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Ten plants to include in a child-friendly garden

Safe plants for sensory experiences, learning and connecting with the natural world

Many new parents puzzle over how they can make their garden a safe space for their child. The good news is, there’s no need to start stripping your garden bare – the reality is that an outdoor space filled with safe, sensory or engaging plants can bring a multitude of benefits; including boosting a child’s development, aiding their learning and helping them to connect to the natural world.

As they grow older, the space will become a safe area for outdoor play and an opportunity for your child to get hands on and try growing some plants of their own, encouraging the development of new skills and benefitting your child physically, mentally and emotionally.

Whether you have an existing garden in which you’d like to create a child-friendly zone, or you’re lucky enough to have a blank canvas to design from scratch, here are ten of the best plants you can include to maximise its value for your child.

What do plants offer children?


Plants for a child-friendly garden can be divided into groups depending on what benefits they offer for the child. When choosing plants for your garden, try including some from each of these groups for a wide range of benefits throughout the year.
 

  1. Sensory experiences – e.g. fragrance, textures, movement in the wind
  2. Things to pick and eat – e.g. fruits and herbs
  3. Seasonal interest – e.g. autumn colour, evergreens, winter bark, early spring flowers
  4. Play opportunities – e.g. hide and seek, play props
  5. Shade to provide a play space sheltered from the sun
  6. Plants that encourage wildlife for the child to observe – e.g. flowers for insects, berries or seedheads for birds

Ten plants for a child-friendly garden


1. Sunflower

The iconic sunflower is a plant that is intrinsically linked with childhood, and perhaps bears the closest resemblance to a typical child’s drawing of a flower. It is reported that children are particularly drawn to the daisy form, which surely makes these large, bright, cheerful daisy blooms practically irresistible. Add to that how easy it is for a child to grow their own by planting the large seeds and watching them grow, and the possibilities for height competitions with siblings or friends, and we have a quintessential child-friendly plant that comes pre-equipped with an activity package. Come autumn, your little one might even be able to wonder at birds visiting to feast on the ripe seeds.
 

2. Strawberries 

Growing strawberries is a great opportunity to engage your child with where food comes from and the process of growing their own. Tiny hands will love to search among the leaves and pluck the bright, treasure-like ripe fruits – just don't expect many to make it back into the house! For best results, buy young plants or to really keep costs down, ask a friend with strawberries to share some runners.
 

3. Mint 

Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’
Children love engaging with the smells of plants, and that doesn’t just have to be flowers. They can rub the leaves of mint to release powerful scent, and even eat the leaves. Mentha × piperita will give you a classic peppermint scent, or try pineapple mint Mentha suaveolens ‘Variegata’ for a pineapple fragrance – or plant both, so that your child can compare the two. Mint is tough enough that it won't mind being picked at!
 

4. Nasturtiums

Studies have shown that the most important feature of flowers to young children is colour. ​The bright blooms of nasturtiums are a great example, forming mounding cascades of orange, red or yellow all summer long. Not only are nasturtium plants safe for children, but both the flowers and leaves are edible like a salad – so little hands can pick and eat as they please. Like sunflowers, nasturtiums are incredibly simple and cheap to grow, and the large seeds easy to handle. They’re great for container growing – all they need is a sunny spot and good drainage. If you grow them in a low container or in the ground, they’ll be at perfect child level.
 

5. Lamb’s ears

Perhaps the most tactile plant known to humankind, lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina) provides unbelievably soft and strokeable leaves at ground level; perfectly within reach for even the littlest of little ones. The silvery grey foliage is ideal for edging a path or running along the front of a bed. This unfussy perennial triumphs over drought and poor soils, providing an irresistibly sensory experience for tiny hands.

Children delight in plants that offer a variety of sounds, textures, and smells

- Robin C. Moore in ‘Plants for Play’

6. Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sensation Pinkie’
Cosmos are another plant that’s easy and satisfying to raise from seed and will pack a (100% safe!) punch for your child, creating a haze of long-lasting colour after just 12 weeks – and of course, bearing that all-important daisy form above lacy, textural foliage. Not only will your child love cosmos, but wildlife will too.
 

7. Pumpkins 

Pumpkins are a great plant to grow with children as they will be able to watch in wonder as the flowers develop into fruits that swell and ripen just in time for picking at Halloween. Another great activity plant, pumpkins provide possibilities for measuring how quickly they grow or competitions as to who can grow the biggest. If you have space for them to ramble, pumpkins are well worth a try.
 

8. Buddleia

Including a butterfly bush in your garden will, perhaps more than any other plant, give your child the opportunity to spot and observe colourful butterflies up close. The long heads of tiny flowers also provide a sensory experience through their sweet fragrance, while the shrub may help to provide shade in summer. Buddleias are also available in pink and white forms as well as the traditional purple, while dwarf forms such as the Buddleja davidii Buzz Series are ideal if you have limited space.
 

9. Fountain grass 

Pennisetum setaceum
Fountain grass or Pennicetum setaceum is not only a fantastic ornamental plant and child-safe, but has multiple sensory and play benefits too. The soft, furry flowerheads are incredibly tactile and give the sensation of stroking a furry mammal’s tail for a sensory experience that your child may find irresistible! These are held on long, airy stalks that sway in the breeze, providing a second sensory element of movement and wind effects. They can be great play props too – prepare to be tickled!
 

10. Chinese dogwood

Cornus kousa ‘Blue Shadow’
Not only will this small tree provide hiding places and some shade, but it also provides year-round seasonal interest. The blanket of handkerchief-like blooms in early summer is entrancing to adults and children alike, and is followed by berries (which are safe to eat, though the skin can be a little bitter), colourful autumn leaves and interesting mottled and textured bark in winter, while the multi-stemmed structure adds even more visual interest. A true all-rounder, Cornus kousa is a great plant for helping children learn about the seasons.
 

Bonus – let your lawn bloom!

A flower-rich lawn benefits your child as well as pollinators
These ten plants are a great start for a child-friendly garden, but a very easy (and free!) way to boost your garden’s benefits for your child – as well as wildlife – is to simply mow your lawn less often and allow the flowers within it to bloom. Lawn species such as daisies, buttercups and clover are at the perfect level for children of all ages to explore, and have tiny flowers perfect for tiny hands. Putting together daisy chains helps children to develop their fine motor skills, and the simple pleasure of making one will never lose its appeal!

About the author – Olivia Drake

Olivia is digital editor for science and horticulture. Holding a degree in plant sciences, she is professionally trained as a botanical horticulturist and has worked at gardens around the UK and abroad.

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Plants to include in a child-friendly garden

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
fountain grass 'Rubrum'
  • 1–1.5 metres
  • 0.5–1 metres
<em>Pennisetum</em> <em>setaceum</em> 'Rubrum'
Fragaria × ananassa 'Redgauntlet' (F)
strawberry 'Redgauntlet'
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
<em>Fragaria</em> × <em>ananassa</em> 'Redgauntlet' (F)
Stachys byzantina
lamb's ear
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
  • 0.5–1 metres
<em>Stachys</em> <em>byzantina</em>
Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum'
fountain grass 'Rubrum'
  • 1–1.5 metres
  • 0.5–1 metres
<em>Pennisetum</em> <em>setaceum</em> 'Rubrum'
Fragaria × ananassa 'Redgauntlet' (F)
strawberry 'Redgauntlet'
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
<em>Fragaria</em> × <em>ananassa</em> 'Redgauntlet' (F)
Stachys byzantina
lamb's ear
  • 0.1–0.5 metres
  • 0.5–1 metres
<em>Stachys</em> <em>byzantina</em>
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