3 Ideal Flowers for Young First Time Gardeners
Teaching young ones how to grow plants, vegetables and flowers on their own is somewhat of an under-rated skill that can provide them a sense of independence and resourcefulness that lasts a lifetime. Not to mention that gardening in general is a very calming, physically engaging activity that stimulates the mind and the body. Plus, it allows kids to get dirty and have fun, and what kid doesn’t enjoy that?
We thought we would list the best flowers for young gardeners using common and readily-available variations. We also recommended these flowers because they’re all non-toxic and even edible for young ones just starting out. What could be more satisfying than picking a beautiful bunch of flowers that they can then chop into a salad or make into a snack?
Before you begin your garden center shopping trip, you might want to consider looking for some age-appropriate gardening tools that aren’t too big, heavy or sharp.
Shop for Kid Sized Garden Tools at Ace
1. Marigolds are a great choice if mom or dad already has a vegetable garden and will need some natural pest deterrents. Of course the real reason Marigolds are popular is because they add a very bright burst of color for small or large spaces, and they grow easily with just a little watering every other day. The most common colors are yellow, red and orange.
2. Sunflowers – Grow them big, grow them small, they’ll be happy pretty much anywhere there’s some sunlight and a breeze. There are lots of varieties for all kinds of spaces and pairings, so buy with confidence. Of course, the BIG ones have a nice product to share once they reach maturity – sunflower seeds! It’s a great way to teach patience, since those won’t be ready until the back of the bloom goes from green to brown and the petals are falling off. To check if they’re ready, pull a couple of them out and look – if they still have a white or creamy color, they aren’t done yet. They need that nice black and white zebra striping.
3. Nasturtiums – These big bell-shaped colorful and edible flowers are a great choice for young gardeners for two reasons; they have big seeds that are easy for small hands to maneuver into the soil, and these seeds will thrive in nearly any type of soil mix. In fact, they will thrive in poor quality soil and conditions.
Nasturtiums are great flowers for young gardeners because their seeds are large and the flowers are able to grow in lots of types of soil.
The last reason they’re a great choice, is that they also provide protection from pests for your other plants or vegetables like potatoes, asparagus, cabbage, cucumbers – any of them that are fed on by beetles, caterpillars and blackflies.
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