Do It Yourself
(A special interest publication of
Better Homes and Gardens)
Summer 2007

A Garden to Grow On
Design a yard that delights your family now and later.

By Meleah Maynard

In a family garden, today’s backyard tearoom for dollies will soon need to give way to a secret hideout for whispering about boys—the same boys who now want nothing to do with the once-popular swing set that hogs most of the lawn. Wouldn’t it be great if you could design your backyard to grow right along with your family?

Cynthia and Paul Stocksdale thought so. Inspired by their three active children, the Stocksdales created a backyard garden that sidesteps all the bulky equipment generally associated with playgrounds. The result? An outdoor space that appeals to all ages and includes a bounty of low-tech play options, such as tot-size hills to climb and water to splash in.

Climbing and Sliding

By designing zones for different types of play, the Stocksdales created the type of private spots kids crave and preserved open areas for flowerbeds and curving paths. From most vantage points, the yard’s popular climbing hill looks like a simple wildflower garden.

But follow the stepping-stones up to the top and you’ll discover a ground-level plastic slide that whisks kids down onto the grass below. “When friends come over,” Cynthia says, “the kids line up to go down that slide again and again.” When the children are older, the family plans to remove the slide and install a small pond.

Swinging and Swaying

Not far from the slide, swings attached to an arbor blend in more seamlessly with the landscape than a traditional swing set would. “We live in a historic district, so we really didn’t want any kind of equipment that would scream, ‘Hey, we’re in another century,’” Cynthia says. As the kids grow, a porch swing will get more hanging time than the individual swings.

Splashing and Sniffing

Water is always a kid magnet. For safety reasons, the Stocksdales opted for a fountain rather than a pond. When they’re not jumping around in the geysers spouting from the fountain’s six spray heads, the children enjoy touching and smelling the many types of herbs growing through the latticework that doubles as a privacy screen.

Reading and Pretending

At a little distance from the play area, near the main garden gate, a stone bench offers a quiet place for relaxing near a small rose garden. “It’s kind of a secret, but right near the gate is a small hole that’s covered up with a plant,” Cynthia says. “Paul made it so the boys can fit train tracks in there, and trucks. It’s a place where they can use their imaginations.”

Riding and Racing

By designing circular walkways, Cynthia and Paul created plenty of roadway for riding toys. “Instead of going to a city park, the boys get out there and ride their trikes, and Gabriella’s on her bike,” Cynthia says. “It’s a small path, but in their minds, the sidewalk goes on forever.”