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Gardening

Find tips and tricks to make your garden or allotment flourish on our Gardening forum.

Original poster

Ideas for easy flowers and vegetables to grow with children please.

28 replies

MaggsS · 16/03/2009 16:51

Hi,

As the lovely weather is here I want to start doing a bit of gardening with my children aged 8, 6 and 2.

What would you suggest are easy things to grow?(flowers or veg)

We don't have a lot of room in the ground but have plenty of pots.

Thanks for any suggestions [smile

OP posts:
Original poster
MaggsS · 16/03/2009 16:51

Whoops!

OP posts:
liath · 16/03/2009 16:55

Nasturtiums as you can easily collect the seeds for the next year.

Peas are good if you don't mind none finding their way into the kitchen because the kids eat them all raw!

Herbs are good too becuase the kids enjoy picking them, smelling them etc.

potplant · 16/03/2009 17:06

Tomatoes and strawberries are really easy to grow, though most get eaten before they get into the house.

Herbs grow well, but not so exciting for kids. You can grow potatoes in pots, but again not that exciting for kids.

You could let them all grow a sunflower and have a sunflower race.

Pannacotta · 16/03/2009 22:13

Agree that sunflowers and nasturtiums are easy, as are cosmos, sweet peas, broad beans, cut and come again salad leaves and even tomatos in grobags.

bellavita · 16/03/2009 22:19

We are going to grow new potatoes in bags this year (previously done in the ground which worked well), but DH needs this space for something else.

Courgettes, cucumbers, rhubarb.. or how about salad leaves in trugs for the summer (this is how we grow them), peppers, strawberries?

Original poster
MaggsS · 17/03/2009 06:43

Great ideas, thanks.

They love being out in the garden and I thought it would be great to get them interested in the garden at an early age.

Are these things easy to grow from seeds or is it best to buy young plants?

OP posts:
bellavita · 17/03/2009 07:41

DH normally grows from seed, but just to get you going, maybe it would be best to buy young plants and then the kids won't be disappointed if the seeds don't germinate.

amireallythatsad · 17/03/2009 08:20

Hi Maggs

I've just been trying to plant things with my DD and nieces (all under 5!!!!).

We went to Homebase and brought some kits. They had a grow your own peppers kit, complete with pot, and then I brought some lettuce/spinach seeds etc and planted them in those vegetable planter things.

First year in being that ambitious (last year we had tomatoes and strawberries...).

hope you enjoy it, I really enjoyed doing it - albeit very very very messy!!!

amireallythatsad · 17/03/2009 08:21

Ooopps and also, we've been growing indoors some herbs in old coleslaw/hummus containers.

I think I'm enjoying watching them grow more than my daughter!!

Original poster
MaggsS · 17/03/2009 10:20

I think we'll have a visit to Haskins at the weekend and stock up

OP posts:
amireallythatsad · 17/03/2009 11:17

If you want any other tips, I'm on another thread, because I'm a complete novice and don't have a clue...I'm asking about easy flowers to plant in tubs.

The ladies and gents on there have been very helpful

Flibbertyjibbet · 17/03/2009 11:26

We don't have a garden but my 2 and 4 year olds are entranced by the tops of carrots and pineapples growing in saucers on the windowsill (nothing to eat from it but they look lovely!), and we do mustard and cress too which is like a veg for them to grow but v quick so they don't loose interest before we pick and eat.

Unlike last years tub of potatoes which they completely forgot about after 3 days and then had no idea how they got there.

loggedout · 17/03/2009 11:32

But potatoes are the most popular thing at our school allotment - because of the "digging for gold" aspect when we harvest.
In fact I'm going at 1.30 today to help them plant then.

Original poster
MaggsS · 17/03/2009 11:50

Point me in the direction of the other thread amireallythatsad?

OP posts:
PestoSunshineMonster · 17/03/2009 11:51

here you go

Original poster
MaggsS · 17/03/2009 17:05

Thanks

OP posts:
Peachy · 17/03/2009 17:06

Asada have little sets cheaply atm for kids; I got littletubs of pumpkin and tomato growing kits 3 for £3 today.

hefferlump · 17/03/2009 20:02

Rocket Rocket Rocket ...... incredibly easy to grow and wonderful with your tomatoes on a sandwich!

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 17/03/2009 20:20

Seeds are always very cheap at Lidl, which has a good (although not huge) selection of flower and veg seeds.

Original poster
MaggsS · 18/03/2009 06:33

Am due a trip to Asda so will take a look. There is also a Lidl near by so I shall pop there as well

OP posts:
Original poster
MaggsS · 18/03/2009 07:51

If you don't have room in the garden what can I plant potatoes in?

OP posts:
amireallythatsad · 18/03/2009 09:12

Morning
Lovely day again!!!
You can buy potatoe growing bags from the garden centre - or Ikea do growing bags too, bright coloured ones and a bit cheaper

Original poster
MaggsS · 18/03/2009 11:59

It's such a sunny day here too!

Have been to Asda / Poundstrecher and Lidl and picked up various seeds as well as some compost and seed trays. All very reasonable.

We have a new Ikea here but I just haven't had the time for a visit yet. Is it worth a look for gardening bits?

OP posts:
Peachy · 18/03/2009 12:50

All you need for spuds is a black bin or one of those potato grwoing kits; I think Suttons do one (might be wrong, cant find my seed catalogue)

MadBadandDangerousToKnow · 18/03/2009 15:02

You don't need to buy anything fancy to grow potatoes in. An old compost sack would do.

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