Roger__small
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Fun plants for kids

What are some good plants to have around for visiting children. i.e, not poisonous, possibly edible, look cool, nice to touch etc.

I want my nephews to have a blast when they're over.

Roger Parker asked in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report

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  • Dsc_0339_small
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    Master Gardener Andrea

    What a fun question. I don't know how much space you have, but here are some ideas.  I immediately think about how kids love to touch, pick, and smell flowers, herbs, and vegetables. For something soft and wooly, plant silvery gray Lamb’s Ears (Stachys byzantina, S. lanata, S. olympica). Plant something kids can pick like Cherry tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries, peas, nasturtiums (edible) or pansies. Plant scented geraniums and tell the boys to touch the foliage to release the fragrance.  Plant flowers, such as fuchsias, to attract hummingbirds or butterflies.  If you have room, here’s a fun idea: create a small pole bean tepee (for directions http://www.kiddiegardens.com/bean_teepee.html). What child doesn’t like a great hiding place? Also, don’t forget water in the garden. Even a birdbath can be fun for kids.  Have you ever noticed how kids always gravitate to the nearest faucet and hose!  Children also love color—add a colorful container and have your nephews help you plant it. Find a small watering can they can use to water and care for their container when they visit you. You might even pick up some funny container or plant in a pair of old work boots. I know, not what you might want in your landscape, but I have yet to visit a children’s garden without seeing some crazy pair of shoes with plants!  Depending on how often they might visit, look for kid-sized tools and gloves or pick up some kid-sized chairs and paint in bright colors.

    About poisonous plants, here are two resources listing common plants to avoid.
    1. Kids Safety- Poisonous Plants in the Home http://county.wsu.edu/kittitas/gardening/general/Documents/Kids%20Safety%20-%20Poisonous%20Plants%20in%20the%20home%20and%20garden.pdf
    2. WSU Extension fact Sheet #72 Poisonous Plants http://king.wsu.edu/gardening/documents/72PoisonousPlants.pdf

    What a great uncle you must be!  Have fun in the garden with your nephews.

    Master Gardener Andrea answered in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Qlandav2ex_small
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    It's always fun to sprout an avocado pit as you can actually measure the growth progress day to day. Using toothpicks to position it over a glass vessel filled with water there is the daily growth, water being taken in and transpired as well as the roots growing. If traveling back by car they can take their plants home to continue the observations. If the visit is going to be relatively short, start some now at intervals so that they can see the relative growth change over time right away.

    Get some venus fly traps to interact with. Usually explanatory information comes with them.

    A mimosa or "sensitive tree" plant is fun as you get to see it react to touch and slowly recover its upright branch positions.

    Russ Campbell, NWEBS answered in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Img_2864_small
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    OOOOOOH-HOO-HOO! You have touched upon my current obsession. Read on!

    Here at Oxbow Farm, we are cureently putting in a Children's Garden for visiting future farmers. We are going the yummy/crazy/peculiar route with our plant choices. Here are some:
    Purple veggies!--carrots ,broccoli, beans, cabbage, tomatoes...they all come in shades of purple. How ROYAL! And excellent.
    BIG FOLIAGE--plants that are either HUGE--elecampagne, tree collards--or that are towering--corn, scarlet runner beans, sorghum, sunflowers.
    Colorful things--rainbow chard!
    Sweet things--and and all berries, sorghum, stevia; good-smelling things--fennel,mint, lavendar
    Fuzzy things--lamb's ear
    Edible flowers--violets, nasturtiums, borage

    Tons of others, of course. Have a ball!

    Sarah Cassidy answered in Garden Design about 1 year ago | Report
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  • Wump_small
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    A few more to add to the great ideas above:
    - Sorrel (the lemony taste is fun with kids)
    - Radishes (if they are visiting regularly, since it grows to fast - they could plant them and then come back in a few weeks to harvest)
    - Herbs they can taste and/or smell: lemon balm, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, oregano, chives
    - Berries of all sorts

    Have a kid-sized watering can (so it's not too heavy for them) and have them help water.

    Another fun idea is to have theme garden - i.e. a pizza garden, where you grow tomatoes/oregano/pizza toppings, or a rainbow garden with flowers from all the colors of the rainbow. You get the idea.

    If you are in Seattle, you could walk through the Children's Gardens at Seattle Tilth (multiple sites), Magnuson P-Patch and Marra Farm for inspiration.

    squiffalicious answered in Garden Design 10 months ago | Report
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