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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

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

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

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.

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....

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.

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

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!

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

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

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.

hdh74 Wed 05-Jul-17 17:28:20

We have a safely enclosed garden, with no pond, no pets, and no poisonous plants and it is kept pretty tidy so it only really needs a quick check over for any unexpected hazards.

cinders59 Wed 05-Jul-17 17:17:51

make sure the grass is cut and the trampoline swing and slide are in good clean working order

barbedwire71 Wed 05-Jul-17 16:46:04

we get all the giant jenga out, cover the pond and get the kids gardening stuff out

pamelaJEAN Wed 05-Jul-17 16:44:59

My five grandchildren love coming to grandmas, I usually make them a picnic in the back garden, nothing fancy, sandwiches , fruit and a drink of juice. I sometimes place realistic looking plastic spiders and insects in the borders, my little grandson loves it , when he finds them he chases the girls with them, who run around screaming. I also have a big box of coloured chalks, they love drawing on the patio slabs, also Bottles of bubbles for them . It doesn't have to cost a lot to keep them amused.

tallandlong Wed 05-Jul-17 16:43:44

By making sure there chilled juice in the fridge, its hot hard work entertaining!!!!

dogs1 Wed 05-Jul-17 16:28:42

The garden is a place for having fun so there is scope for digging, planting and picking flowers without being too precious about it. Also pieces of wood, sheets and towels all come in hand for den building.

lornajk Wed 05-Jul-17 16:26:53

Don't do that much specially as they are around a lot and the garden is very child friendly. There's usually more work to do after they have gone!

sophie56 Wed 05-Jul-17 16:22:16

I cut back anything sharp like the roses. I get out the old blankets so they can make dens to play in and the baskets for picking runner beans to go with the lunch.

castleton Wed 05-Jul-17 16:19:02

Make sure grass is cut ( so we can play on it).I make sure all tools are in the garage and it is locked. We are then ready for the fun

bobble5366 Wed 05-Jul-17 16:18:27

we put up the trampoline, they have hours of fun jumping up and down, we can watch as they play little games, taking turns. We also have a paddling pool to cool down afterwards. We invested in a playhouse last summer for the tea parties and having their lunch. I also hunt around the charity shops for dvd's for tea time for them to watch, and calm down before they are picked up by mum and dad.

Angelwings Wed 05-Jul-17 16:03:44

Our garden has a path around the house that proves an irresistible draw for riding scooters and trikes around. We also have a covered fish pond with large Koy carp that the little ones love to feed because the fish come up out of the water and can be gently touched.
Watering cans are always provided and can be filled from the water butt and watering is encouraged because it saves me a job!
Other than that we have rugs on the lawn and take toys, food and drinks outside too.

beckyinman Wed 05-Jul-17 15:52:05

Mow the lawn and blow up the paddling pool!

hartley123 Wed 05-Jul-17 15:42:29

nothing ponds wild flowers garden full of inscets beetles butterflies bees frogs birds the kids love it

falconer Wed 05-Jul-17 15:41:19

Sorry, that should have been seductive

falconer Wed 05-Jul-17 15:40:50

It's OK. The garden is built for fun, with no thorns, delicate flowers, ponds ... just grass with a seeuctive slope!

maryandbuzz1 Wed 05-Jul-17 15:39:51

I always make sure the paddling pool hasn't any holes as that is always a favourite. I also have some old kitchen tools and pans which they love using in the garden...pits, pans, spoons, whisks etc. We enjoy making and 'cooking' mudpies together.....messy but fun!

cathelen Wed 05-Jul-17 15:37:48

I clean down all garden furniture as wee like to eat outside a lot.Also change all the play sand and make sure we always leave the lid on as i find cat like to use it.