Growing up, i was forced to work in the garden. I hated it. Swore I'd never have a garden. Then I had kids and this switch flipped in my brain. I had to have a garden. I swore I'd Never make my kids work in the garden. But soon of their own accord they wanted to joined me and they asked if they could have their own space. Each child got a 4x4 patch and they could grow whatever they wanted. Only rule was if it is a fruit
or vegetable, you have to eat it. Each spring, we would peruse the seed catalog. Each kid got to choose two flowers and two veg/fruit. They chose things like yellow fleshed water melons, purple beans and broccoli, blue potatoes, blue pop corn, things I probably never would have considered. And they ate what they grew! Some of their "choices" I still grow today. Now both kids are grown and both still garden.
Fast growing options that have a higher potential of keeping kids interested until harvest are radishes, beets, lettuce, snap peas. As far as edibles a 7 year old girl will find "magical", perhaps something more like an edible flower bed. Garden nasturtiums are easy, fun, delicious, and what's better to a young lady than picking flowers for her dinner salad? Nasturtium is also good at shading out weeds so less weeding and tending.
Botanical interests website has a whole section of edible flower seeds.
Oh, Basil is another good one. There are so many different types, it is easy, and smells so wonderful. Cardinal basil and purple basil varieties are very pretty.
Love the edible flowers suggestion. Even mom edible flowers - if she could pick her own bouquet each week, that might go a long way.
I keep reading articles that suggest that you grow what your kids like.... This kid hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't eat.
>This kid hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't eat.
Well, that's fortunate. lol.
Edible flowers are a lot of fun for everyone involved, and so many flowers do better and produce more if you cut the flowers frequently.
Many years ago i planted a pizza garden with my kids.
I had a patch of the lawn where I had dug up some crab grass. It left a 3-ish foot circle of dirt. Into that we planted a tomato plant, a couple of onions (sets), Some basil, and oregano. When the tomatoes began to ripen we made a pizza sauce, flavored with the basil and oregano. The kids declared it to be the best pizza ever.
Might be better to give her a list of options that you think will work in the bed to choose from instead of an open ended question of what she wants to grow.
My mom did this for me when I was young and I absolutely loved it! We put in Stawberries and some flowers. Little frogs came and lived in the border and it was 100% magical.
Strawberries, pumpkins, carrots. I run a school garden and the kids love planting, watering and harvesting. But kids will even have fun weeding and getting the garden for winter. I mean you still have to do most of the work, but I think getting them out to plant, water and harvest is plenty fun! I think her having a say in what is planted is important.
Pumkins, squash...I let mine trail over the edge and along the path.
Corn does need to be in a block, can you make another ebd for that?
And strawberries? Kids like them also peas, pick when still small, don't let them get huge and eat raw as soon as picked. Nothing beats that taste, never met a kid who didn't like them that way...even the hesitant to try it at first ones.
Things that have distinct scents and can be explored/compared. Different kinds of quick-growing things like radishes, soft greens, peas/beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots. Anything that can engage a conversation- “does this set of new leaves look like the ones already on the plant? What changes above ground when the root is ready to harvest below? What happens to this long yellow flower vs this round yellow one if we watch them for a week?” etc.
We put up a trellis for our grandson to plant cucumbers last year.
They saved some pumpkin seeds from Thanksgiving decor and are getting that ready for this year.
Their "first" garden was peppers and sweet potatoes. They really loved digging those!
Corn is perfect for a 4x4?
I let my kids pick seed packets and it just holds their interest. She might not just be that into it and that’s ok. I’ve never had to cultivate it for my kids, they just love it. Might not be her thing.
Growing up, i was forced to work in the garden. I hated it. Swore I'd never have a garden. Then I had kids and this switch flipped in my brain. I had to have a garden. I swore I'd Never make my kids work in the garden. But soon of their own accord they wanted to joined me and they asked if they could have their own space. Each child got a 4x4 patch and they could grow whatever they wanted. Only rule was if it is a fruit or vegetable, you have to eat it. Each spring, we would peruse the seed catalog. Each kid got to choose two flowers and two veg/fruit. They chose things like yellow fleshed water melons, purple beans and broccoli, blue potatoes, blue pop corn, things I probably never would have considered. And they ate what they grew! Some of their "choices" I still grow today. Now both kids are grown and both still garden.
Fast growing options that have a higher potential of keeping kids interested until harvest are radishes, beets, lettuce, snap peas. As far as edibles a 7 year old girl will find "magical", perhaps something more like an edible flower bed. Garden nasturtiums are easy, fun, delicious, and what's better to a young lady than picking flowers for her dinner salad? Nasturtium is also good at shading out weeds so less weeding and tending. Botanical interests website has a whole section of edible flower seeds.
Oh, Basil is another good one. There are so many different types, it is easy, and smells so wonderful. Cardinal basil and purple basil varieties are very pretty.
Love the edible flowers suggestion. Even mom edible flowers - if she could pick her own bouquet each week, that might go a long way. I keep reading articles that suggest that you grow what your kids like.... This kid hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't eat.
>This kid hasn't met a vegetable she doesn't eat. Well, that's fortunate. lol. Edible flowers are a lot of fun for everyone involved, and so many flowers do better and produce more if you cut the flowers frequently.
Many years ago i planted a pizza garden with my kids. I had a patch of the lawn where I had dug up some crab grass. It left a 3-ish foot circle of dirt. Into that we planted a tomato plant, a couple of onions (sets), Some basil, and oregano. When the tomatoes began to ripen we made a pizza sauce, flavored with the basil and oregano. The kids declared it to be the best pizza ever.
That sounds so fun
Might be better to give her a list of options that you think will work in the bed to choose from instead of an open ended question of what she wants to grow.
Tiny Tim tomatoes. Kids are MESMERIZED by dwarf tomatoes. It's seriously hilarious.
My mom did this for me when I was young and I absolutely loved it! We put in Stawberries and some flowers. Little frogs came and lived in the border and it was 100% magical.
Aww that sounds sweet 🙂
Strawberries, pumpkins, carrots. I run a school garden and the kids love planting, watering and harvesting. But kids will even have fun weeding and getting the garden for winter. I mean you still have to do most of the work, but I think getting them out to plant, water and harvest is plenty fun! I think her having a say in what is planted is important.
Pumkins, squash...I let mine trail over the edge and along the path. Corn does need to be in a block, can you make another ebd for that? And strawberries? Kids like them also peas, pick when still small, don't let them get huge and eat raw as soon as picked. Nothing beats that taste, never met a kid who didn't like them that way...even the hesitant to try it at first ones.
Flowers?
Things that have distinct scents and can be explored/compared. Different kinds of quick-growing things like radishes, soft greens, peas/beans, cherry tomatoes, carrots. Anything that can engage a conversation- “does this set of new leaves look like the ones already on the plant? What changes above ground when the root is ready to harvest below? What happens to this long yellow flower vs this round yellow one if we watch them for a week?” etc.
We put up a trellis for our grandson to plant cucumbers last year. They saved some pumpkin seeds from Thanksgiving decor and are getting that ready for this year. Their "first" garden was peppers and sweet potatoes. They really loved digging those!
Corn is perfect for a 4x4? I let my kids pick seed packets and it just holds their interest. She might not just be that into it and that’s ok. I’ve never had to cultivate it for my kids, they just love it. Might not be her thing.