Kiddie proof gardening!

It's been a while.... so I decided to get my finger oot, and get the garden tidied up for the Spring, planting some Tulips, and other bulbs here and there... Strawberry plants survived the mild winter... The Acer, and young pear "sproutling" both budding and doing well....
Until that is, the twins discovered the garden. They love it, all that space to run around, swings, chutes, etc... oh yes and plants to behead, leaves to pull off :O

Any suggestions for a kiddie proof garden, that can have plants in it ? I have planted some Carrots, green tails and other veggies, but they're still young (just turned 2) and I don't want to encourage them that they can eat "anything" in the garden as that would not be good parenting!!!

Maybe I should give up, and just have grass until they're 18 - take the easy route lol

SF

(Been away, winter == dark skies == good for astronomy!!!)

 

I sectioned off my veg patch so the kids couldn't get into it when they were little.

 

Thats a plan... although, knowing our two, they'll soon have a "workround" to bypass said fence/blockade lol


SF

 

This is a perfect scenario for one of my personal favourites: Nasturtium.

It looks pretty, is pretty much indestructible, and is edible and therefore harmless if it gets eaten. However, to the delicate palette of a toddler, although edible, it is unlikely to teach them that they can eat just anything they find. It has a fairly strong taste of pepper.

Other than that, how about some of the herbs? Thyme, Rosemary, Lavender, Sage, Mint, Lemon Balm, can all take a battering without fighting back.

 

all of my children and grandchildren have been around the veg patch since they were little i find that if you involve them they learn so quick they they are quite helpfull to have around the youngest one that helps is 18months and the eldest are just gone 3 and to their credit the 3 yr olds are now teaching the youngest ones, i find the trick is to give them their own little space to work and always allow them to feel they are really helping you! they are so eager to please when they are encouraged lol

 

The eight year old Grandson, Helps, does quite a lot for me but he does get PAID :-)
he is a good little worker
Last week we saw this 3' log coming along the road with little feet and a cap
He had picked up this 12" diameter remains of a tree after the storm damage in the woods he walk through from school, and carried a nice garden seat home for grandad
Jeezo I can hardly lift it :-)
Last weekend he moved one tonne of stone chips to a pile for me
I do not have a wheel barrow just a box on a little cart

The three year old grandaughter waters everything, so has her own little patch with radsish and Lettuce
The two two yearolds just water fight and destroy everything, but encouraging :-(

They all want to go in the greenhouse, where I manage to get away with letting them use a little pressure spray bottle for a couple of minutes

Ooop what did I not do today, Nothing I am afraid, although I ran out of hours free to complete I am riddling one tonne of stone chips and top soil to reclaim the soil and seperate the chips, so far I have twenty bags of chips and six bags of finely riddled top soil so far, about half way there

I do not know why the panic as now I have all the time in the world, only I was hoping to have this done before I retired
Well I do I just want my garden tidy and how I want it Now and not tomorrow

Jack McH

 

That's what I want my two little 'uns to be like... I want to involve them, so they have a love of the garden, and not be running around screaming everytime a buzzing insect comes near them (although our daughter insists on saying "hiya" to any little beastie, or worm she sees lol).
I have now kept a little bit of garden to the side just for them. It's not big, just 2'x8', and got them a little garden 'tool' set. Hopefully when it's dry, I'll get them to plant some seeds (sunflowers, herbs, maybe some peas), and let them water them. Hopefully get them more interested, and less destructive. It has to be better than staying indoors all day!

Thanks guys
SF

 

Don't forget to keep a small patch empty, so the kiddies can dig for worms.

Also there is a good trick to keep interest up but its sort of cheating a bit. You could sow some seeds in pots, then hide them from the kids until the seeds have germinated. Then in identical pots, get them to sow some seeds. Then if there's take more than a few days (an eternity to a kid) to come through, you can secretly swap theirs for yours. You then totally matter of fact ask if theirs have grown yet, and get them to take you to check, then you make a great show of surprised excitement at seeing the young seedlings there.

 

Hummmm. Gosh, you know I trained my dogs not to run in any of my gardens. How about training children.

 

OUCH !

 

Clueless1, got my seedlings on a bench in the garden shed, out of the reach of little fingers Yesterday, they discovered the little patch I kept aside for them, and were happily digging for worms (or treasure lol). Once the seedlings are a little stronger, I'll let them have a go at planting them. Cheers

Train...? I could keep them in their highchairs, but that's no fun for a pair of very active 2 year olds, which tons of energy to burn off. Think I'd rather put up with a few broken plants, and teach them about the natural environment around them, through involvement and practical little projects. Think that would be more fun, not just for them, but me also

 

When my daughter was small I put a fence + gate between my patio and the lawn/borders, and another fence/gate at the end of the lawn, dividing the garden into three areas, rather like I did in the house using 'stair' gates in doorways.

 

So active 2 year old's do not understand the word "NO"... hum..
Not really wishing to start an issues. But I think the fundamental teaching of a young child is to know his/her boundries. Yes it is work, but at 2 years old I would expect this.
I also have a cat who knows the word no.

 

Yes Redstar
Only you can not use the whip and chair on children, Like the ringmaster at the Circus with his cats :-)

Jack McH

 

Redstar, these children are being reared in Britain not China!