Quick growing plants for the garden - toddler project.

[WittgensteinsBunny]

Dd1 is nearly 3. She planted some strawberry seeds in a little pot on Sat with her Granny and loved it. I bought it as a kit, but she's sort of expecting to see stuff now. I know that this will teach patience but I'm wondering if there's anything quicker we can get going! I'm useless at gardening and have little knowledge. Although I had a good crop of potatoes and beetroot a few years' ago pre-babies. Are there any quick growing seeds we could sow in a border or pot this time of year? Any easy veg or fruit? She really wants an apple tree but I'm not sure we have the space. We have a great garden, it's west facing but gets lots of sun in the afternoon. There's a patch at the bottom which is 5x4m, reserved for building a garden room in the next couple of years, but we're planning to sow grass seed for a lawn and maybe have a little area for the girls and somewhere for their toys this year. I'd love to do something with her as a project so any suggestions welcome!

Cress grows within hours! Sunflower seeds also good for little ones.

Exactly what I was coming on to say Eggy!

Fab idea! I'm going to pick some up tomorrow. Thank you! X

Was just coming to say sunflowers they grow quickly you can grow cress on wet cotton wool

You can get very small dwarf and very dwarf apple trees that will fit even in small spaces!

Also if there's anything she really likes to eat could you sow it out of sight and bring it out once it germinates?

Nasturtiuns are big for her to handle and grow quickly. Put them it little yoghurt pots then move them on to bigger ones once the first four leaves appear. She can see the roots and shoots coming out of the seed when you translate them

Or even when you transplant thrm😡

You can get cherry tomato plants they fruit quickly stick it on the window sill

Broad beans grow quite quickly and have nice flowers and then beans, and you could start them off now.

Not very exciting for littlest, but salad leaves grow reasonably quickly. You can put them in a pot just outside, or why not grow a little herb garden in a pot.

Thanks everyone! I've picked up some cress, radishes, sweet peas and a random bag of lilac poppies this afternoon (DD chose them). We've looked at dwarf apple trees together and have said that we'll go back and pick out some more bits with DH at the weekend. Broad beans and nasturtiums sound good. I think I might have grown nasturtiums and marigolds when I was little. I have a feeling they were devoured by slugs! I've also read about a sunflower path that you can grow for little ones that sounds like fun. We're quite limited on window sill space as we have sash Windows, so only 2 window sills in the house! She'd love cherry toms though, so it might be worth a go.

If you've got space rhubarb is good as an early cropping interest to DC. If you get a young clump the thin red shoots can be picked and eaten raw dipped in sugar.

If you've got a big unused pot you can upturn it over the rhubarb to force it. I believe it can grow an inch a day so you can see relatively quick results picking it each weekend.

I've always loved growing peas. It may be a little silly but you plant a pea and you get lots of peas. Rather than a seed to get lots of something else. Likewise potatos.

Lidl have lots of seeds 5 packs for £1. Seed potatos £1 and onion sets for 69p

Since you have a bit of space at the bottom, why not grow a mahoosive pumpkin? They're not quick - takes between April and October but they ARE magical for children to watch.

Strawberries are fun and easy. Don't expect them ever to get as far as the table, though!!

Also (sorry, had to do this): are you sure you're Wittgenstein's bunny and not his duck?

I agree a pumpkin would be fun. You could create a small herb garden. Often garden centres have offers for multiple small pots of herbs this time of year if you didn't want oi grow them from seed.

Also have a look at

kidsinthegarden.co.uk/plants-for-kids/plants-for-children/ for some easy grow flowerseeds.

Cherry toms - buy the tumbler variety (I cheat and buy seedlings) and grow in a hanging basket.
Chives grow quickly & keep coming. DS grazes on them when outside.

They've got heated propogaters in Aldi at the moment, that would speed up the germination so they're ready to pot on a bit quicker.

Shovetheholly well, that would be telling, wouldn't it. It shall be passed over in silence

Some lovely ideas. Thanks everyone.

I always do basil on the windowsill (or the kitchen surface nearest the sunniest window when I had sash windows!)

It germinates fairly quickly under cling film and you end up with a nice bushy pot of it for tomato and basil salads and so on

I bought a ton of 'kids seeds' in the Wilko sale. I can't remember exactly what they are (they're stashed in the shed) but they were all easy-germinating and the varieties had a twist. Spaceship squash and unusual sunflowers were among them, I can't remember the rest offhand and the Wilko site is down

How about carrot/radish tops? Only thought of this as I did this tonight. Take the tops you cut off the vegetables and put the cut side down in a shallow saucer of water. The leaves on the tops should start to grow!