Gardening For Beginners - Get Everyone Involved

Gardening For Beginners - Get Everyone Involved

Summer is so nearly here! What better time to start getting outside in the garden and teaching children about the world right outside of the back door. Gardening isn’t for everyone, but these ideas are sure to give the whole family green fingers! Sunflower Competition: Sunflowers are one of the fastest (and tallest!) flowers to grow. Typically, smaller, garden sunflowers grow to stand at around 2 feet tall – but larger varieties can grow up to 10 feet! Sunny and summery, it’s easy to see why sunflowers are a firm family favourite. Plant the seeds straight into the ground - children will love monitoring the progress of their pretty flowers – why not have a race and see whose sunflower can grow quickest? Or grow tallest? Stick a name label on each flower pot when you first plant your seeds to ensure no cheating! Use unusual containers: Among other easy-growers are aquilegias, sweet peas, marigolds and pansies. We love getting creative with our plant pots. Add a touch of personality to your garden, put your unused items to good use by using old welly boots, chipped tea pots, teacups and other fun items. If you’re still stuck for ideas, check out our ideas for upcycling.   Cress Heads: Crazy hair cress heads are a classic! A great way to introduce younger children to the responsibility of caring for their own mini plant. Draw on a funny face or stick on some googly eyes and the cress should be grown in around a week. Children will be so proud that they’ve grown their own ingredient for their egg sandwiches! See BBC Good Food for full instructions.   Garden Salad: Older children may have the patience for a slightly longer project. Armed with lettuce, spring onion, rocket, cucumber and cherry tomato seeds, your family can grow their very own salad bowl in the back garden! A great way to spark more interest in yummy vegetables! Avoid Foxgloves Pretty Foxgloves may be tempting for new gardeners, as they grow quickly and come in a variety of colours. However, they are not a good choice for young families – especially if you have pets. Foxgloves are toxic and can be poisonous for children and animals – they do look good enough to eat and would make a lovely pixie hat or card decoration, but it’s best to choose one of the many other colourful options. If your young family is finding their feet in the garden and want to label some pots as their own, make sure you check out our great selection of name labels!