Advice for DIY child-friendly backyard design?
Dear neighbors,
Do you have any advice for a back yard landscape design that is safe for 2 toddlers? We are dealing with a 2′ mound of weed-covered earth in the middle of the yard leading to pavers, flower beds around the perimeter (and one more central location) made of un-cemented brick, and a walkway made of uneven slate pavers. My main concern is the risk from these elements of falling onto sharp surfaces.
Initial ideas for your feedback:
– I’m hoping to level the earth (either remove soil to ground level or just even it out above ground level). Has anyone done this before?
– Husband recommends putting picket fence around brick flower beds, but I’m not sure how safe/effective that is.
– We may put down astroturf until kids are older, but want to keep the flower beds for growing herbs, etc.
We could be happy with a flat surface on most of it for playing, but are open to other ideas, without spending too much money. We cannot invest in a landscape archit ect at this stage. Usable yard space is standard brownstone size (20’W x 50’D)
Thanks for your suggestions!!!!! Happy Spring!

citizenjane
in General Discussion 5 years and 3 months ago
10
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cate | 5 years and 3 months ago
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@citizenjane we have some old bricks in our yard and have found them so useful for making paths. When our 7-year-old was a toddler he played in the raised beds we made out of untreated lumber and new soil and on the grass we planted.

citizenjane | 5 years and 3 months ago
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Thanks Susan. I switched to Firefox and it worked. With Safari and Chrome, nothing. Thanks again!

Jasperrose11 | 5 years and 3 months ago
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I just tested it and it worked for me, so maybe try again. You can also go to the search function in forum and search for terms like backyard, lead or fake grass and it should pull up lots of previous threads that might have some tips.

citizenjane | 5 years and 3 months ago
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Thank you all for the great advice: cate for the testing resources, Kasyer for the design/composition ideas and photo, Susan for the link – but unfortunately it isn’t working when I click it. Am I doing something wrong? I’m now going to throw away the brick planters – safety first before the kids get involved in the yard. Thanks again!

Jasperrose11 | 5 years and 3 months ago
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There are some previous forum threads on small budget and kid-friendly yards that might have some ideas for you, particularly on fake grass, here’s one – https://www.brownstoner.com/forum/#!/general-discussion:backyard-ideas

Guest User | 5 years and 3 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "198099"
[18FF72BB-6E65-4398-8D57-3489C39285FA](//muut.com/u/brownstoner/s1/:brownstoner:9dSt:18ff72bb6e6543988d573489c39285fa.jpeg.jpg)

Guest User | 5 years and 3 months ago
string(1) "3" string(6) "198099"
There is likely lead in the soil. I would level it and then sheet mulch the yard. This involves putting a few layers of brown cardboard over the entire area (score some appliance boxes if you can) and then covering it with with mulch that you could buy cheaply from Home Depot or have delivered. After a year it will decompose and you will have a better layer of top soil. The cardboard decomposes and also prevents weeds from coming up. (There are better, more involved methods of doing this online but this worked well for us.)
Toddlers get into everything but I think it’s nice to let them explore the plant beds so just pick plants that are hardier. After a while the kids won’t be so interested in them. I think it’s a loosing battle to keep them out of places so just focus on safety.
We used a lot of pebbles for part of the yard as ground cover and then left the mulch layer in another space. Grass is a pain in the butt and AstroTurf gets really hot in direct sunlight and is made with rubber that often has a lot of chemicals.

cate | 5 years and 3 months ago
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Brooklyn College tests for lead http://www.brooklyn.cuny.edu/web/academics/centers/esac/services/soil.php
Cornell also tests soil — not only for lead but in general http://blogs.cornell.edu/healthysoils/soil-contaminants/soil-testing/
Interesting article here
https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2017/10/09/many-backyards-in-brooklyn-neighborhood-are-contaminated-with-high-levels-of-lead/

citizenjane | 5 years and 3 months ago
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Thanks Cate. We are in Brooklyn. Can you recommend a place that does soil testing? Where would the lead have come from? Thanks again!

cate | 5 years and 3 months ago
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If you are in Brooklyn, it’s a safe bet the soil is full of lead and should be tested. Astroturf or grass should be fine for keeping the soil at bay, and you can make raised beds with fresh soil for the kids to play in.