Best Method For Kids Garden??

[daineal]

Hi,

As I'm sure most of you are aware, my daughter's school is starting a gardening club.Thanks for all the wonderful seeds to everyone who sent them to me.Also for the great links etc you told me about.
My next question though is about methods of gardening.Has anyone got any advice as to which would be the best for the children.They're from age 4-11 years old.
The school is lucky in that it has quite a big field in the grounds with a lot of mature trees & bushes around it.It uses part of it though for sports day in the summer & the kids run around on it at break time.I'm not sure what type of soil there is but I only live about a mile away & mine is a very heavy sticky clay.It could be like that I suppose but then again, maybe not.
I'm sure you'll all be full of ideas & look forward to hearing them.

[Nicos]

Hello!
My first thoughts are to make sure that whatever you grow is non toxic and not skin irritating- not just the seeds but also the sap and leaves.
Also bear in mind that the children won't be around in the summer , so if it is for them to see ( rather than just as a wildlife area) then you need autumn ,winter and spring flowers/plants.
Rubbish, litter, and hyperdermic needles(!) tend to get left unnoticed under shrubs too ( and are great places for kids to hide).
With litigation as it is these days , I'm afraid the children's safety has to be paramount.
It's a great idea though- and a few veg amongst flowers -or flowers amongst veg! -would look fantastic!

[Two_Sheds]

Our kids love edible flowers - Nasturtiums (bit peppery) and Calendula (no flavour but its such a novelty to eat flowers!). These also flower early in the year if you sow in the autumn or as early as you can really. Radishes grow fast, but none of our kids like them, too hot.They like lettuce, specially funny colour ones: we grow yellow (Australian Yellow), green, red (Lollo) and dark red (Rusty). Ditto carrots in white, yellow, orange and purple

[Alice]

Container gardening could be very suitable for the youngest children, Daineal, and safe for little fingers. The children can plant their very own pots and take them home at the end of term. Peas can be planted in pots. Put in as many pas as it takes to cover the surface, cover with compost and water. The peas will appear in a few days and grow quickly. When about 6" high the children can eat the shoots - they taste like peas. If you cut them above the first leaf node they'll shoot again. A good way to get fast results with children.

[vicki lorraine]

I would reccommend raised beds. This will provide equality of opportunity for any disabled children. Great for Ofsted.
Also this will deter the children from walking on areas which have seeds in waiting to germinate. It also prevents balls from rolling onto the veg. Keeping the beds to around 3 to 4 ft max so that the children can reach across to pick and plant. Nothing worse than giving them all of these fantastic learning opportunities and then the teacher or helper having to do the best bit - the planting and picking.
Pumpkins would be good if you can set up a watering system. Even a slow drip system from a water butt would do. They will be suprised when they come back in September.
Spring cabbages onions and broad beans over the winter will provide a focal point and is easily maintained over the Autumn school term.
Im really pleased to hear about your project.
Why not contact the Coventry Urban rangers and see if they can come and do a bird box and bird feeder session with the children to encourage wildlife to the plot too. Usually free and great fun.

[daineal]

Thanks everyone for the great advice.I'm e-mailing this page to the school today & the Headteacher can take over from here.

[Birdie Wife]

Things that grow quickly with showy results are good, sunflowers spring to mind but really any hardy annuals that are billed as easy to grow would be suitable.

[Gryfon]

I'm about to try square foot gardening with my two. Going to allow them a 2' x 2' bed each so they can grow 4 different things...or the same things if they really want to! All I've found out from my son is that he wants purple carrots, stubby carrots, cucumbers...then he got stuck because he doesn't like anything else but I persuaded him to grow some sweetpea so he can pick the flowers for me