More and more children are getting involved in gardening. Its simple to grow flowers from seed with your children. If you are not too sure which flowers to select then choose from the suggestions below. They are also bee friendly plants. Get your kids out into the garden sowing and creating a riot of colour. Order now from Thompson and Morgan.
When buying seeds for your kids to grow look for the words ‘Hardy Annual (HA) and ‘direct sow’ or ‘can be sown outdoors’. This means you do not have to sow in seed trays and transplant. The seeds can be sown directly in the ground in the garden because they are generally not affected by frost.
Sow when the soil begins to warm (often indicated by the emergence of weed seedlings). Weed the bed, level the soil with a rake and tread lightly before sowing. If you are going to grow more than one type of flower then divide the soil up into sections. Your flowers will grow best if thinned according to the instructions on the seed packet. Label the ground where you have sown.
Plants for Children
Candy Tuft (Iberis umbellata)
- Why grow: Pretty flowers lasting all summer long.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow: direct into the ground.
- Latest sowing time: end of June.
Love in A Mist (Nigella damascena) 
- Why grow: Pretty flowers and seedheads, self seeds.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow direct into the ground.
- Latest sowing time end of June.
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)
- Why grow: Large seeds, petals are edible, easy to collect seeds for next year.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow direct into the ground, direct into large pots, into small pots for transplanting.
- Latest sowing time end of June.
Pot Marigold (Calendula officinalis)
Why grow: Quick growing, petals are edible.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow direct into the ground, vegetable patch to keep some pests off.
- Latest sowing time end of June.
Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)
- Why grow: Large seeds, tall plants, fast growing, wide variety.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow direct into the ground, direct into large pots, into small pots for transplanting.
- Latest sowing time end of June.
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Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
- Why grow: Pretty flowers lasting all summer long.
- Sow: early spring onwards.
- Where to sow: direct into the ground.
- Latest sowing time: end of June.
Also look out for the chocolate cosmos which really does smell like the real thing. Children will love them.
The Cosmos is the sort of flower that you may have seen in other people’s gardens and thought I would love to have that displaying in my garden. It’s a lovely statuesque cottage garden flower, usually with very pretty pastel colours and feathery leaves. It is rather magical for toddlers as it grows to just […]
Family Friendly Plants
If you would like to to find out more about some more plants for your garden please take a look at our Family Friendly Plant Pages
Sunflower Seeds Card
You may like to see our own sunflower seeds card with 5 giant sunflower seeds.
A two in one present. Take a look at www.kidsinthegardenshop.co.uk
If you would like to do more gardening with your children take a look at
- Growing Vegetables with Children
- Growing Fruit with Children
- Growing Cut and Come Again with Children, including salad leaves
- Growing Herbs with Children
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