can be important in a family garden. While the safety aspects can be crucial, you may also want to think about the way that these plants could maximise your children’s enjoyment of the space.