Easy & Fast Growing Flowers For Kids

After the novelty of waking up late has worn off and the kids seem to be fusing with the sofa, it’s time to think of some fun things to do during the summer holiday. What better way that planting the SEED with getting them interested in the garden and gardening.
If your kids didn’t even realised you could use the garden for other things rather than kicking a ball against a fence….then it’s time to open up their eyeballs!

The quickest way to grab attention, is by planting flowers that grow quickly. Here are a few choice options that we’ve found:

Sweet Peas

Popular Cottage garden flower. Great colours, beautiful bloom and sweet scent.
Sweet Peas can either be planted in beds or boarders. Or if you’re feeling adventurous can be trained on to shaped plant supports.
A great flower for cutting and placing inside the house. Plus the bonus is, the more you pick, the more sweet peas will grow!
Sweet Peas have the added advantage of attracting bees and other pollinators helping your garden to flourish.

Marigolds

Another bright flower and easy to grow. These flowers are tolerant of heat, droughts and pests, meaning they’re very easy for the kids to look after.
These tough flowers also act as natural pest control especially if planted near garden crops such as tomatoes, beans or potatoes. BUT, they’ll still attract bees and all the other bugs that will help your garden bloom.
BONUS: Marigolds are also edible. It’s up to you if you want to share that with the kids, we don’t want them turning in to grazing cows. But if you did want to explore here are some recipes: https://bit.ly/2T7qi4s
Marigolds also have healing benefits….but I think we’ll save that for another blog.

Morning Glory

An easy climbing flower to grow. Perfect for walls, fences or trellis. Open flowers in the day, closed at night.
Super pretty and bright. HOWEVER, the seeds are poisonous, so please be aware if you’re planting with young children.
Plant in a well lit area and shelter from cold winds. No pruning needed and generally disease free.

Nasturtium

Another edible plant that’s very easy to grow. Sow them straight into the ground making sure the ground is relatively weed free.
Bright colours, creams, yellows, oranges and reds. Nasturtium also acts as a good pest deterrent around the vegetable garden.
With little tending too, these flowers should last all summer.
If you are going to eat these flowers. Note, they can be a little peppery and hot, so if you’re kids aren’t used to these flavours, please be aware.

Poppies

So a wildflower, some would say a weed. However, we think they looks great and poppies will pretty much grow anywhere. Once established, they should return year after a year and probably start sprouting up in other areas of the garden.
Easy to grow and quick to show.

Foxgloves

Another wildflower that look beautiful and grow quickly. They enjoy shaded areas and are super attractive to pollinators. IMPORTANT NOTE: Foxgloves are TOXIC, kids will be very tempted to touch those bell shaped flowers, but every part of a Foxglove is toxic in some way. If foxgloves are ingested, this can cause mouth pain, breathing issues and in some case fatal cardiac arrest.

Sunflowers

Many schools may give a child a sunflower to grow at home. We had one planted back during March as a Mother’s day present.
We had it growing for 4 months. Started off inside and was planted outside. Showing sizeable growth everyday, it now stands a few meters high. It’s been an exciting time.
Easy to maintain and loads of different types. Check out our sunflower blog.

Snapdragons

Another edible flower, and can take a little longer to grow unlike the others listed here. However, again, Snapdragons will show signs of advancement and reward with some beautiful looking flowers.

Wallflowers

A flower that can survive in poor soil conditions. They’re ok with sunshine or semi-shaded areas. Highly fragrant and available in a huge selection of colours. A bushy plant that can grow up to 40cm high!

BONUS TIPS

If you’re planing some of these in flower beds, ensure you lay down some weed control fabric to protect the flowers. Though most of these flowers are easy to grow and are touch. They’re not indestructible against strangling weeds.