5 Kid Friendly Plants to Grow in the Garden
One of my closest friends has 4 kids, and for the past couple years she has grown a small veggie garden. Her kids have really enjoyed seeing things grow, and we were talking about the best things for kids to grow.
Snap Peas - These have always been a favorite for me, even as a kid! The seeds are big and easy to plant, plus they germinate quickly and grow quickly. Put up a small fence for them to climb as they grow, and you’ll be eating delicious sweet snap peas in no time!
Snacking Peppers - These are such a tasty treat when you’re out in the garden! This sweet pepper has a delicious crunch, and is a great afternoon snack.
Green Beans - Also a fast grower, beans are fun to plant, and fun to watch grow. Our beans have been loving the rains this year, and once they germinated the plants have been growing quickly. They have a relatively short time to maturity, usually around 50 days, so you’ll be enjoying fresh beans from your garden in no time!
Pumpkins - A caveat for these…the vines grow quickly, but the time to maturity is usually 80-90 days, so it takes a long time to get to harvest. I have always loved growing pumpkins though, both as a kid and as an adult! Make sure you have a large space for these vines to spread out.
Sunflowers - I love sunflowers, and every year I plant a row or two of them. They are fast growers, and it’s fun to see the flowers get so tall. Most varieties are around 6-8 feet at maturity. If you’re like me though, your eyes are on the “mammoth” sunflowers that are 12+ feet tall…which are so fun! What’s nice about sunflowers is the wide range of varieties out there. You can plant smaller flowers in pots, or larger plants in your garden. There is also an array of different colors available, many more than your classic yellow and brown sunflower!
Honorable Mention - Raspberries - If you are looking to grow fruit with your kids, my recommendation is to plant a few raspberry bushes. It often will take a while for the plants to establish, and it might take a couple of years to produce fruit, but raspberries are quite vibrant in Minnesota’s climate. Relatively, raspberries are easier to grow than strawberries or blueberries, making them a fun fruit to grow with your family in your home garden. The plants also multiply - you’ll find new growth growing off of your raspberry canes, even in the first year!
When planning a garden, it’s best to consider what your family enjoys eating, but including kids in the planning, planting, and harvesting process can be so rewarding for everyone!
