Which plants to buy?

[speakfriendandenter]

Hi all,
I need suggestions. I'm not the best gardener in the world, I have moments where I'm really keen and other times where I am quite happy for the garden to take care of itself.
We have quite a few shady areas in our garden and my plants always seem to die. I need ideas for what to plant in two specific areas. I want aesthetically pleasing, hardy plants that are safe to children.
Area 1: a sensory garden, near a fence, mostly shady, not great soil with lots of persistent grass roots.
Area 2: three large tyres filled with soil & compost mix, near children's playhouse so it would be lovely to have something childlike.

Any advice you can give would be gratefully appreciated.

Area 2 - herb garden that attacts butterflies and bees. Thyme, rosemary, marjoram, mint in a pot (as it spreads like wildfire if planted in the ground).

Strawberries and sugarsnap peas so children can eat it as well.

One tyre for blueberries? (must be ericaceous soil though and watered with rainwater.

For your tyres it is best to choose large seeds which are easy for the children to handle and which give quick results. Also plants that can resist bashing and picking. Also interesting seed heads are good and watching a plant right the way through its cycle from planting to producing seeds.

One thing I would try to do is to teach children to be unafraid of bees. Bright flowers will attract lots and if planted near a play household might be a problem for some children.

Plant suggestions are Nigella which produce a seed head that my kids called fairy carriages. Calendula, candytuft and nasturtiums.

For the sensory garden a red Salix which produces pretty catkins and won't mind the shade. Lots of mint, lemon mint, ginger mint basil mint there is a huge list. Victorian Nursery is a really good suppliers. I would also build an insect house there from old bits of wood and sink a washing up bowl into the groind. Put in lumps of stone and soil and half fill with water. Plant a bog plant, some of these plants have lovely leaves that are great to touch. Swichy grasses like Stipa Tenuisima or the Peacock grass Calamagrostis.