Easy Seeds to Sow and Grow
One of the primary reasons we decided to start this flower farm was to immerse our daughter in an environment where she could develop a deeper connection to nature and learn to appreciate its beauty and importance. Although only 8 years old, she has become a big help on the farm. From starting seeds all the way through to helping with harvesting and arranging. The other day, she even said she wanted to be a flower farmer when she grew up (🥲).
Every year, we give her a little garden box of her own where she can grow what she wants. Engaging her in this way helps to cultivate a sense of ownership and responsibility and pride in what she’s grown. There’s nothing like the joy on her face when she sees the first bud forming on a plant she seeded!
But what seeds are best for a little kid? They need to be easy. That means fast to germinate and grow and easy to harvest. Below, I’ve given a run-down of some of the plants I steer her towards so she has success each year. I hope you are inspired to do something similar with your kids! You don’t need a big space. We use a 4x4 raised planter box (our is from Princess Auto, linked here: ) but you can easily make your own using a few pieces of wood.
Snap Peas
Snap peas are a quick-growing early crop. Their crisp sweet pods are fun to harvest and snack on right off the vine. This is a cool-weather crop which makes it perfect for spring planting. Try finding a dwarf variety that doesn’t get very tall and is self-supporting. Otherwise use a trellis to guide the vines up which is also a fun task for kids.
2. Zinnias
These cheerful blooms love the sun and heat. They come in many different colours and are easy to grow. Direct sow them once the chance of frost has passed and watch them bloom about 2 months after sowing. Zinnias are cut-and-come-again flowers so your kids can pick the flowers and watch them continue to put out new growth.
3. Sunflowers
Sunflowers are a must for a child's garden in my opinion. The seeds germinate in a week and come in many different varieties. As a general rule, the seed spacing predicts the size of the flower head (i.e. 4” spacing will grow a 4” sunflower head) so consider this when planting in a small space.
4. Radishes
Radishes are super fast growers, being harvestable in less than a month. Kids love to see the little red globes popping out of the soil. The big trick is trying to get your kids to eat them!
5. Cosmos
Cosmos are super easy to grow from seed. Direct sow the seeds right into soil once the danger of frost has passed. These whimsical flowers are a delight to grow and super unfussy.
This is obviously not an exhaustive list - there are so many other seeds that are easy to grow. Let me know in the comments what plants you grow from seed that are great for beginners?
