Planting with my Toddler!

Hi everyone

I don't really know very much about gardening but I'm hoping to learn!

I wonder if anyone can help? My daughter has just turned 18 months and has recently begun showing a huge interest in the garden. Every evening she wants to help water the plants. But she also likes to dig :rolleyes: . earlier in the year we planted a Sunflower with her which is now doing great, but I was wondering if there is anything I can plant with her now? Or is it too late in the year? Obviously it would have to be something which is child-friendly

 

My toddlers ,2 yrs 2months,main interest,appart from making using a computer a major challange is eating things.She did the watering thing,mainly over watering strawberries(waste of time small people do not understand that green means not ready,tho we have stopped her eating strawberry flowers!At 16 months she could efficiently strip purple flowering broccolli,I still don't know if if's any good(under mesh this year).However she can put her size 7s an a caterpiller with the best of them,push her little wheelbarrow around and will help you sprinkle seeds,parsley and salad are good in window boxes or pots otherwise it all ends up in one place,she also now has a little patch of her own with compost in it,no to heavy for small trowel,this has stopped her tunneling in other areas.Theres tons more for her to do,picking washing,eating being favorite..hope you have as much fun as we do.

 

there is a wonderful new book out this year by kim wild all about gardening ideas for you and your children.

 

Thanks. Does anyone know what this book is called?

[ 03. September 2005, 03:04 PM: Message edited by: Smiler ]

 

hi there,
Kim wildes book is called GARDENING WITH CHILDREN
published by Collins

 

Thanks, I'll have a look next weekend.

 

One way to keep children intrested during the winter is to get them growing mustard and cress on
kitchen roll and a saucer/plate. ten days later, if it's kept damp, they can be eating it. To those who have not done this before,plant the cress three days before the mustard.

 

Hi

haven't got a clue what to plant at this time of year but always find winter pansies a good grower and pretty for my 3 yr old

 

I have planted cress seeds with the children at my nursery plenty of times before, they work really well. Earlier in the year I planted some sunflowers with my daughter(as you can see from my avatar!).

I went to visit some friends a couple of weeks ago and they had some very small trees. When I asked, they explained that they had grown from conkers...so we went to the park at the weekend and Ellie planted them on Sunday.

Pansies sound like a good idea too. Thanks

 

Great Fun.. My son used to plant all sorts of seeds in our small garden. We had an acorn which produced an oak tree, and a chestnut which grew into a chestnut tree. We kept them until they were about 8 ft high and thought it better to get them out before they took over our garden. My friends who are farmers dug them out and planted them on his land. That is nearly 30 years ago and they are really well established trees now,and quite sentimental.