Cohousing-L Mailing List: RE: Child Friendly Landscaping

[Rob Sandelin (Floriferous]

What is your goal for this outdoor space? Is it a buffer space, a non use 
place, a transitional space? Your landscaping might want to reflect your goals 
for the space.

Landscaping is often done in stages, where you first put in a cover (lawn 
usually) and then later slowly add more elements such as trees, shrubs, etc.  
Your tall grass plan sounds interesting and its easy to change later. Much 
easier than say planting blueberries or something.

So would the kids be forbidden to play in this tall grass? If not, that's 
where I would suspect I would play if I were a kid. Tall grass meadows are 
great places to make forts, secret passages, hiding places galore. And, you 
can always convert some of it to other uses later. 

The safety issue is not the grass, its the water. (although fire might be an 
issue?) It behooves you to make a kid rule that nobody gets to play by the 
water without a buddy. This was the rule at my house growing up by Chase lake, 
and although I had many adventures, I always had somebody with me so when 
something disasterous happened, my buddy could go get a grownup.

Rob Sandelin