Details Landscape Art received a call from a young couple with two small children who lived in the historic west side area of Petaluma and were looking for a kid friendly garden. Their large backyard had not been touched in more than forty years. It was tired, with wall-to-wall grass, neglected plants, and an overgrown appearance. The saving grace was a magnificent mature oak tree near the rear of the property.
The homeowners wanted an updated landscape that would provide plenty of room for the children to play while also creating comfortable outdoor spaces for adults to entertain and relax.
No problem.
A Kid Friendly Garden Balances Play and Relaxation
Designing a successful kid friendly garden means creating spaces that work for every member of the family.
The children wanted room for soccer and softball. The parents wanted outdoor entertaining areas where family and friends could gather. Our challenge was to combine both needs into one cohesive landscape.
We began by removing the old lawn and calling in one of our arborist associates to prune and shape the neglected oak tree.
Oak trees require special care. They are susceptible to oak root fungus, so we are careful about irrigation and planting beneath their canopies.
Since planting beneath mature oaks can be problematic, we instead constructed a beautiful kidney-shaped flagstone patio under the tree, allowing the canopy to provide much-needed shade during hot Petaluma summers.c
Outdoor Living Enhances a Kid Friendly Garden
One half of the patio featured a custom flagstone wood-burning fire pit, while the other half served as a casual seating and lounge area.
For additional seating capacity, we built two seat walls behind the fire pit, faced and capped with matching flagstone.
Kid friendly garden features stamped concrete patio with seat walls and fire pit
The result was a comfortable outdoor room where adults could relax while keeping an eye on the children.
The far back corner of the yard became the children’s “campground.” We leveled an area large enough for tents and connected it to the patio with a flagstone steppingstone walkway.
When it was time to roast marshmallows in the evening, the walk from tent to fire pit was only a few steps away.
The homeowners also contracted separately to install a bocce court, while an open area along the fence remained available for future activities.
Lawns Still Have a Place in a Kid Friendly Garden
The children received the large lawn area they had hoped for.
Kid friendly garden must have a large lawn
Designing the lawn irrigation system proved challenging because the property had low water pressure and limited water volume. Multiple irrigation valves were required to adequately cover the large sod area.
All irrigation was controlled through a Rain Dial six-station indoor controller, allowing efficient watering throughout the landscape.
Surrounding the lawn, we installed a beautiful planting scheme that softened the edges of the garden and provided year-round interest.
Planting Adds Beauty and Character
Gardens come in flavors, and we felt it was important to maintain the character of an old West Petaluma country property.
Plantings included hydrangeas, pieris japonica, Japanese maples (‘Tamukeyama’), loropetalum ‘Purple Majesty’, ferns, nandina ‘Firepower’, society garlic, and extensive plantings of star jasmine in the back portion of the property.
The result was a landscape that felt both timeless and appropriate to its historic neighborhood.
Vegetable Boxes Complete the Family Garden
The family loved growing their own vegetables, so they asked us to construct four large redwood vegetable boxes.
The boxes were placed within an area of decomposed granite bordered by steel headers, creating a neat and functional gardening space.
Fresh vegetables, outdoor play, family gatherings, and evenings around the fire pit—this garden truly reflected the lifestyle of the homeowners.
Lighting Extends the Enjoyment
A low-voltage lighting system completed the project.
Path lights were installed at strategic entries and exits around the patio, campground area, and lawn, while floodlights highlighted the mature trees throughout the garden.
The oak tree received special attention, illuminated by three floodlights that showcased its magnificent branching structure after dark.
This landscape is a classic example of our tagline, “Gardens for Life.” We created a spectacular garden tailored to the lifestyle needs of this young family—a place where children can play, vegetables can grow, and memories can be made for years to come.
And that is the essence of a truly kid friendly garden.