Children's Garden Tips & Info

Did you know that "kindergarten" is the German phrase for children's garden?

It may be because they act as a greenhouse for young minds. How can little ones be involved in your garden? Plant simple things that are certain to grow and easy to take care of.

Children in Garden

Pole beans are good starter plants, as is anything tried and right in your yard that can't be killed no matter what! Mint is an excellent choice. It's a quick grower, smells nice, and has an excellent texture for young hands that are sure to brush it repeatedly.

You can even teach simple plant identifying techniques by showing tiny fingers the surprisingly square-shaped stems that mints are known for. Plus, it's edible, so sneaking snacks behind Mama's back is no problem. 

Creating a Magical Children's Garden

There is something truly magical about children's gardens. These spaces offer young ones a chance to explore and discover the wonders of nature in a safe and stimulating environment. With every step, children can experience the thrill of discovering new plants, insects, and wildlife while also developing an appreciation for the natural world. Whether you have a sprawling backyard or a small balcony, creating a children's garden is a fantastic way to encourage your little ones to embrace their curiosity, creativity, and love for the great outdoors. By incorporating colorful flowers, whimsical sculptures, and interactive features such as a butterfly garden or a miniature pond, you can create a truly enchanting space that your children will cherish for years.

Designing a Children's Garden

Creating a captivating and immersive children's garden requires careful consideration of several factors. Firstly, selecting plants that engage the senses and spark curiosity is essential. For example, you can choose vibrant flowers to draw children's engagement and encourage them to explore. Fragrant herbs such as lavender, thyme, mint, and rosemary will also add a delightful aroma to the garden, making it a multi-sensory experience. Including plants with textured foliage, like lamb's ears, ferns, and succulents, will also pique the children's curiosity and encourage them to touch and feel the plants.

In addition to selecting the right plants, the garden's design should incorporate a mix of different shapes, sizes, and heights. This variety will add visual interest to the garden and encourage children to engage with their surroundings. You can include tall plants like sunflowers and hollyhocks, providing a natural hideaway for children to play in. Low-growing plants such as creeping thyme and chamomile will create a soft and inviting carpet for children to sit on and play. Finally, you can add various garden structures, such as tunnels, arches, and trellises, to create a sense of adventure and wonder.

Next, consider adding whimsical elements like stepping stones, fairy houses, or a mini pond to ignite the imagination. These features enhance the garden's aesthetic appeal and provide opportunities for imaginative play and storytelling.

Opt for child-friendly materials such as smooth rocks, rounded edges, and non-toxic plants to ensure safety. Install sturdy fences or barriers to delineate the garden's boundaries and prevent accidents. Remember to leave plenty of open space for running, jumping, and playing games.

 

A children's garden is a magical place where the young ones can explore, learn, and play in the great outdoors. It's more than just a space for leisure; it's a valuable educational resource that offers endless opportunities for discovery and growth.

Integrating educational elements into the garden design can transform it into a dynamic learning environment that inspires curiosity and encourages hands-on exploration. You can teach children about biology, botany, and the environment by incorporating plants, flowers, and vegetables. You can add signage, labels, and interactive displays to facilitate learning math, history, and literature. A children's garden is a space that fosters creativity, imagination, and a love for nature. It's a place where children can learn, play, and develop a deeper connection with the world around them.

Create themed areas dedicated to different aspects of nature, such as a butterfly garden, vegetable patch, or sensory corner. Label plants with informative signs or engage children in planting and caring for their crops. Incorporate opportunities for wildlife observation by installing bird feeders, insect hotels, or a small pond ecosystem.

Encourage learning through play by incorporating interactive features like a weather station, sundial, or outdoor chalkboard. Provide gardening tools scaled to fit children's hands and teach them basic gardening skills such as planting, watering, and weeding. Encourage experimentation and problem-solving by allowing children to explore different growing techniques and observe the effects of environmental factors on plant growth.

Children's Gardens Promote Healthy Habits

Children in Garden

A children's garden is a place of beauty and learning and a fertile ground for instilling healthy habits and a sense of responsibility. Its abundant fresh, nutritious produce serves as an excellent tool for teaching kids about the origins of food and its importance in promoting a healthy lifestyle. The garden provides a hands-on experience for children to learn about the cycle of life, the role of pollinators, and the importance of caring for the atmosphere. Children can develop a sense of responsibility and ownership by participating in the garden's upkeep, enhancing their appreciation for nature and healthy living.

Creating a vegetable garden is an excellent way to involve children in outdoor activities. They will learn valuable skills such as planning, planting, and caring for plants. Once the garden is ready, children can enjoy the fruits of their labor by harvesting and tasting the fresh produce. You can also incorporate fun and educational activities like composting and recycling to instill eco-friendly habits and reduce waste. By teaching children the importance of composting, they will understand how to turn waste into valuable fertilizer for the garden. Recycling will also help them learn how to reduce waste and protect the environment.

You can add features like a climbing frame, balance beam, or obstacle course to make the garden even more engaging. Incorporating these physical activities into the garden will encourage children to stay active while also enjoying the beauty of nature. Not only will they have fun, but they will also get the benefits of physical exercise.

 

Encourage children to play actively and connect with the natural world outdoors. Provide comfortable seating areas where they can relax and observe the garden's inhabitants, whether birds, butterflies, or buzzing bees. By promoting a healthy and active lifestyle, a children's garden can instill lifelong habits that benefit physical and mental well-being.

Kids in Garden

In conclusion, creating a magical children's garden is a rewarding endeavor that offers countless opportunities for exploration, learning, and growth. By designing a welcoming space, incorporating educational elements, and promoting healthy habits, you can create a captivating environment where children can connect with nature and unleash their imagination. Whether a small backyard corner or a sprawling outdoor oasis, a children's garden can inspire amazement and interest for years.

 

 

Blue Flag Iris - TN Nursery

Blue Flag Iris

Blue Flag Iris has blue, nectar-rich blooms that are beautiful to various pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. It is a stunning and versatile plant with numerous landscaping benefits. This lovely perennial herbaceous plant is native to North America. Properly known as the Blue Flag Iris, this plant is native to the northeastern region of the United States and the Canadian provinces. Its striking blue flower, often deepening to indigo and violet, grows to a height of roughly three feet. Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) Perennials Has Petals and Sepals Sepals are the parts of the flower surrounding the bud as it develops. The petals are the "flowering part" of the whole flower. In many cases regarding other flowers, the sepals are green and leafy, but when it comes to this plant, they are the same color as the flowers, which forms almost a scintillating effect as the plant blooms from May through July. It is perennial, meaning they'll liven up their garden with magnificent flowers yearly. Blue Flag Iris has Sord-Like Foliage  The plant's leaves resemble swords. They grow in attractive clumps beneath the soaring blue-and-violet flowers. The eye-catching combination of light green swords and sumptuous, 4-inch flowers is a terrific way to draw someone's eye to the center of a garden. Blue Flag Iris Loves Water Because they're hardy plants that thrive near water, in the crepuscular times before people start their day, the beautiful flowers will shimmer in the bright sun when covered with dew. The colors of the plant comprise the bottom of the spectrum, so they complement the refracted colors of the dewdrops and are genuinely a sublime sight to behold. Environmentally Sound As Well As Beautiful While gazing lovingly at these sensational flowers, gardeners will also notice bees and multicolored hummingbirds flitting between the blooming buds all spring and summer. These lovely and lively flowers are healthy for all plants in the garden and sublime viewing. Blue Flag Iris Is An Excellent Perennial For Wetlands Blue Flag Iris also sports yellow "accessories" throughout June and July. Inside the petals, the yellow patch and spreading veins contrast the deep blue and violet of the sepals and petals. That means the plant is a good-looking flower that "plays nice with others" of the same color and flower shape in any garden. What makes the Blue Flag Iris unique? The Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) is celebrated for gorgeous, showy blue to purple flowers with intricate veining. It grows in wetlands, beautifies gardens, and is also an embodiment of resilience and elegance.  How do I care for the Blue Flag Iris?  This perennial needs moist to wet soil and full to partial sun. Once planted, it is effortless to maintain, which makes it perfect for all, whether a professional horticulturist or an amateur gardener.  Can the Blue Flag Iris grow in containers?  Blue Flag Iris can be cultivated in containers if there is a constant supply of moisture and adequate drainage. This makes it perfect for use in small gardens, patios, or balcony areas.  When does the Blue Flag Iris bloom?  The Blue Flag Iris usually flowers in late spring to early summer. The flowers of this plant are conspicuous and a nice indication of more favorable weather, not to mention they do add a pop of color to a garden.  Is Blue Flag Iris good for wildlife? Blue Flag Iris is a favorite of numerous pollinators, such as bees and butterflies. It also has valuable habitat uses in wetlands and aids toward a better ecosystem.

Jewelweed plant

Jewelweed Plant

It is known for its vibrant appearance and unique characteristics and offers various landscaping benefits. Its inclusion can contribute to a garden or outdoor space's overall aesthetic appeal and ecological balance.  Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is an annual wildflower known as orange balsam and spotted touch-me-not. Some say it gets its name from the sparkling dewdrops that line its leaves in the morning, while others contend that the brilliant, red-spotted orange flowers glow like bright jewels. These flowers are also famous for their explosive seed pods, which give the plant the name "touch-me-not." Native to northern and eastern North America, it starts blooming in June and continues until it succumbs to October frosts. The flower grows naturally in cool, low woodlands and decorates shady stream banks, creek banks, lakesides, and marshes. The Appearance Of Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) Orange balsam is a lush green wildflower that grows 3'–5' tall. It branches prolifically and produces a profusion of inch-long, spotted orange blossoms with blood-orange or red markings. Each delicate blossom hangs from its stalk among neighboring flowers. They have two lips, five petals, and three sepals, one of which is a pouch-shaped structure with a nectar spur that curves back under the rest of the flower. The blooms form small clusters that rise above the herb's upper leaves. The Jewelweed's round green to reddish-grTNeen stems are smooth, succulent, and semi-translucent. Its toothed, spade-shaped, bluish-green leaves are usually about 2½"–3" long and grow alternating on the herb's upper stems. Jewelweed Is Great In Woodland Gardens  Jewelweed makes a beautiful addition to woodland gardens, shady rain gardens, and pollinator gardens. It's great for ponds, bog gardens, and lowland areas. Although it's an annual, this wildflower tends to return once established. Pollinators Love Jewelweed Plant The blossoms attract butterflies and other pollinators. Hummingbirds and bumblebees, the herb's primary pollinators, find nourishment in its sweet nectar and play a significant role in its successful propagation. It is also a food source for moth caterpillars, bobwhite quail, mice, and deer, and it is fond of its stems, leaves, and seeds. If you'd like to add a bright pop of orange to your summer garden, planting it will bring joy to your landscape with its delightful blooms. What is a Jewelweed Plant Jewelweed, or Impatiens capensis, is a shady ornamental herbaceous plant. It blooms orange trumpet-shaped flowers. The plant will do best around a wetland or a stream.  Why is it called "Jewelweed"?  The name is given because of the beads the water drops make on the leaves, which shine like jewels when exposed to the sunlight.  Is Jewelweed easy to grow Jewelweed is an easy-growing plant and likes moist, shady areas. Once planted, it grows itself, so it's perfect for a natural garden.  Does Jewelweed support wildlife?  Yes, it does. Its nectar is a draw for butterflies and other insect pollinators so that live miracles will be in your compound. It also feeds many insects and, in this way, supplants natural landscapes.  The best fertilizer for Jewelweed Jewelweed is happy in rich soil and does not need to be fertilized. But if you have to put in fertilizer, put 10-10-10 in. Never fertilize too much, or they will produce too much foliage.

Annual Phlox - TN Nursery

Annual Phlox

Annual Phlox blooms in spring, summer, and fall, making this perennial so popular. It also has a long blooming season in the fall and stays blooming for weeks. This delightful flowering plant brings robust color and charm to any landscaping project. As an annual plant, it completes its life cycle within a single growing season, but its attributes make it a popular choice for gardeners year after year. Let's explore why this annual is a fantastic addition to your landscape. Annual Phlox is a long-blooming and easy-to-grow plant known for its diverse and colorful blooms. With cheerful shades of lavender, pink, white, and red, these plants are among the favorites for all types of gardens and landscaping situations. These flowers are native to North America and commonly found in Texas, California, Alabama, Arkansas, and as far north as Minnesota. The Annual Phlox (Phlox drummondii) is a Low Growing Blooming Ground Cover Plant Their blooming season starts in spring and continues until the hot summer; however, they bloom again in fall. If you opt for a pollinator garden, they are ideal companion plantings that attract early pollinators with their sweet scent and vibrant blooms. By choosing them, you can support biodiversity and the local ecosystem. Whether you are an experienced flower farmer or have found a new passion for planting vibrant blooms in your garden, order your annual phlox plants from TN Nursery. Add these plants to your garden to enhance its aesthetic appeal and enjoy the beautiful, sweet scent in the air. Features of Annual Phlox The annual phlox plant has a subtle, sweet scent similar to honey or melon. The fragrance and vibrant blooms attract early pollinators to feed on nectar and collect pollen, ultimately supporting the ecosystem's health. Under ideal conditions, the plant can grow 6 to 18 inches tall. Annual Phlox Loves Well Draining Soil The plants can thrive in most garden soil but bloom best in well-drained soil and full sun with moderate watering required. Make sure to plant it in a large pot with a drainage hole. The plants are known for their reputation for being easy to grow and care for, making them an ideal option for new and experienced gardeners. Add Color To Your Garden With Annual Phlox You can buy starter phlox plants for sale from TN Nursery and plant them in your beautiful garden. The plants also support companion planting, which means you can plant them alongside other sun-loving plants such as Yarrow, Bee Balm, and Orange Daylily to enhance your garden’s appearance. What Are Annual Phlox   Annual phlox is an easy-to-grow plant that produces flowers with shades of pink, red, white, and purple. It has become popular among gardeners because it is easy to grow and will add vivid colors of bloom to gardens and pots.  Where does Annual Phlox thrive best  This plant grows best in areas that receive full sun and is well suited to borders or pots. Even though it thrives in areas of full sunlight, it can grow well in partially shaded environments.  How long does it take for Annual Phlox to bloom  Annual phlox usually sets flower within 8-10 weeks of planting meaning it is one of the fastest flowering perennials. It has a long flowering period, hence bright flowers in summer and early fall season.  Is annual phlox easy to care for?  Annual phlox is not very demanding. It only needs moderate watering and deadheading to encourage it to rebloom. It is a hardy plant that grows well in various conditions, making it a good one for beginners in gardening.  Can Annual Phlox attract pollinators Annual phlox is a quick favorite of bees and butterflies; therefore, it is perfect for pollinator gardens. Also, its flowers produce a pleasant fragrance to the surroundings.

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