Flowers for a child friendly garden

[Greenleaves]

My daughter wants to add some colour to her garden but has 3 young kiddies.

Can anyone suggest something that is low maintenance and pretty robust please?

[Chestnut]

Maybe some nasturtiums?
I would suggest you check a more reliable reference source before planting, but my Mum reckons flowers and leaves are both edible ;-)

[Bigmallly]

1st plants that come to mind are Calendula & Sunflowers. What kids can resist them?

[Scarlet]

^^^ yo always get in first! That was my choice!

[veggiechicken]

Convolvulus so they can play Granny pop out of your nightdress.
Daisies to count the petals and play - he loves me, he loves me not and make daisy chains.
Buttercups to see if they like butter.
Dandelions to blow the seedheads to the wind.

[Jay-ell]

Possibly things that aren't going to cause a problem if eaten.

Nasturtiums are edible - flowers leaves and seeds all have a peppery flavour, calendula also edible with a peppery tastes, tagetes with a citrony taste. Poached egg plants (i.e. Limnanthes douglasii, not aubergines you' e swiped from a neighbour) will self seed freely and look nice and cheery.

Lavender can be robust edging and if ran into or fallen on will give off it's wonderful smell

Sunflowers can be fun to grow and competitive.

[happyhumph]

I have a 7 & 3 year old myself so I'd say anything fairly robust that can survive balls etc landing on them and that can be picked lots!

Nothing poisonous - e.g. I love foxgloves but they are so toxic in such small quantities I won't have them.

Primulas are good as they recover well from being squashed and regularly picked. Daffs stand up well, another vote for nasturtium and sunflowers. Children love either really big or really small - eldest has a passion for sunflowers and alpines!

Edibles are good as well - gets them really involved in the garden. Don't be afraid to try things you wouldn't expect children to like - sorrel, with its lemony sharp tang is a favourite of my eldest, & youngest adores spinach. Both love lambs lettuce which is called "spoon leaves" in our house. Peas as well - pretty flowers and then they eat the pods standing next to the plant.

Also things they can hide under like shrubs, or in, like bamboo. Both mine like climbing a big ficus japonica we have. Oh, & steer clear of spikes!

[Teabag]

cornflowers and even tougher, perennial cornflower

[happyhumph]

Daylilies are surprisingly tough as well. Forget-me-not for self seeding. Stachys byzantina is easy and attracts loads of bees and hover flies which children love to watch.

[happyhumph]

Hellebores as well - tough, undemanding & flowers at a time of year when not much else is around. I'm going to stop now before I just start listing my favourite plants

[Guest]

I would just go for some hardy annuals (scatter mixes), they can be picked up cheap enough and so you don't tend to be precious about them i.e. calendula, cornflower, larkspur, candytuft, cosmos etc. If they get knocked about they usually spring back. Or the other route is herbs and leave them to flower etc.

Don't know if it helps but my girls go for anything daisy like - daisies, feverfew, chamomile, marguerites. Oh and don't forget snap dragons what boy or girl can resist chasing each other round with a snapping dragon flower. Which reminds me VC I have no idea about the granny game and convolus please explain

[Greenleaves]

Thank you all

Some very nice ideas, no doubt I will be taken shopping by my daughter

You know, i dont think I have ever seen her purse

[veggiechicken]

.

Oh and don't forget snap dragons what boy or girl can resist chasing each other round with a snapping dragon flower. Which reminds me VC I have no idea about the granny game and convolus please explain

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1152485
I like snapping dragons too

[Guest]

Sorry but that is too brilliant not to put on this thread as well. I have tears in my eyes from that one. You nutter

If you do nothing else new today - go out and pop a Granny or two

[Snoop Puss]

My choices would be nasturtiums and sunflowers - big seeds that kids can handle. Plus petunias, as they seem to go on for ages, have big bright flowers and readily bounce back after heavy rain and other trials and tribulations.

When I was a tiddler, I remember growing some zinnias. I absolutely loved them - such deep colours.