I want to start a garden for my kids...

One plant that i recommend just because its FUN is this one plant (I'llhave to ask my husband the name of it) that when you breath on it or touch it, it closes LOL we bought my kids each one of those a few yrs back and they loved them LOL..I'll post the name as soon as I have it.. Other than that, are you thinking of a veggie garden or flower garden or a mix of the two?? If you are thinking veggies why not ask the kids what they'd like to grow...and with flowers why not take them to the greenhouse and let them pick out simple easy care plants (an employee could help you with that)

We used to do this with both my mom & my grandmother when I was young. We had lettuce (ice berg), carrots especially grown from carrot tops & then replanted into the ground outside! Chives, Mint! & Sweet Peas! They are all pretty cool & can be started inside in March, early April as seedlings.

The really important thing with gardening for kids is variety and quick results. Try radishes, for a salad crop that is ready in just two weeks, small lettuces, baby veg that you pick really small and they will enjoy eating. Add to that really tall things like sunflowers that they can see getting taller by the day, maybe a moster pumpkin plant for the autumn. How about plants that attract butterflies? A birdtable? Something that smells nice like lavender for them to mix potions with maybe? Those sorts of things are great for kids and keep them interested in what is going on.

I have got lillies that my son takes care of but your discuission has given me such nice ideas. sunflowers and lettuce OI think I will try them out with him. that will really help him get interested. I am bookmarking this thread for any future refrence. this is a good one.

I would probably start with a small garden this year and enlarge it next year if you feel they still have an interest. Too large of a garden can be disheartening if they can't keep it weed free. I would give them something interesting to grow like potatoes, pumpkins, peas, green beans, tomatoes or strawberries --something they've grown and they can actually eat. Sunflowers would be great too. These are all easy to grow.

we do gardening as part of my kids home schooling. i have found the easiest things to grow are beans, tomatoes, watermellon. for flowers it has been daisys, wildflowers, baby breath, morning glories. what we do is every year when seeds go on sell like in the fall we go to the dollar store and places like that. the kids pick out each 10 flowers and 10 veggies. then we plant that spring. now walmart has some good deals on little starter stuff you can do in the house then move them outside too. they are really easy to do .

Mine, and my childrens favorite thing to grow are sunflowers. They grow so fast. We go outside and measure the stem everyday to see how much it had grown overnight. One day it was shorter than my son, two days later it was a foot over his head!! LOL! Check out the book "Sunflower Houses" by Sharon Lovejoy. It is full of wonderful and fun ideas for kids (and parents!) to use in the garden! Have fun!!! :)