dd2 wants to plant some flowers, will have to be in pots, need advice I'm not a gardener

[Linnet]

Dd2 told me tonight at bedtime that she'd like to plant some flowers. Our front garden is south facing and gets the sun nearly all day. I think we'd be better to get a few big pots or trough type things as the front is all gravel, but the question is what could we plant?

Are we to late to plant any bulbs? She mentioned tulips and sunflowers although the latter would have to wait until nearer summer I think.

Does anyone have any suggestions for what we could plant? that will grow? I think she wants to watch them grow, although I might buy some ready grown flowers to plant in more pots later in the year.

All advice welcomed, thanks

oops forgot to also ask do I just buy a big bag of compost to put in the pots? or is there a certain type I should buy? thanks

Bump

She's too late for tulips but you could plant sweet peas which are really easy to grow. You need a pot (largeish - like the size of a casserole dish) and some compost (you can get some which is designed for pots). You and she can then construct a wigwam to grow them up - get some bamboo canes and tie them together at the top. Plant one seed at the bottom of each cane, water and watch them grow. The more you cut the flowers, the more they flower and they smell beautiful

You could also just scatter some annuals on the flower beds (if you have then) - cornflowers generally come up.

Also nastursiums are dead easy if you don't fancy the cane thing. Both they and sweet peas have big seeds so they're easy for little fingers to work with.

It's not to late for bulbs you can still plant spring bulbs and they'll come up.

How about taking DD2 to the garden centre to look at seeds and choose some that look pretty or what ever she'd like or on the internet and then getting them for her.

Mostly you just need a wind free spot and a pot and some compost. Don't forget to put something to keep the birds off the pot if you don't have a local cat.

Would she like to grow strawberries? Our local garden centre has a kit to grow them.

Thanks, we bought some bulbs tonight in the supermarket probably won't grow but worth a try. I'm going to take her to the garden centre at the weekend and get pots and compost etc and will have a look there to see what seeds/bulbs they have.

We do have flower beds in the back garden and although I planted daffodils there years ago I now need to dig them up as they don't flower anymore. I plan on doing that this year. I'm also hoping to get some hydrangas(sp?)for the back garden as well. We've got Roses and a Clematis at the front, I like plants/flowers that don't need too much looking after, lol

I like the idea of the sweet peas, might give that a try. Not so sure about Strawberries though, but will think about it.

Thanks again.

If you go with the sweet peas, apparently mice are really attracted to them, but if you put some holly leaves over where you have planted them that will help keep them away.

As well as flowers, for quick results, try cress. Best done in eggshells - with just the tops cut off, carefully clean inside.

Fill with moistened cotton wool. Sprinkle on cress seeds. Draw funny faces on the outside with markers/pens. Put in egg cups/boxes in a warm place, keep moist.

As the cress grows, it looks like funny hair.
And you can eat it!

Fun and very rewarding.

My mum always suggests marigolds. Pretty and very difficult to kill!

Daffodils don't always grow each year but the 2nd year and hen every 2nd year after they tend to double in number of flowers. leave them be for another year in case they will if possible.

Hope you have fun we're going to try planting potatoes in the next few weeks in pots so that we can dig up and eat our own potatoes.

Sunflowers will also do well in a sunny plot although you need to keep the slugs away when the plants are young and tender.

Love-in-a-mist is another annual which is very very easy to grow. You could also try calendula. How about some beans - your daughter might like growing her own food?

Well, we went and bought some pots, and while we were at B&Q we were looking at the seeds and dd2 kept pointing to some and saying these are pretty and why don't we buy these ones as they look nice?
And then we looked at the vegetable seeds and found spring onions and carrots, and thought wouldn't it be good to buy some little trough type pots and plant those as well and dd1 likes the idea of strawberries, so we now need to go back and buy seeds and more pots/troughs and compost then we can get started.

Going to wait a week though as apparently where we are it's meant to snow again next week so will wait until that has passed.

Dd2 and Dh planted some cress seeds yesterday as she's got them free with her National Geographic so he helped her plant them, so that's a start.

Thanks again everyone