Gardening is a hobby that can become an all consuming passion. So just by seeing your enthusiasm your kids will want to try their hand with their own little plot. I found this article over at the National Garden Bureau website which suggests some fun plants to grow. The pocketbook, Four O-Clocks, the money plant and flying saucers are just a few of their ideas.
?What?s best for the environment?? is often asked these days. Well, what?s best for the environment is teaching our children respect and concern for nature. One way to start this training early, and have some fun doing it, is a child?s garden. The immediate and long-term benefits of encouraging a child to plant his or her own garden are enormous.
Through school and the media, many youngsters, even preschoolers, are already very aware of nature and ecology. The garden is an excellent place to reinforce what they have heard and learned and a great place to encourage their creativity and self-discipline. They will be exposed to the beauty of Nature, a beauty they will help nurture, and through growing vegetables they may learn a degree of self-sufficiency. A childhood start on understanding and respecting the environment plants the ?seeds? for future responsibilities. We all know it needs to be done, so let?s do it with fun.
Lions and Dragons
Did you ever ?snap? the jaws of a snapdragon, or ?see? fantastic faces in pansies, or savor the tangy aroma of fresh mint when you crushed some leaves in your hands when you were a child? Whether you did or you didn?t, there are numerous plants that provide their own extra-special sense of fun and learning. Below are a few suggestions. Maybe you have some childhood memories to add.
Some ?Fun? Plants to Grow
Calceolaria ? called the ??pocketbook? plant, the blooms resemble old-fashioned purses.
Four O-Clocks ? Easy to grow from seed, these colorful flowers don?t open until mid-to late afternoon.
Torenia ? The ?wishbone plant.? Inside the bloom is a small ridge shaped just like a wishbone.
Lunaria ? The ?money plant? forms disc shaped seedpods that can be easily rubbed and polished to resemble a silvery quarter sized coin.
Scallop Squash ? Summer squashes that resemble flying saucers
Impatiens ? ?Bizzy Lizzy? or ?Impatient? plant. The ripe seedpods burst open to scatter seed. Put a fat one in your hand and press lightly for a good tickle when it bursts.
Sweet Peas ? Dwarf or climbing, these lovely flowers have the same name as the character in Popeye cartoons. Maybe you should plant it next to the spinach.
Read more at National Garden Bureau
