Ideas for Woodland garden with kids

[Tobebythesea]

Hello. I’m new to gardening and garden design and I would really value ideas. We have a section of our garden that is about 10 metres wide by about 30 metres long which is woodland. It has about 3 massive protected oak trees, smaller trees, leaf litter etc.

There is a rhododendron plant, brambles and a few bluebells.

I plan to clear old and rotting logs etc. We have 2 smallish children and I want to make the area special and as safe as possible for them (although I will always be there with them).

I thought about maybe planting some snowdrops, getting some solar string lights, fairy door, bug hotel and money permitting a treehouse. Does this sound naff? Is there something I’m missing? Any ideas welcome.

This old classic is supposed to be good

Check this out: Wall, Water and Woodland Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll https://hwww.amazon.co.uk/dp/185149197X/ref=cmswwrsmssawdbimmmt1u-vvFbPX3VAC1

I'd clear the brambles, though.

Rather than remove the old logs you could 'ecopile' them as a valuable habitat for insects and fungi, and use this as an educational tool to teach your kids an appreciation for some of the smaller creatures which get overlooked.

A good book on this subject is 'The Garden Jungle' by Dave Goulson, founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust

With that space I’d make a log stepping stone path, tree swing, willow den, mini undulating cycle circuit and, depending on the age of your children, a wildlife pond.

Personally, I'd concentrate on things that help them appreciate the natural elements (so make your own bug hotel from natural materials, for example). Native woodland plants, eg native bluebells, wild garlic, enchanter's nightshade (it's in the willowherb and evening primrose family, not the nightshade family), ferns. Hedgehog house (though it probably won't be inhabited - hedgehogs are just too uncommon nowadays). Get some of those little pots with magnifying lids for getting a good look at bugs - just seeing how pretty some things are when magnified is a good foundation for later on. Not a pond - you'll have too much problem stopping it silting up with fallen leaves, and it'll be difficult to get water plants to grow.

Oak trees have a higher variety of dependent organisms than any other tree. And you can make a lovely snake by threading acorn cups on a piece of string, with the final cup containing an acorn for the head. I still have the one my mother made for me 60+ years ago.

There's a trend nowadays for prettifying trees - no tree is complete without its fairy door and crocheted decorations. It's giving the message to our children that nature isn't good enough on its own, it needs man-made interventions to be worth looking at. I don't think that is a healthy foundation for the future of the planet (or at least, the future of the planet as somewhere that can be inhabited by humans).

We have a zipline between two trees, tree swings and rope ladder.

Small sandpit with cover, old pans, sticks, maybe cardboard boxes, old sheep's wool for birds to use at nest time, twigs for spiders to spin webs on, some pebbles to make tracks or patterns etc DGCs made a dinosaur world in the tree roots.

@MereDintofPandiculation

Personally, I'd concentrate on things that help them appreciate the natural elements (so make your own bug hotel from natural materials, for example). Native woodland plants, eg native bluebells, wild garlic, enchanter's nightshade (it's in the willowherb and evening primrose family, not the nightshade family), ferns. Hedgehog house (though it probably won't be inhabited - hedgehogs are just too uncommon nowadays). Get some of those little pots with magnifying lids for getting a good look at bugs - just seeing how pretty some things are when magnified is a good foundation for later on. Not a pond - you'll have too much problem stopping it silting up with fallen leaves, and it'll be difficult to get water plants to grow.

Oak trees have a higher variety of dependent organisms than any other tree. And you can make a lovely snake by threading acorn cups on a piece of string, with the final cup containing an acorn for the head. I still have the one my mother made for me 60+ years ago.

There's a trend nowadays for prettifying trees - no tree is complete without its fairy door and crocheted decorations. It's giving the message to our children that nature isn't good enough on its own, it needs man-made interventions to be worth looking at. I don't think that is a healthy foundation for the future of the planet (or at least, the future of the planet as somewhere that can be inhabited by humans).

Lovely ideas, I would add in bird boxes and agree that stacking your old logs will be a more natural habitat for invertebrates .

I would also try my very best to get rid of the rhododendron,but it will be a battle, they are very invasive and will take over from other plants and lead to a sterile environment as I don't think many things live on them.. I would try to keep brambles in check a bit but you do need them for wildlife.

Check to see if your bluebells are native, if they are be very careful about introducing new stock, make sure it is also native. Bluebells hybridise at the drop of a hat the dirty little devils, and although it is likely that eventually they will succumb to alien charms you could perhaps delay the process.

Another vote for not making it too pretty and sterile, especially as kids get older. They are very good at discovering their safe limits if they are brought up in a free environment.

Things that they can use for imaginative play are great. We have a treehouse, swing and trapeze, wildlife pond, bug house, rope ladder, sand pit, chickens. But the best thing is piles of sticks to make dens from, tarp, rope etc. My kids are a bit older but I’m encouraging the toddler to join in and he builds a great stick “house”.

And keep the rhododendron, it is great for climbing into and is bouncy and not precious. A great plant for kids.