football proof shrubs/plants?

Hi,
I was looking at the bedding plants this year trying to imagine myself NOT murdering my toddler as he boots his football around the back garden and mercilessly beats things with his watering can.
I think next year I will try to use more toddler tollerant plants (my night sented stock is already sulking from a well placed ball).
Any suggestions for plants that would tollerate a bit of abuse and spring back?
I thought of aubrieta, but a garden full might get a little dull.
Beds are approx 1ft to 18" width approx around a square lawn.
Don't fret Woo, all the roses are in the front garden, hopefully out of range (except the patio pot one).

Cheers
D

 

Get a (big) cage or go to the park.

A cage would be more convenient, but the park is cheaper.

 

Melinda, there is no cage strong enough to hold an irate toddler who has been deprived of his football.

Are you thinking mainly of annual bedding plants, ex-labman? They are mostly quite fragile where footballs are concerned. The hardy geraniums (cranesbills) will come up every year and generally recover from quite a bit of bashing around. Some people find them dull but I love them. They're unfussy plants which aren't choosy about soil and as a bonus slugs and snails avoid them. It's best to buy the varieties which don't set seed as they will go on flowering for a long time, whereas some of the others are only in bloom for a couple of weeks. 'Orion' is nice; it's blue and will flower from May right through to the autumn. You can buy it online from Hayloft Plants. 'Patricia' is an eye-searing shade of magenta with a black eye. It too will bloom for months. Of course, all plants need a good start; best take your toddler to the park for a few weeks while things settle in.

 

D, he`s a toddler, he`s doing the same things YOU did at his age. When he`s old enough to understand THEN you can enjoy your garden. In the meantime, get him a set of goalposts ( and net ) and train him to target his shots.:D

 

I think Dai is right, I could suggest yuccas and gorse but I doubt thats what you have in mind,.

Just give up for about 10yrs, at least:D

 

Been there with my kids lol, and I've a large green out the front that the local kids play footy on, tho they are pretty good and mostly respectfull, two things I'd say 1) get him one of those full size foam footballs or at least a soft kiddies ball, keep the proper ball for the park. 2) what about a small boarder fence or log roll to deflect the force in the ball and offer the plants at least some protection.

Kind Regards, Plant Potty.

 

And get the England football team round as well , while you are doing this :D

 

Norman the gnome has succumbed to my 2.5yr old grandson - what hope a flower?
Just hope he is able to avoid the greenhouse - mine can't, although if the door's open the ball gets forgotton in favour of 'Matas, even though they're still green he is first in the queue for when they are red.
So far the fridge has kept him off the plants themselves.
Forget the plants - enjoy the Bairn. They get bigger. Oh dear

 

No one could have a more active or destructive toddler than my sister and she still manages to have a garden with a few plants in it, as well as a greenhouse. She recently bought her son a trampoline, which he loves. It means that a lot of his energy goes into bouncing rather than wrecking the flower beds.