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Low maintenance child friendly garden ideas?

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  • 08-02-2016 10:40pm
    #1
    fro9etb8j5qsl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,391 ✭✭✭


    Our back garden is approximately 30ft long and 15ft wide. At the moment, it is all grass. Our house had been vacant for around 15 years prior to us buying it so all of the neighbourhood cats had been using it as a playground/toilet and no matter what we have tried, we cannot stop them crapping everywhere. We have been thinking about getting rid of the grass altogether in the hope that it might stop them and even if it doesn't, at least we will be able to see where they have gone and clean it up. We are considering paving the whole lot but this might prove to be fairly expensive. I would like something low maintenance and easy to keep clean where the kids can play happily. I haven't a notion where to start looking for ideas though :confused:


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    #2
    Sonnenblumen
    Registered Users Posts: 5,834 ✭✭✭Sonnenblumen


    Finn Faithful Babyhood wrote: »
    Our back garden is approximately 30ft long and 15ft wide. At the moment, it is all grass. Our house had been vacant for around 15 years prior to us buying it so all of the neighbourhood cats had been using it as a playground/toilet and no matter what we have tried, we cannot stop them crapping everywhere. We have been thinking about getting rid of the grass altogether in the hope that it might stop them and even if it doesn't, at least we will be able to see where they have gone and clean it up. We are considering paving the whole lot but this might prove to be fairly expensive. I would like something low maintenance and easy to keep clean where the kids can play happily. I haven't a notion where to start looking for ideas though :confused:

    what makes you think kids can play happily on a paved yard? :(


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    #3
    kenneth2
    Registered Users Posts: 114 ✭✭kenneth2


    Maybe just get it reseeded, kill off the grass, rotovate it, take off any stones and level a little and reseed it, with all that work being done, the cats will go elsewhere...
    Otherwise get a pet dog :-)
    Finn Faithful Babyhood wrote: »
    Our back garden is approximately 30ft long and 15ft wide. At the moment, it is all grass. Our house had been vacant for around 15 years prior to us buying it so all of the neighbourhood cats had been using it as a playground/toilet and no matter what we have tried, we cannot stop them crapping everywhere. We have been thinking about getting rid of the grass altogether in the hope that it might stop them and even if it doesn't, at least we will be able to see where they have gone and clean it up. We are considering paving the whole lot but this might prove to be fairly expensive. I would like something low maintenance and easy to keep clean where the kids can play happily. I haven't a notion where to start looking for ideas though :confused:


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    #4
    jamesd
    Registered Users Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭jamesd


    Have you tried that anti-cat spray?


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    #5
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,458 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    kenneth2 wrote: »
    Maybe just get it reseeded, kill off the grass, rotovate it, take off any stones and level a little and reseed it, with all that work being done, the cats will go elsewhere...
    Otherwise get a pet dog :-)

    I very much doubt it! :D The cats will be delighted at the nice new soft and scratchable surface and use it even more...digging up the grass seed in the process.

    In many ways a hard surface is more useful for kids than grass, given our weather. Half the year the grass is too soggy to go on, and certainly trikes and other wheeled toys are not much use on grass. I might suggest some paving and raised beds - the garden isn't big enough for playing football on anyway. If you want to put in a swing or similar an artificial (rubber type) soft surface would be more durable than grass anyway.

    Do make sure you leave good drainage provision though, if you just fill the area with a solid surface you (or your neighbours) will have flooding issues.


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    #6
    fro9etb8j5qsl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,391 ✭✭✭fro9etb8j5qsl2


    Yes, amongst many other things, we have tried the anti cat spray and also we tried reseeding. Looksee was right, they just enjoyed it more! We have tried a motions sensored infrared deterrent too. Also, we rotatovated a strip and laid hardcore on it and compacted it and this STILL didn't stop them going on that particular strip. Pesky little buggers aren't even attempting to bury it. So thats why I'm thinking that at least with a solid surface, I will be able to see and clear up any mess.

    Looksee, I was thinking of a soft artificial rubbery surface like you mentioned. It would be perfect for the kids to play on. Would I need to get a specialist company in to do something like this I wonder? We are getting our front driveway paved in the next few months so I was hoping that I could get the one company to do the front and back, including drainage etc.

    Thanks for all the suggestions :D


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    #7
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,458 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    For the soft surface have a look round the internet, http://www.softsurfaces.ie/ this crowd seem to deal with homes as well as playgrounds. I don't know anything about them though.


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    #8
    Discodog
    Registered Users Posts: 15,897 ✭✭✭✭Discodog


    This will stop the cats & give the kids a lot of fun as well. I have installed these & they work superbly.

    https://www.contech-inc.com/products/animal-repellents/scarecrow-motion-activated-animal-deterrent


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    #9
    fro9etb8j5qsl2
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,391 ✭✭✭fro9etb8j5qsl2


    That looks identical to the motion sensored deterrent we tried Discodog and it still didn't work :(


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    #10
    Oldtree
    Registered Users Posts: 8,104 ✭✭✭Oldtree


    I had a small bit of lawn in a back garden in London 40ftx16ft, and the same problem, lots of cats would come and do their doo. I tried every sort of cat repellant i could find and nothing really worked for long.

    My solution after a few years of trying was to make friends with the immediate neighbours' cat. The cat then assumed ownership of the territory and that reduced the overall amount of doo fairly rapidly.

    In order to curtail the last bit of doo I made a small sand pit about 1.5m X 1m X 10-15cm deep, kinda like a big cat doo box. The cat loved to do the doo in the pit and left the rest of the garden alone. It was then very easy to use a small shovel/rake to scoop up the doo.

    Only problem with this solution for you is that the kids may play in the sand pit too :D unless they can be persuaded not to and you make them their one in the back garden. (but this pit would need to be covered in some fashion lest the newly trained cat find it). :)

    in order to keep MOST of the my sand pit clean I put down a piece of mesh, allowing a small area for the cat. worked well.

    I built a small walkway/bridge from 2x4's and rope handles on stakes that provided endless hours of entertainment, a raised platform tree house from a pallet on 4 thick stakes, a swing and a wendy house are a must too. an area to draw on the ground with chalk is a good idea too, so a small area of paving is a good idea and has lots of uses.


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