The garden might be a relaxing place for an adult, but for a toddler it could be a bit overwhelming. Get down on your toddler's level and plan a toddler garden.
Space, size and small hands
A toddler's hands are small. So is a toddler's attention span. Plan accordingly when planning the toddler garden. Make sure the garden isn't larger than the toddler can handle. Just one or two different plants is enough for a toddler or young kid. Another thing to consider is making the garden small enough so that the toddler can reach across the garden. Container gardens are a great solution for this common kids' gardening problem. Just about any container can be used. Besides the common garden pots you find at any home and garden store, use plastic milk jugs, bottles even cardboard boxes.
The right garden tools for a toddler are also important. Many companies offer smaller, kid-sized tools that make it easier for smaller hands to grip.
Easy plants for toddlers
Many typical garden plants are easy for a toddler to handle. Here is a list of six typical garden plants that a toddler might like to have in the garden:
Lettuce
Lettuce is easy and fun to grow. It's nutritious too. It can be planted in relatively small spaces and many lettuces are quick growers. For a toddler, quick can raise and keep interest in gardening.
Radishes
Radishes grow quickly, sometimes taking only one month to mature. Many harvests can be had in a growing season. It's why radishes are a top pick for a toddler's garden. They rarely need any care other than regular watering and weeding.
Squash
Squash grow quickly during the hot summer. Some squash, such as zucchini, can have spines on them, but there are many varieties that don't have spines and are great for a toddler's garden. Squash don't require much care and are great container plants. They can have a heavy production, which can be a plus to keep a toddler's interest in gardening.
Sunflowers
What kid doesn't like sunflowers? Grow a shelter of sunflowers for the toddler. Grow sunflowers for later snacks of sunflower seeds. Sunflowers also attract wildlife such as deer and birds. Sunflowers thrive in warm weather and full sun.
Bush beans
Beans are a good bet for a toddler's garden. They produce a normal to high yield in most climates and conditions. There are two main types of beans: pole beans and bush beans. Pole beans require staking and aren't as easy as bush beans. Bush beans don't need any staking and produce throughout the season. They are fun to harvest as well.
Peas
Peas are like beans. They are fun to harvest and a toddler will enjoy plucking the pods off the vine. Most peas require a little staking but many only grow to about three to four feet. They grow beautiful (edible) flowers. Toddlers will enjoy watching the transformation of the flowers into the pods. Many peas are enjoyable straight from the garden, with edible pods.
Attention spans
Toddlers' attention spans are usually rather short, so don't expect too much from them. They may eventually grow uninterested in the garden. Even if they don't want their own gardens, you can still teach them to have a love of gardening by including them in your normal garden routine. Have them help you with routine garden chores such as watering or weeding even if it is only every other day. If you break it down into smaller chunks of time, the toddler may develop an interest in gardening.
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