Growing Family

UK home and garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for busy family life, written by Catherine Hughes

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Is artificial grass a good option for family gardens?

January 30, 2018 by Catherine 2 Comments

artificial grass family garden

Picture the typical family garden in your mind, and chances are there’s grass involved.  Lawns are a popular choice in family gardens for good reason: they provide the all-important space that kids need to let off steam, be that through ball games, obstacle courses, imaginative role play, or plain old running around.  And of course, a lawn provides a softer landing than a paved area, while still being nice to look at. Lawns do require a fair ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Artificial grass, Children, Family, Garden, Garden design, gardening, Grass, Outdoors

Using garden lighting to create safe and attractive outdoor spaces

January 22, 2018 by Catherine Leave a Comment

outdoor string lights

The right lighting can make all the difference to your garden.  If you're looking to add some garden lighting to your outdoor space, this collaborative post has lots of tips and ideas to help you get it right. For kids, gardens are wonderful spaces. They provide them with a safe place to play, enjoy nature, entertain their friends and be creative. In fact, for everyone in the family, they are a great space to let off steam and truly relax. If ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Children, Family, Garden, Garden Lighting, Home, Lighting, Outdoors, Top Tips

What to consider when choosing garden fencing

January 17, 2018 by Catherine Leave a Comment

canterbury wooden fencing panels

As well as serving a practical purpose, garden fencing can really enhance the look of your outdoor space.  Installing or replacing garden fencing can be a significant investment, so it's important to get it right first time.  This guide from the experts at Jacksons Fencing covers the important aspects to consider when choosing fencing, read on for lots of great tips. What material? When it comes to fencing, materials matter, and considering ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Fencing, Garden, Garden design, Home, Outdoors, Top Tips

How to choose the best garden building for your home

March 13, 2017 by Catherine 10 Comments

GBC garden building Pavilion

Do you have an outdoor building in your garden?  I would guess that most of us have a shed of some sort, but increasingly we are looking to our outdoor areas to provide additional living space too.  Rising house prices, the growing popularity of home working, and the trend towards slower living and re-connecting with nature are just a few factors contributing to the growing range of garden buildings on the market. If you’re looking to ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Family, Garden, Garden design, Garden office, Home, Outdoors, Planning, Playhouse, Shed, summerhouse, Top Tips

5 must-have tips for creating the perfect garden room

January 3, 2017 by Catherine Leave a Comment

succulents on tray in garden room

The arrival of a new year often gets us thinking about new home and garden projects; what's on your to-do list? I'm planning a new kitchen with views onto the garden, which will really increase the use of our patio and work wonders for outdoor entertaining.  I'm also dreaming about a lovely garden room; if you're looking to maximise your living space without major building work, they're a really great option.  If you're thinking about adding a ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Garden, Garden design, garden room, gardening, Home, Planning, Top Tips

Zoflora’s ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’ Show Garden at Hampton Court Flower Show

July 5, 2016 by Catherine Leave a Comment

hampton court flower show 2016 zoflora outstanding natural beauty show garden

Yesterday I visited Hampton Court Flower Show press day as the guest of Zoflora.  I was given exclusive access to the show before it opens to the public today, and treated to a hands-on experience of the Zoflora ‘Outstanding Natural Beauty’ Show garden, and a preview of their new fragrance, ‘Green Valley’.  What a great start to the week! Zoflora are sponsoring a show garden at Hampton Court for the first time this year.  Zoflora are very ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Days out, Flower show, Flowers, Garden, gardening, Hampton Court, Planting, Plants, Reviews, Show garden, Summer, Zoflora

Ideas for creating privacy in a family garden

June 17, 2016 by Catherine 2 Comments

colourfence metal fencing in a family garden

Do you think of your garden as an outdoor room?  At this time of year in particular, our gardens work hard to give us extra space for outdoor dining, family garden games, entertaining, and simply relaxing in the sunshine. Using our gardens more can make us feel the need to create some privacy.  Unless your house is situated in a large, detached plot, your garden is likely to be overlooked in some way.  Even if you get on well with your ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Children, Family, Fencing, Garden, Garden design, gardening, Hedging, Top Tips, Trees

Garden design: the best decking for a family garden

February 15, 2016 by Catherine Leave a Comment

composite decking for a family garden

Do you have a decked area in your garden?  It’s a really popular choice for creating a patio area, and can really enhance the overall impact of your outdoor space.  In a family garden decking is a great multi-tasker, providing an area for supervised play, dining, entertaining or simply relaxing in the sunshine. Traditional wooden decking is a popular choice, but when it comes to using it in a family garden, it has it’s drawbacks.  In wet or ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: Children, Decking, Family, Garden, Garden design, Top Tips

Hard landscaping: getting it right in your garden design

January 22, 2016 by Catherine Leave a Comment

garden wall with planter

Collaborative post When it comes to designing your garden, the main element that often springs to mind is the plants themselves.  It’s very tempting when planning a new garden layout to get carried away designing borders, choosing plants, shrubs and trees, and looking ahead to when everything is blooming nicely. This is all time well spent, but if you’re going to create a successful garden it’s crucial to also give careful thought to ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: design, Garden, Hard Landscaping, Patio, Planning, Raised bed, Top Tips, water feature

An English coastal country garden

August 21, 2015 by Catherine 16 Comments

english coastal country garden gate

This week's slice of garden loveliness comes from my mum-in-law's garden in Devon.  We visited at the start of the school holidays and while the sun shone I spent a happy hour amongst the flowers with my camera. When Penny and Mike moved to Devon 16 years ago their house had a large patch of land at the back but no garden to speak of - so they just created one from scratch.  Among the countless hours of work this involved was the scarily huge ...

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Filed Under: Garden Design Tagged With: clematis, coast, design, Flowers, Garden, gardening, HDYGG, hydrangea, Plants, pond, Summer

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Hi, I’m Catherine. Welcome to Growing Family, a top UK home & garden blog sharing ideas, inspiration and tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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Catherine Hughes is a home & garden blogger sharing ideas, inspiration & tips for making the most of busy family life, indoors and out.
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