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Tell Homebase how you prepare your garden for summer visits from DGC - £300 Homebase voucher to be won! NOW CLOSED

(134 Posts)
EmmaGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 05-Jul-17 10:30:19

During the summer holidays, your grandchildren suddenly have much more time on their hands than they’re used to. And, often, that’s where you come in. Homebase want to know about how you prepare for the times you’re able to drag your DGC away from their various screens and out into the garden.

Here’s what Homebase have to say: "No matter how big or small your garden is, you want to create a haven that can be enjoyed by your family all year round, especially in the summer months. You don't have to be a professional gardener to plan your own landscape, which is why we have put together useful advice guides and top tips containing plenty of garden ideas to give you the inspiration you need to begin.”

Maybe you have some garden games laid out that never fail to keep them outside and active? Perhaps you like to cook in the garden - their favourite BBQ treats! Are you lucky enough to make use of the extra time with your grandchildren to get them to help out with the weeding and other small tasks?

Whether you’re preparing games, food, saving odd jobs, or even child-proofing some of the more dangerous parts of the garden (those pesky ponds) please share below how you prepare your garden for visits from the grandchildren. Everyone who does will be entered into a prize draw where one lucky GNer will win a £300 Homebase voucher.

Thanks and good luck,

GNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

fld14 Wed 05-Jul-17 17:38:56

We have just moved into a very weedy garden so the first job is kill the weeds. Then remove them and a general tidy up.

finleypop Wed 05-Jul-17 17:43:42

We plant lots of fruit & veg because kids love to pick them

Misslayed Wed 05-Jul-17 17:51:12

Mud kitchen, dens, water play, picnics, and loungers for the tweenagers (who usually last about five minutes 'being cool' before they join in and play! And Grandmas number one rule NO SCREENS!

liz1970 Wed 05-Jul-17 18:01:45

I makesure it is clean and tidy with everything put away that could harm them. We thenget the toys out and enjoy every moment :D

Chewbacca Wed 05-Jul-17 18:34:26

Start in Spring by buying packets of seeds; simple things like Russian Giant Sunflowers; nasturtiums and poached egg flowers seeds. Those are the best ones for little fingers to sow in "special" parts of the garden. A weekly check by the GC encourages them to take an interest in gardening. As the Sunflowers grow, we take photos of each grandchild standing at the side of the plants so that they can measure how tall and fast the plants are growing; never fails to cause amazement that they're soon dwarfed by them! My GD adores lavender and so I make sure that I have a row of it growing at the side of the path to my front door. Every visit necessitates a lavender gathering to "take home for mummy". Early autumn I clean out pots and containers ready for bulb planting. The GC love doing this and a little pot of bulbs is always sent home with them for their own garden. Late autumn/early winter, I collect all summer bedding containers; canes and plant pots for a cleaning session before storing them in the shed for winter. GC help with this because it involves much splashing around with water and getting in a mess. I'd love to think that, long after I'm gone, they will smell lavender, or see Sunflowers growing and remember their times in Granny's garden when they were little. I hope so anyway.

Tegan2 Wed 05-Jul-17 18:38:47

The gardens pretty child friendly anyway as the dog has her own part of the garden [she actually has more garden than we have]. But always have a supply of antihistamine in case of stings....

libra10 Wed 05-Jul-17 18:46:34

Our grandchildren are a little older now, but the youngest likes to help her granddad growing fruit and veg in a small plot.

She has her own garden tools and watering can, and loves watering the plants and flowers.

We set out a table with washed plastic plates and tumblers, and we all enjoy tea parties.

alabaster Wed 05-Jul-17 18:48:06

Climb into the prickly square hedge stockade and hide......lol

s861421 Wed 05-Jul-17 18:49:14

the garden is already secure with no water so I just cut the grass so they can run around in bare feet and cut down any brambles

renaplumridge Wed 05-Jul-17 18:50:41

Literally clear the garden!

MamaCaz Wed 05-Jul-17 18:56:59

I mark out an area of my (veg) garden where they can dig to their hearts content, though the size of the area shrinks considerably as my veg grow!

katastrophy13 Wed 05-Jul-17 19:50:48

Littelest is so scared of spiders I have to check the whole garden first!

Minnibix Wed 05-Jul-17 20:08:49

Get the lawn mowed and flowerbeds tidy, check for cat poo and clear if necessary. Get out the garden games and trampoline, let the fun begin :D

freefan Wed 05-Jul-17 20:44:00

We make sure the DGC have a safe area that is regularly disinfected with a toy storage area that gets opened and the mayhem can begin haha, with juice and snacks at regular intervals

pennwood Wed 05-Jul-17 21:15:52

The grass is cut low ready for playing on, & jumping on/across the stepping stones. The raised Koi pool has fencing around it, & although the children are allowed to feed them it is under supervision. All our plants are 'child friendly,' so lots of nature to peruse. Finding snails, worms, butterflies & ants to examine is a favourite past of all the children, (educational too!) The garden swing gets well used, & they love helping to water plants. We never leave them unsupervised, & enjoy joining in with their play.

pinkjj27 Wed 05-Jul-17 21:52:51

I have live in a very tint flat since my husband died. I have a very tiny shady garden and a balcony. I tidy both up from winter/ spring cutting back the spring bulbs. I buy summer bedding plants i love flowers and love teaching my grand kids about nature , so that is my focus I replace any solo lighting that have had it. I like to buy a few new cute lights each year and a few garden decorations for the up coming summer. The kids love to decorate the garden and especially love the windmills, I also get my garden nature ready I feed the birds all year round but I also make sure there is water and a place for the hedge hogs as the grand kids love to watch them at night and lots of wild flowers for the bees. I paint my hanging baskets and pots in shed paint I paint my garden gate and bench this years its a lovey lilac colour. I
also recyled some old school chairs and and old table for them to eat out side. This year I prepared a fairy garden for them. its a tiny garden but its beautiful and a haven for them and the wild life. we have picnics and learn about wild life

pooohbear2811 Wed 05-Jul-17 21:59:53

We are lucky our back garden is enclosed by a 6 ft fence and we are mid terraced so no way out. We make sure all the dangerous items are put away int he sheds o nobody has a need to fiddle with them.
We leave the strawberries and other fruits for the grandchildren to pick and eat. With vegetables we pick them and then make lunch with them, usually soup, they all like to help chop them up.
We bring out the garden games so they have plenty of choice, and the basket of pegs for the twins as they will amuse themselves for a long time with them.

Lisapaige24 Wed 05-Jul-17 22:37:16

We clear all the weeds, prune the bushes and mow the lawn before we put the giant connect four and chess out aswell as the sand pit,swimming pool and water slide and clear out the play house all ready for the Grandkids to spend the summer holidays with us

jcyclops Wed 05-Jul-17 22:37:54

Retract the washing line, move some of the fragile containers into the shed, make sure the tools are put away and the shed locked, then connect the hose pipe to the outside tap and take cover!

glennamy Wed 05-Jul-17 23:44:06

We have dogs so make sure it is clean and ready to play outside, we mainly have lawn and firs so nothing they can ruin smile

compy99 Thu 06-Jul-17 00:45:09

I make sure the grass is cut, the patio swept and nothing that can be tripped over, then put out the bean bags an wendy house if the weather allows.

heatherjw Thu 06-Jul-17 07:22:57

Anything involving water, watering the plants, a washing up bowl and plastic cutlery ( the GC only have a dishwasher at home), picnics on the grass etc. This year we will have to remove the wasps nest before the GC visit, and we have already moved all the garden chemicals and tools into the locked shed. Also, a simple magnifying glass as provided lots of interest and amusement for the 3 year old

angiehoggett Thu 06-Jul-17 07:48:25

I just make sure it is tidy and safe, we have plenty of toys in the shed so I usually get them out and give them a clean and make sure everything is in working order!

Party4 Thu 06-Jul-17 07:59:36

Lawn cut/treated.Slide,small climbing frame,cheap pop up tent extends imagination provides shade.Sand table cleaned,restocked.Box tractors,diggers etc left on pebbled area.Laundry holdall balls,outdoor toys.Buckets household paintbrushes for water drawing/pretend play, bubble solutions.Lawn spray for water fun/cooling down.Cheap Croc style shoes ease of fitting and play.Outer gates secured.Obstacles pots etc moved to one side to give free run for scooters etc.

lizd31 Thu 06-Jul-17 08:21:16

My garden is a little woodland wildlife haven & everyone loves to come & visit & sit in it. I'm disabled so can no longer do my gardening myself so I have a gardener who comes & keeps things tidy for me. The birds tend to make a mess with all the mealworms I feed them so it regularly needs pressure washing to keep it looking nice