children gardening!

[vicki]

Having explained to my 3 year old that we have to earth up the potatoes now they're growing, he has earthed up quite a lot of other stuff for me - all very helpful in his eyes!!!!!! -bless!!!
Have decided that it might be a good idea to give the kids their own baby patch each, so we've just been out to get some little fencing and made a sign for them etc, but any advice on stuff they'd love to grow. They have some sunflowers on the go ready to grow against the fence, and then they want to do veg, the only problem is being able to wait long enough for things to grow!!! Rebecca wants some flowers on hers too so wot goes well with veg and grows quick?!!!

[Strepsy]

If you can get to the library, get out 'Gardening With Children' by Kim Wilde. I've just took it out and it's got some lovely ideas in for girls and boys and would hopefully keep them occupied while they wait for stuff to grow too.

As for flowers I think marigolds are one of the quickest. My double dwarf French marigolds were flowering in 6/7 weeks. Super quick. And they're also beneficial as a companion plant to a lot of veg to ward off pesties.

[vicki]

Cheers Strepsy I'll do that - don't want to dampen their enthusiasm!
Our new compost bin arrived yesterday and James is busy telling everyone that we have a magic robot in the garden that can change his banana skins into dirt!
Better than sitting in front of the telly all day in any case!!

[Shortie]

Hi Vicki

Not very exciting, but fast growing...
Radishes
Onions from sets (pretty fool hardy thing to grow so shouldn't be disappointed that they won't germinate ect)
Carrots - ready to eat from the ground and funky leaves for kids
Sweet peas - lovely smelling flower to attract bees etc to the veg.
Runner Beans - easy to grow
Raspberry canes if you have space, and they'll LOVE to eat them when they're ripe. I find my Autumn Bliss is really hardy (been moved and squashed etc but still gave me fruit in it's first year (last year) and growing healthy this year after it was moved at the wrong time of year

Can't think of any more at the mo....

[sewer rat]

Hi Vicki
My daughter loves the garden - she was actually washing the stone flags on the paths when I came home tonight.
This year she has been introduced to growing her own veg - some of which she eats and some she doesn't but if she believes it to be grown by her she might be tempted to try. This is what she is growing this year
Carrots - Paris Market and Early Nantes (this one came in aS a seed tape and I didn't touch it - she was dead chuffed to have done it all by herself)
Potatoes - She planted two Charlotte seed tatties in halved grow bag
Peas - one length of guttering of an early variety
Climbing French Beans
Runner beans
Radish
Lettuce
Tomatoes - cherry toms for a hanging basket

Flower- wise there are theever dependable giant single sunflowers, also climbing nasturtiums - quick and brightly coloured.

I should add she also loves daisies and dandelions

[vicki]

think I might get some seed tape - good thinking! for such small people they are terribly heavy-handed with seeds!

[sewer rat]

Vicki
If you're getting seed tape, you might want to consider seed mats for herbs - same principle but they fit on the top of pots - and I think are mostly for herbs which are quite quick growing.

[vicki]

You are such a clever Rat!
Thats the kids weekend sorted (oh except its meant to rain buckets for the next 2 days! )
Cheers guys for the ideas! Knew this site would be good!

[sewer rat]

Not so much clever by design, more by necessity of trying to keep my four and 3/4 yr old (used to be 4 1/2 but now she's adamant that she is called 4 and 3/4) amused in the garden so that I could get on and do some gardening of my own - now she's really into it and the OH is becoming a bit fed up with the two of us !

[Alice]

Marigolds were the first flowers I grew as a child. A wise person gave me the seeds as they can't fail - AND you can eat the petals in salads etc. For a food crop you can't go wrong with rocket, up instantly and edible. Children will be very proud of them alongside their own radish. Happy gardening to you all.

[fruit&vegvirgin]

my girls have done seed mats (coriander and chives). both working well.
I woudl say anything with big enough seeds for them to handle (which is kind of my approach too!!) so: nasturtiums. sunflowers. pumpkins. morning glory. and wot everyone else said too.

[Sunbeam]

My son (3yrs old) loves digging holes - which is great 'cos he does all the hard work for me!! What we like to do is grow herbs in an old metal bath - then we run our hands through them & smell our hands! It's quite something to watch him do the same at the garden centre when he recognises the plants!

[Strepsy]

If you're getting raspberries and things though, look out for thornless varieties where possible.

[lyndap]

Just found this thread. Brill, as I was going to ask what to get my 3 year old grandson planting. My mom has given us a shell shape sand pit to use, so he knows thats thats where he can dig and plant.

[nichola k]

hi. my friend and i have had an allotment plot for 1 year, we have a 3 and 4 year old boys who get up to anything and everything, i could fill a book with impish tales from last year alone!!! one good time filler we found was to give them a small (sand pit) bucket and a paintbrush and fill it with water, they painted our shed, path and anything else they could reach time and time again