If your garden was safe, your kids wouldn’t need to wear safety equipment when playing! 
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Warning!!! Your garden may be a hotbed for disaster, and we aren’t talking about your flower bed on a particularly hot day. Gardens can be a dangerous place to be, and with summer fast arriving, you need to focus on safety, for everybody in your family. Below is a handy checklist of warning signs to look out for. If you spot any of these dangers in your garden, take the necessary steps to make it more pet and child-friendly before disaster strikes.
Warning signs that your garden isn’t safe
- There are gaps in your fence that need filling. Young children and pets are liable to escape/explore if there are unboarded exits, so fix any broken fencing as soon as you can.
- Your lawn is an overgrown jungle. Who knows what lurks in the messed-up tangle that used to be your garden? From sharp stones to garden rakes, the dangers underfoot are many if your grass has grown out of control, so do the right thing, and deal with the undergrowth with strimmers and a mower.
- The garden is poorly lit at night. When darkness falls, the dangers increase. You and your family can suffer a trip and a fall if you can’t see where you are going, and your unlit garden may also be a great hiding place for would-be burglars (especially if you didn’t follow the tip in #2). So, install some extra lighting, from pagoda lights to security lamps, and shed some light around your home.
- You have a garden pond. A wonderful feature to be sure, but as you can probably expect if you have young children, there is the risk of them falling in and drowning. A terrifying prospect, but you can reduce the danger by covering it with a mesh or grille, and erecting a fence around the pond to prevent your child getting closer.
- Garden chemicals are in the open. From weedkillers to pesticides, your children and pets are in danger of poisoning and burns if they get their hands/paws on any chemicals that have been left outside. For starters, store anything that could pose a danger away in your shed and garage, then consider natural methods of garden care that pose no threat to anybody in your household.
- There are cracks in the paving. From your patio to your driveway, if there are cracks, loose tiles, or any other kinds of surface damage, you are increasing the chances of a fall both day and night, causing bodily injury. Get in a professional to fix your broken stonework, and make sure you have a first aid kit handy for any accidents that may take place.
- Your children have play equipment. There may be nothing dangerous about your children’s play equipment, provided they adhere to safety regulations, but if there is a chance of a fall (from a climbing frame for example), make sure you have safety mats installed, especially if there are hard surfaces underneath.
Finally
The last thing you want to happen this summer is a trip to the A&E department of your local hospital, so check your garden thoroughly for any possible dangers, and safety-proof danger areas as much as possible. Even if no accidents take place, you will still have peace of mind if you do take precautions.