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Ten Great Plants for Children to Grow |
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Ideally plants chosen for children to grow need to be quick growing, colourful, edible or tactile!
Flowers – pretty as a picture
Sunflowers
One of the easiest plants to get children
started on are Sunflowers. Sunflowers are easy to grow and the seeds are cheap
to buy. Children of all ages love them, and because they are quick growing they
keep you interested over several months.
http://www.digdownsw.co.uk/static/activities/activities-for-children/grow-sunflowers
Sweet peas
Grow your own scented sweet peas! You don't have to have a big garden to grow
them - you can grow them in a large pot or bucket or even in a window box.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Children/For-families/Plants-to-grow-with-kids/Sweet-peas
Lambs Ears
Everyone loves to touch and stroke Lamb's ears
with their soft, velvety leaves and cool minty green colour.
The spikes of purplish pink small flowers are
attractive to bees and have a wonderful effect on any garden.
http://www.gaygardener.com/gardenspot/peren018.phtml
Snapdragons
Snapdragons are not only pretty and easy to grow, they are entertaining too.
Gently pinch their blooms and the plants will take on the appearance of a
dragon. See if you can make these flowers ‘talk.’
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Children/For-families/Plants-to-grow-with-kids/Antirrhinum
Marigolds
Marigolds are very good for
beginners as they are quite hardy and will withstand heat and longish periods of
no rain. If you forget to water them they will pick up again once you give them
a drink. They’re also very bright and cheerful flowers.
http://www.rhs.org.uk/Children/For-families/Plants-to-grow-with-kids/Marigolds
Vegetables – yum yum!
Mustard and cress
This must be absolutely the easiest vegetable to
grow. Usually grown indoors in flat containers with just some damp kitchen towel
or blotting paper, you simply cannot go wrong. Cress, like mustard, grows very
quickly and is the ideal starting place for young children.
http://www.kiddiegardens.com/grow_cress.html
Bean sprouts
These seeds only take a matter of days to grow, so
even the youngest and most impatient of kids will be enthusiastic about the
progress! They’re tasty in salads and stir fries too.
http://www.kiddiegardens.com/sprouting_seeds.html
Radishes
Growing radishes is easy, quick and uncomplicated.
Many experienced gardeners first discovered their love of growing vegetables by
growing radish as young children and they’re very tasty!
http://www.kiddiegardens.com/growing_radishes.html
Potatoes
Children just love growing potatoes - well, at
least they love digging them up as it's like digging for buried treasure, and
using a potato barrel makes the job even easier!
http://www.kiddiegardens.com/growing_potatoes_in_containers.html
http://www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/pc60/About-the-project/Planting-potatoes
Tomatoes
Try growing cherry
tomatoes,
which surely must have been made for children. Give
children their own sunny corner of the garden and with a bit of help on how look
after their tomato plants even the reluctant tomato-eaters will
soon be tucking in!
http://www.thetomatozone.co.uk/
