With summer comes longer days and at Gripsure we think that means one thing – more time to enjoy your garden. This is especially good news if you have children. Playing outside has so many benefits for young bodies and minds, from getting exercise to learning about nature. As Europe’s leading creators of non-slip decking, we are great believers in helping people enjoy their garden all year round, so here are our top free outdoor activities for kids this summer.

Younger children will love using leaves, petals, grass and twigs to create tiny spaces for minibeasts. How about an ant hotel, a play area for centipedes or a cosy den for woodlice? For older children – and grown-ups too – the RSPB has some brilliant ideas for more ambitious projects, including a hedgehog home and a bee B&B, through their Give Nature a Home in Your Garden campaign.

Water painting is a very simple activity that is surprisingly popular with pre-schoolers: give them a paintbrush and a pot of water and let them create art on your walls, decking or patio. It’s great for parents too as this is probably the least messy art activity! If you have chalk, children can create slightly longer-lasting artworks that will still wash away. And of course, children can create beautiful things using natural materials from the garden. The Imagination Tree blog has some great ideas, from painting pebbles to making a leaf collage.

Younger children will enjoy making a simple, cosy shelter with a couple of chairs and a blanket. Let them take some cushions, teddies and books outside and they will have their own secret hideaway. If you have an overgrown area of your garden, or spare branches or timber, older kids can use their ingenuity to create their own private retreat in the garden. Not everyone’s back garden is suitable for den building, so it’s worth looking out for events at local visitor attractions. Our customer The Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall regularly invites families to enjoy den building, along with campfires, marshmallow toasting and bushcraft (Please note events are not taking place this year due to Covid-19, however, fingers crossed they will return for some more hammock-swinging and campfire singing next year!).

While a spot of rain is enough to put most adults off the idea of stepping outside, children are usually much less worried about getting wet. With wellies and waterproofs, they can splash in puddles, catch raindrops in their mouths and watch the worms. Timber decking gets very slippery when it’s wet so non-slip decking is a great alternative if your garden is due for an upgrade. If you have anti-slip decking, you can relax and let your children run around, whatever the weather. It’s no accident that almost every nursery and pre-school has a water play area. Playing with water is such a natural and relaxing activity for young children, whereas toddlers and pre-schoolers will often be happy just with a large bowl of water and some plastic bottles and funnels.

If you grew up in the 70s or 80s, the chances are you played outside a lot more than your own children today. Can you remember the games you used to play? What about hide and seek, hopscotch, Mother May I, What Time is it Mr Wolf and tag? Why not teach your favourite childhood games to your kids so they can try them out with their friends?

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking about how you can get your children outside this summer. Available from a selection of merchants, or from us direct, our great value non-slip decking is ideal for a family-friendly garden.

This treehouse, in a garden in Greece, has so many amazing features. Not only can you exit via a slide or a fireman’s pole, it has a beautiful curved staircase and a rope bridge. Perhaps the most impressive thing about this project, though, is the cosy and luxurious exterior. This amazing building was created by BlueForest, a British company that specialises in luxury tree houses.

This fantastic hobbit hole shed was named Shed of the Year 2019, beating many others to claim the title. Creator Chris Hield is a massive Lord of the Rings fan so when he decided to build a shed it had to be a hobby hole! It was important for Chris that the shed fit in with the wildlife and nature they had cultivated in the rest of the garden so the grass roof was a big feature!

There are some truly amazing outdoor swimming pools out there. Just a quick search on Houzz brings up infinity pools in fabulous Mediterranean settings. But we love this more understated natural pool in an English garden. Yes, we don’t always get the weather for outdoor swimming but just imagine cooling off in this lovely spot on a warm summer’s day.

This gorgeous Scandinavian-style lodge is situated in a large garden, with a stunning view of rural Cornwall. A lodge like this could be used as an office, studio or a teenager’s den, as well as for parties and entertaining, or just relaxing. This lodge was designed by Barbecue Lodges and Gripsure was delighted to supply non-slip decking.

More of us are working from home so garden offices are growing in popularity. Just imagine how a space like this, designed by Platform 5 Architects, could spark some creativity. We love the use of natural timber and beautiful sweeping curved design. The use of glass will also allow in plenty of natural light and make the most of the garden view.

While most of us can only dream of having something like this in back yard, we hope these projects provide some inspiration for improving your own garden. These ideas also show that you don’t have to follow convention and you can be creative.

Did you know the average Brit spends 86 minutes a week gardening? Well it’s time well spent as it has been reported that an attractive garden can increase property value by up to 20%. This means that with the average UK house price sitting at £248,000 (ONS, 2020) your outdoor space could be worth just short of £50,000. But how do you add value to your garden? Here are our 5 quick wins (without breaking the bank)…

One major selling point of a garden is accessibility. People want an outdoor space that they can use as if it were an extra room of their house without having to spend hours gardening each month. At Gripsure we want everyone to get the most out of their outdoor living space all year round so we’ve put together this handy guide on how increase the value of your garden.

In line with 2019 trends, natural looking, simple gardens are increasingly popular. These low maintenance gardens are easy to care for, meaning you’ll spend less time pruning and more time enjoying your beautiful space. Start by stripping back your garden so you have minimal free-standing pots, defined spaces and clean edges. You can then utilise a few well-placed features, such as decking and flowerbeds to create a welcoming outdoor living environment. To make caring for you garden even easier, fill pots and beds with native plants as these will thrive in the local climate and require less care.

Many gardens have a combination of paving, decking, lawn and flowerbeds. Having clean borders between these can make the area look more attractive and increase its value. If you have a lawn make sure it is mowed regularly and that the edges are kept crisp, trimmed and weed free.

If you want to add value to your garden, it is worth considering investing in some good quality decking to create a space for al fresco dining. According to property guru Sarah Beeny, decking could add 2% to the value of your property – that’s £4,960 for the average house. Poor quality or badly maintained decking is likely to have the opposite effect though, especially as it can become dangerously slippery. Gripsure anti-slip decking is safe, durable and will add value to any outdoor living space. Our Home and Contemporary are our most popular decking profiles for homeowners, which are made with sustainable Redwood timber and are available from our website.

Part of selling your home is selling a lifestyle and you don’t need a massive garden to enjoy the outside! Make your garden more inviting by buying a set of good quality, weather-resistant furniture, such as White Store’s rattan sets, to create a seating area on your patio or decking. This reinforces the idea that the garden is an extra room of the house, adding value to it. Adding lighting will increase the amount of time the garden can be used year round. Festoon lighting works well in outdoor dining areas and we particularly like the set of 20 available from Willow & Stones. You can also add solar lights (like these mini ones from Solar Centre) to flowerbeds and borders, which will come on automatically as it gets dark, creating a comforting atmosphere as the light fades in the early evening.

Whether it’s nosy neighbours or noise from a busy road, there are lots of issues which may stop people enjoying their gardens and decrease their value. Solve these problems by getting creative with trees, flowerbeds and shrubbery. For example, planting hedging and shrubs can help counteract problems – such as traffic noise and pollution – caused by living close to a busy road. Planting tall bushes and mature trees can give your garden more privacy. You can also use climbing plants to breathe life back into old walls and fencing. If you’re thinking about moving and don’t want to spend money on shrubs and flowers you’ll leave behind, invest in pretty posts and perennials that you can take with you.

A bright garden will be worth more than a garden which is dull and dank, so liven up your outdoor space with a few pops of colour. This may sound daunting but it’s easy to do with a few free standing pots or by popping down to your local garden centre and stocking up on flowers for your flowerbeds. Choose a selection of colourful plants that complement one another and position them strategically around your garden. Another tip is to pick species that flower at different times of the year so your garden looks beautiful no matter what the season.

Spending some time nurturing your outdoor space can really reap rewards. Not only will you be able to get more enjoyment from your garden, you will also be adding value to your property.

We’re thrilled that garden centres are reopening today as part of the latest phase to ease Covid-19 restrictions. We believe that, now more than ever, getting outside is so important for our health and well being, and having limited space outside your backdoor shouldn’t stop you from doing that. If you have a small garden you can still think big! Learn to love your outdoor space and transform you garden with our top tips for making the most of what you’ve got.

The crucial question for anyone to ask when planning a garden redesign is: how do you want to use your outdoor space? If you have a small garden, being selective is even more important. Do you need space for the kids to play, or are you longing for a somewhere peaceful to relax after work? Are you a keen gardener, perhaps you’d like to try growing some veg, or is low maintenance the key? Being honest with yourself about how you will use your outdoor space helps ensure you make good choices with the garden design.

Getting the right surface is essential for any garden and with smaller gardens there are important considerations. Maintaining a small lawn can be a lot of work (think of those tricky edges and tight corners) and don’t forget you will need somewhere to store the mower.

It’s no wonder then that many people choose decking for a small garden. It brings a contemporary look and feel to any outdoor space. Remember that traditional decking gets very slippery when wet. Non-slip decking means you can make the most of your garden all year round – whether that’s getting the children outside to play between the showers on a spring morning, or enjoying a romantic autumnal evening by the firepit.

Decking tiles are quick and easy to install and this recent blog from our Managing Director Mike Nicholson explains why Gripsure non-slip decking tiles are a great option when space is limited. Because they don’t need a subframe, they are light enough for the average roof terrace or balcony.

You can create a really interesting garden in a very small space. Vertical planting has really taken off and is a fantastic way of finding extra green space in your garden. For ideas and inspiration, look at these beautiful vertical planting projects on houzz. There are some great living wall kits available – take a look at Easigrass. If you’re on a budget, or like the idea of creating something unique you can recycle bottles, tins or even old guttering to create space for edible or decorative plants up walls and fences.

Using pots and planters gives you the opportunity to enjoy a good range of plants all year round and is a good strategy when having flower beds is not practical. To keep the garden looking bright and fresh, simply move the plants into the most prominent position when they are at their best. Just make sure you keep them well watered, especially in dry weather. The RHS has some excellent advice on planting up containers.

Hopefully we have persuaded you that small is beautiful when it comes to gardens. But if you want to make your outdoor space look bigger there are a few tricks.

Clever lighting can accentuate your garden’s best features and add a sense of depth to a small outdoor space. Be ruthless about what you grow; having large clusters of a select number of plants is more effective than cramming in lots of small plants. Light coloured plants and furniture can make a small space seem larger.

False perspective is an age-old garden design trick. Use larger pots nearer your house and smaller ones at the back of the garden. Give the sense that there is more garden out of view, perhaps using a curved path that finishes behind a shrub to trick the eye.

Decking can also make your garden look bigger. Placing the boards at right angles to the house, you will draw the eye to the garden beyond making it look longer. Laying them parallel to the wall will make your garden look wider. As well as buying direct, Gripsure decking is available from a range of merchants and you can find your local stockist to purchase our boards or take a closer look.

With a bit of careful thought the smallest garden can have a big impact. We’d love to see how you get on, and it’s great to share ideas with others, so please post photos of your garden makeovers on our Facebook page!

Research carried out by The World Health Organisation (WHO) indicates that since 2008 the majority of the world’s population live in cities, and that urban populations will increase with an estimated 3 out of 5 people living in an urban area by 2030. With more people moving to live in cities and urban areas, naturally, more people are growing older in these environments and it is becoming apparent they have not been built with an ageing population in mind.

There is work to be done to improve current urban environments as well as things to consider when developing new urban areas. While some things seem obvious to incorporate to make urban buildings and outdoor environments more age friendly and accessible, like for example, level non-slip surfaces and incorporating lifts and ramps. Other things are more challenging and need a little more creativity. For example, how can spaces be designed to encourage social interaction and cater for all ages and abilities, not just the average city dweller.

Of course, it is not only up to architects and city planners to make urban areas more age friendly. There is a social responsibility too. As a culture, we need to respect and be inclusive of the growing elderly percentage of urban populations. Improving the natural and built environment of a city is a good place to start though.

The WHO has established a Global Network for Age Friendly Cities made up of over 500 cities and communities across 37 countries. These communities are improving their urban environments to be more accommodating for their elderly population based on a global guide produced by WHO Global Age Friendly Cities A Guide.

The guide was put together following extensive research across 33 cities, carried out by WHO and supporting parties, and covers a spectrum of topics from housing, transportation, and social participation to employment. We have focused on a few of their key findings on how to improve outdoor spaces and buildings.

1. Green spaces: More garden and park spaces that are well maintained and have adequate shelter and seating areas as well as clean and accessible toilet facilities. These spaces should have low noise levels and be away from unpleasant or harmful odours.
2. Outdoor seating: Ensure there is ample outdoor seating and resting areas available in public areas like parks and piazzas as well as at public transport stops and spaced between public buildings and services.
3. Pavements: Pavements should be well-maintained, smooth, level, non-slip and wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs with low curbs that taper off to the road. They should also be clear of any obstruction like street vendors or parked cars and pedestrians should have priority of use.
4. Buildings: Buildings should be accessible and have the following features:
   • Elevators
   • Ramps
   • Adequate signage
   • Railings on stairs
   • Stairs that are not too high or steep
   • Non-slip flooring
   • Rest areas with comfortable chairs
   • Sufficient numbers of public toilets
5. Facilities and settings: Community spaces and facilities should be used to encourage exercise and social interaction. These facilities need to accessible and equipped to enable participation by people with disabilities or by those who require assistance.Another useful guide is ‘an alternative age-friendly handbook for the socially engaged urban practitioner’ which is available here and was produced in a partnership between; Age UK, the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), the University of Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA) and Age-friendly Manchester (Manchester City Council).

I get asked whether timber decking is a viable option for a wide range of different projects and the overarching answer is ‘yes’. Decking is a great product in its flexibility and potential to create a fantastic outside area, whether in your own back garden or a major tourist attraction. The list of uses for decking is almost endless but here are some of the main reasons for selecting decking to showcase how it could work for you.

Timber decking offers a natural appearance which can be incorporated into your design to give a very natural finish to your outside space. One of my favourite examples is this woodland cabin. For this project the contractor was tasked with constructing a wooden cabin featuring an outside space in a wooded area. To help blend the design into the surrounding landscape, natural materials were selected. The deck was also constructed to allow some of the natural foliage to come through and break up the area. Timber decking can be machined to a wide range of different finishes to fit with your design. You have the choice of a smooth or grooved board, or a specific width or thickness. This flexibility gives you the freedom to design an area to suit you, without worrying if the decking will fit.

Decking is not only quick and easy to install but also incredibly flexible in the designs it allows you to create. A project that shows just how flexible decking can be is Berkeley Homes’ Royal Arsenal complex in Woolwich. This £3.5million residential project has over 200 balconies, each varying in size and design. Gripsure timber decking provided an ideal option as boards could be quickly cut down to the correct length for each balcony before being installed. As well as cutting to length you can shape the boards to fit any design, even if this involves curves, which means that decking truly does fit with any design with a minimal amount of work.

The designer of The Dunes and Lumelys, which features two eco-houses, opted to use decking to frame the outside of the houses. The designer’s vision required environmentally friendly products throughout. Decking manufactured with FSC-certified timber from sustainably managed forests provided the answer.

In all of these examples the decking in question was non-slip. While the designer of each project had their own reasons for choosing Gripsure anti-slip decking, the overriding concern was safety. As I’m sure you have experienced, traditional decking gets extremely slippery in wet conditions. This is a particular issue if it is not cleaned regularly. Gripsure anti-slip decking will ensure that your decking looks good, while also giving you a safe area to use in any conditions.