Kiddo garden!

[Messybun]

Alright y’all, I’m expanding my garden. I’ve got an area about 12x16 very partial shade. I’m going to have to add a lot of manure to the soil and dig it up and all. But, I’m wanting to make it super fun for some kids! We’ll probably be moving in a few years, when I finish nursing school, but until then I need a low maintenance and fun garden that produces food. Cheap of course! So far I’m thinking of beans shaped into a teepee trellis. Maybe a wishing well of used tires with something growing out of it. I want to do raised beds I think and then creeping thyme or some other soft ground cover in between the raised beds. I’m trying to come up with ideas and would love if y’all had some! I also need a fence or some barrier for small pests, not sure what to make that out of yet.
Is there anything fun and kid friendly in your garden I could adopt?

 

[FarmerJamie]

I used to grow pumpkins and while they were still green, about 2/3 through the season, had the kids pick out "their" pumpkin. Then took a paring knife and scored their name into the skin. It would "scab over" and by the time the pumpkins were orange, it was emblazoned with their name in brown

 

[FarmerJamie]

Mammoth variety sunflowers. Had some reaching 10 ft tall, kids loved them. And the stalks made great "swords" 😀

 

[Hinotori]

Nasturtium leaves are great on hamburgers instead of lettuce.

 

[Britesea]

Bug houses!

 

[Alaskan]

Alright y’all, I’m expanding my garden. I’ve got an area about 12x16 very partial shade. I’m going to have to add a lot of manure to the soil and dig it up and all. But, I’m wanting to make it super fun for some kids! We’ll probably be moving in a few years, when I finish nursing school, but until then I need a low maintenance and fun garden that produces food. Cheap of course! So far I’m thinking of beans shaped into a teepee trellis. Maybe a wishing well of used tires with something growing out of it. I want to do raised beds I think and then creeping thyme or some other soft ground cover in between the raised beds. I’m trying to come up with ideas and would love if y’all had some! I also need a fence or some barrier for small pests, not sure what to make that out of yet.
Is there anything fun and kid friendly in your garden I could adopt?

Can't remember where you live...

Back in Texas I loved gardening for hummingbirds, and butterflies. I only had 1 kid then. But he loved it too. Especially with the monarchs. They are easy, and hatch like clock work. When they first come out they will walk all over your hands. I planted for monarchs and swallowtails. As soon as I saw the caterpillars I would bring them inside and we would raise them in a cage. Monarchs eat milkweed. Swallowtails eat fennel and dill.

After moving to Alaska... I found it was great if the kids got to pick something and be responsible for it.

For crafty kids straw flowers are great.

No cute butterflies here... but we like the bees, and we plant for them.

When I was a kid my mom made something like an igloo with chicken wire and then grew something over it. I still remember how great it was to crawl inside there.

 

[Alaskan]

I used to grow pumpkins and while they were still green, about 2/3 through the season, had the kids pick out "their" pumpkin. Then took a paring knife and scored their name into the skin. It would "scab over" and by the time the pumpkins were orange, it was emblazoned with their name in brown

Oh! That reminds me of what we did with carrots.

Start regular carrot seeds in a seed starting tray. As soon as the seedlings have a few leaves they already have a hugely long taproot that is the thickness of a hair.

Take them out to the garden and plant them. However you put that hair taproot in the ground is how it will grow.

 

[Alaskan]

right, i think you need a deep cell type to do them well from starts.

Only if you are wanting them to grow straight.



If that taproot is put into a hole as a spiral, you then get a spiral carrot.

I always wanted to try one year to make them into letters...... haven't.


Also... I really like all of the edible flowers.

We really like nasturtiums, they love our cool weather.

Calendula are also nice. Rip the flowers apart and sprinkle in a salad or sandwich.

 

[Hinotori]

I second radishes. We always had bush peas. Usually the english garden peas. My brothers and I would always sneak pods to eat the peas as they are so sweet fresh.

Sunflowers were good. We raised those for the fair. We had seed from my great grandfather that made these giant heads. Fought over the seeds as snacks during the winter.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I used to grow pumpkins and while they were still green, about 2/3 through the season, had the kids pick out "their" pumpkin. Then took a paring knife and scored their name into the skin. It would "scab over" and by the time the pumpkins were orange, it was emblazoned with their name in brown

Yes! This is fun!