Gardening with Children?

Hello all,
I'm new to the forums and wondered if there was a thread or forum focused on gardening with/for children?

Right now we plant a garden for butterfly larvae and we had a nice shady wild grape/wisteria 'bower' that the kids could play in until a neighbor cut it down.

We have several of the 'Square Foot Gardening' beds and the kids get to choose a few vegetables and plants that they tend to, as well as each having a window-box to plant.

That may all change if we end up moving to a house with a larger yard this Summer, and both the kids and I have some ideas, but I also want to see what other suggestions folks might have for kid-friendly garden design. (My 5-year-old wants to plant a circle of what we call 'Pompous' grass and plant a weeping willow in the center!)

So, as I wander through the local forum, please spin me around and point me in the right direction. . . if there is one!

Teresa

Theresa: I'm not aware of one, but that's a great idea for a forum! (Cute kid, by the way.)

Such a look of concentration! I'm glad you've got your kids involved in the garden and invested in their own plants and design ideas... there's joy in that, far beyond the knowledge about plants and butterflies etc that they're learning!

I love the idea of a sunflower house or fort... just make a shallow planting trench in the outline of your choice (square for a playhouse, maybe round for a fort or a castle), sow tall sunflower seeds, plus maybe some morning glories to climb the sunflowers, cover the seeds lightly and water in. Be sure to leave a gap for a door!

Maybe go to a few such as veg gardening, wildlife, birdwatching and butterfly of course, and ask for kid ideas in each. also beginning gardening forums.
If white potatos grow there at all try them. Easy to plant, fun to dig.
Peas can be eaten right off the vine- kid fun.
Moonflowers great for trellis and you can actually see them pop open at the right moment and smell great.
These are some of my faves.