Children: getting them interested in gardening
Inspiring children to enjoy plants and gardening can give them a healthy hobby for their whole lives. Capture their interest with brightly-coloured flowers, scented plants, tactile leaves and tasty, quick-growing, edible plants.
Quick facts
Why the RHS inspires children to garden
Gardening is a healthy and inexpensive way for children to learn and have fun at home, school or the allotment. Research suggests children perform better at school if they’re involved with gardening and many will develop a greater interest in healthy eating if they get to grow their own veg.
Gardening for childen and young people
Activities to get children into gardening
Wellbeing benefits of gardening for children
Kid’s spotter guides
RHS Campaign for School Gardening – we work with schools and groups to encourage children and young people to garden
Plants to inspire children
Experiencing success in growing plants as a child is often a person’s first memory of gardening. Give children their own positive experience by introducing them to some inspiring plants;
- Easy flowers to grow from seed include sunflowers, marigolds and poppies and big seeds from trees such as oak or sycamore
- Sensory plants to play with include rattling poppy seedheads, furry Stachys byzantina, smelly curry plant (Helichrysum italicum), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)
- Quick and tasty edible plants include swiss chard ‘Bright Lights’, radish, lettuce, courgettes and runner beans
- Edible flowers to try include sweet-tasting day lily (Hemerocallis) and peppery nasturtium
10 plants to include in a child-friendly garden
Places to visit
Outings to other gardens can be great for kids;
- RHS Gardens offer family activities and school visits
- Countryside Classroom
Resources
On the web:
- Family-friendly gardening activities
- RHS Campaign for School Gardening
- National Education Nature Park
- BBC website dedicated to gardening with children (in collaboration with the RHS)
Top 10 gardening books for children
Some of the most popular gardening titles are available to borrow as e-books, audiobooks or physical copies from the RHS Library.
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.