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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Do I really need a garden?

42 replies

sameyeam · 15/02/2012 01:21

Give it to me straight....I'm moving to Lovely London...

But as a pessimistic New Yorker who has watched too many British films with endless mist and rain...

Do I really need a garden if my 3 girls are going to just watch by the window longingly for Mr. Sun to come out? Or for the Cat in the Hat to come and entertain them.

I truly want a garden, but will they ever be able to use it? Should I invest in a Wellington company instead?

OP posts:

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 15/02/2012 01:24

You need a garden with 3 kids, if you can afford it, and of course you'll get to use it. I was in London last May and found it stifelingly hot. [Scot, from the lands of mists...]

OldLadyKnowsNothing · 15/02/2012 01:25

PS, Children don't melt in the rain.

mumblechum1 · 15/02/2012 01:28

You definitely need a garden with children. You can lock them out in it and get some peace.

It doesn't actually rain every day in London, you know!

LondonAnna35 · 15/02/2012 01:36

A garden - even if it's only a not-so-subtly named 'town garden' (code for a tiny paved space approx the size of a small table) - is really needed with kids, if you can manage it. London gets unbearably hot in the summer and lots of the houses are Victorian, with no air con.

But they do hike prices up and you could manage without if necessary if you live somewhere very close to a big park. Where are you planning to move to?

letthembe · 15/02/2012 01:37

A garden is a necessity in my opinion. My DC are always in the garden - sun, rain or snow and we are in the North East of England NOT the sunny south.

WorraLiberty · 15/02/2012 01:42

Of course you don't need a garden

Mary Poppins and Dick will take them dancing on the rooftops...

TadlowDogIncident · 15/02/2012 06:39

I've just been wrestling with this very thing and where we are it comes down to a trade between something nice that we want to live in, without a garden, and something grotty and much smaller, with a garden. We're still wavering but I think we've come down on the side of the place that will be nice all the year round. We only have one child though.

Macaroons · 15/02/2012 06:46

It's a nice-to-have but not a necessity. Looking after a garden takes time and effort too. If you're moving to London, the further out the less expensive, generally speaking. Eg having a house in zone 3-6 would be cheaper than having one in zone 1-2 and it doesn't add that much to the commute. Which area do you have in mind?

karmakameleon · 15/02/2012 06:48

How old are your DC? Lots of people do live in London with small children and no garden, but personally, I wouldn't recommend it. When we lived in a converted house, our upstairs neighbour managed without a garden but only had one DC and had to take him to the park every day. Luckily we had three parks all within a 10 min walk but I'm not sure she particularly appreciated the trek.

shrinkingnora · 15/02/2012 07:25

here

shrinkingnora · 15/02/2012 07:26

Sorry, now I have wrestled the toddler off me I can type. That link shows the average annual rainfall in NYC as 48 inches and London as 29 inches.

Freshlettice · 15/02/2012 08:04

You really need a garden, children thrive on fresh air all year round and love growing things. You don't need a lawn however!
I would at least have a terrace or verandah for somewere to sit on summer evenings, London is terribly hot and stifling in summer.
And please grow some herbs and salads for your family, even in pots. if we all grew a few veg our environmental footprint would reduce.

Meglet · 15/02/2012 08:12

If you can afford even a tiny garden it's worth it IMO.

Children can go out in the rain. Mine have been known to play outside in pyjama's and wellies after breakfast.

And a few herbs & veggies in pots are a huge bonus.

FredFredGeorge · 15/02/2012 08:17

London is simply not as wet as your impression. On average in the summer months, London has ~3 more days a month rain days than New York and gets around 40% less rain - so whilst it's a bit wet on more days, generally the rain is not very hard and there's no problem being outside with simply a very light jacket to stop cotton etc. layers getting soaked.

PeppermintCreams · 15/02/2012 08:29

You might find somewhere with a communal garden, as a compromise? Big lawn that you share with your neighbours. There's lots around here in the SE suburbs, but don't know about more central areas.

Whatmeworry · 15/02/2012 08:36

How old are the kids?

IMO you need at least enough space for a BBQ, outdoor table and chairs and a trampoline.

And a shed. You cannot come to the UK and not have a shed.

But if you can live close to a park or woods or something that is a big bonus.

cestlavielife · 15/02/2012 12:43

you can of course survive without outside space but if you have the choice then get a minimum size outside space for table chairs barbcue.

london is one of the drier parts of UK

no outside space but clsoe to park is fine with one dC but with 3 dc much much easier if you have some space, ideally enough for slide/trampoline/toy play house (depending on ages etc).

our garden is used year round. making potions an searching for worms best done in garden.

mumblechum1 · 15/02/2012 12:54

Basically, OP, if you chuck all your children out in the garden to play, you can sit indoors and MN, drink wine, do work, whatever.

If you have to take them to a park,you have to hang around being bored on a park bench while they play and not get on with anything else.

mumofthreekids · 15/02/2012 12:59

I grew up in London. We never had a garden (well we had a tiny paved area big enough for a couple of plant pots, but nowhere big enough to sit or play in). We lived near Hampstead Heath and spent a lot of time there, also in the holidays we went to stay with my Grandma in the country. My DB and I did not miss or long for a garden, but I agree with other posters that it must have been harder for my parents you have to make a special trip to the park rather than just chucking them out into the garden.

MixedBerries · 15/02/2012 14:51

It doesn't actually rain that much in London. Now, if you were moving to Dublin or Snowdonia, you might have a problem. A garden would be lovely but there are plenty of green open spaces in London (whose quality depends very much on where in London you are). You may be a bit shocked by the rent/house prices, though, which are pretty much doubled for anywhere with a garden. Good luck and welcome to the UK in advance!

Clownsarescary · 15/02/2012 14:57

You can't dry your laundry in the park though

valiumredhead · 15/02/2012 14:58

You need a garden, especially in London imo.

valiumredhead · 15/02/2012 14:58

I agree, the weather is good in London!

AlexTasha · 15/02/2012 15:16

I live in London and have a garden and it is (in my opinion) essential for the summer. It is so nice to have some outside space for us and our dog and our soon-to-be baby! There isnt much green-space near us either so if we didnt have a garden we would be inside all the time. I am from australia and think I would have gone stir crazy with no outdoor space though.... Where are you planning on living? We had to buy further out to get the outside space we wanted, but now we get a seat on the train every morning for the commute to London so it worked out perfectly!

chandellina · 15/02/2012 15:18

I am an ex ny-er too. You will find the rain is offset by much milder winters, so there will be lots of time outside. Plus you get used to drizzle as will your kids. Definitely have some outdoor space if you can.

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