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Top 10 plants to grow with Kids

The best plants for kids are the ones they want to grow. For most of us at Yates we've been gardening with our kids since they were 2 years old. From our experience the more hands on they are in the garden and picking their own plants or seed packets to grow from, reaps the best rewards. However, in saying this not  all plants are as easy to grow and it doesn’t hurt to try to steer them in the right direction. 

Here are our Top 10 plants to grow with your kids:

1. Carrots: seeds will need a bit of care while they're germinating, but when the kids finally get to pull them out of the ground, the look on their faces will be pure awe. It's like digging up buried treasure!

2. Peas: so easy to grow and so delicious to eat straight from the garden.

3. Corn: Kids love it when the stalks grow taller than their heads. To grow corn you will need a bit of space in a sunny vegie patch.

4. Potatoes: Harvesting them is like a treasure hunt. Plant in a container, so kids can dump it out and really dig in to find the potatoes.

5. Elephant's Ear Plants: These just sound cool, don't they. These giant leaves have a big name to live up to, and they certainly do. The leaves get up to 3 feet long, and they’re a good choice for shady areas. Most people treat elephant’s ears as an annual, though you can dig them up at the end of the season and replant them again in spring. Kid appeal: Digging a hole big enough for some of the giant varieties is a fun job all by itself.

6. Zinnias: vibrantly coloured flowers that make a lovely posy. A packet of zinnia seeds goes a long way. All you need is a sunny spot out in the garden, scatter the seed and mix gently into the soil. Kids can water their zinnia patch and watch as the seedlings emerge and grow.

7. Sunflowers:  a traditional favourite, with their beautiful big sunshine yellow flowers. Kids can start the seeds off indoors, watch them sprout and then transplant them out into the garden. Kids can measure how tall their sunflowers get! .

8. Lamb's Ears: Lambs’ ears often fly under the radar, but they’re a wonderful addition to any garden. Tolerating sun, shade and even drought, they’re very forgiving. Plus they bloom from early summer to frost, so you can enjoy them for months. Kid appeal: The soft, woolly leaves make them a must-touch plant.

9. Snapdragons: super fun plants for kids as when you squeeze the flowers it looks like the mouth of a dragon opening and closing.

10. Cherry tomatoes: sweet bite sized tomatoes that kids will love to eat! Compact varieties are perfect for pots and can be ready to pick in as little as 10 weeks.

Recommended Products 

Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix

Yates Black Magic Seed Raising Mix

Specially formulated for trouble-free seed raising in trays (or outdoor seed sowing direclty into the ground) and propagation of cuttings.

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