Brianabr
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advice for planning a native plants garden with kids

Hi! I'm new to this forum (and very new to gardening). At some point in the near future, I'm planning to work with young children (kindergarten through 3rd grade) to plan and plant a garden of plants native to the Chesapeake region. Any suggestions as to what plants would be particularly well suited to young gardeners (I.e. easy to care for, “showy” results, etc.)? Also, I would like to let the children take the lead when planning the garden. Do you know of any resources for native garden planning that would be appropriate for young children? Any thoughts and advice on the subject are welcome! Thanks!

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rainbowgardener
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What a great idea! Kids that age today can identify tons of corporate logos, but none of their native plants. Do you want things you can plant from seed? Is the area they will grow in sunny?

AnnaIkona
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My kids are in 3rd and 5th grades, and they grow peas on their own! The seeds are fairly cheap, and all you gotta do it plant 'em, water 'em almost whenever you can and watch 'em grow! :) I started gardening at a very young age, growing peas was my favourite veggie to grow (maybe cause it was so easy to).

LIcenter
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Location: Long Island, NY Zone 7a/6b-ish

Sounds like a wonderful idea! :-()

Here are some links to help you along with plant and tree selection.

https://www.nps.gov/plants/pubs/chesapea ... atives.pdf

https://www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide ... ants_trees

https://www.nativeplantcenter.net/

Susan W
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Great idea for a project, but will take lots of study, and lots of trial and error. As you are new to the garden, another challenge, and I am sure you are up to it!

Many of the natives are perennial. In short, often difficult to start from seed, and often 1 year out to bloom. Your easy showy annuals including marigolds and zinnias are introduced. You may find a sunflower native to your area.

imafan26
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Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

This link might help you find native plant for your area. These native plants help support the native insectary and ecosystem as well. Thinking in terms of microclimates and ecosystems opens up a larger world that includes more than just plants.

https://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm

ButterflyLady29
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Don't forget food sources for larval stages of native butterflies. Kids get so excited when they can watch those caterpillars grow and become lovely butterflies.

I also would add in some non-native plants that are highly attractive to hummingbirds. Their favorite for me was a Cuphea ignea.

Brianabr
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Thanks all! These are some wonderful ideas and resources.

Brianabr
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Almost forgot, the area is quite sunny. As for starting from seeds, that's something that I'll have to decide based on how realistic it is. There is a bit of a budget, so we don't have to begin with seeds. Also, this is a long-term project with lots of prep time, so no worries there. Thanks again for all the help!

catgrass
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Not native exactly, but plant some sunflowers, too. Kids love them, they grow quickly. There are many different kinds and sizes. Teddy Bear is a good small one and there are some that get no bigger than 4 ft.



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