Growing Plants With Kids
Can Be Rewarding
9 Great Plants to use in growing in containers
Ok so I was thinking after my article about container gardening here that I would mention its not limited to moms and dads for bigger gardens, but get the kids involved. 
So you want to grow a garden with your kids, but you don’t have a yard to do it in. That means you will need to grow things in containers, not a bad idea, makes it even easier to take care of, there will be “NO WEEDS”. But what grows well in containers that’s simple and something kids will enjoy? Simply put, pretty much any vegetable or herb will grow well in a container as long as there’s enough room. But let’s narrow this down to kid friendly. Here are the ten best plants that you can grow in containers with your children. Here are some great ideas to get your started.
* Tomatoes – This is probably the most popular choice for growing in containers. Tomatoes are easy to grow; they can even be done from a hanging container and grow upside down. Using good soil and the right amount of water is what’s needed to make tomatoes grow well in containers.* Potatoes – You can grow a large amount of potatoes in containers like compost bags or a large tub or buckets. If you would like to see more on how you can use a bucket to plant potato’s, I found an example over at Instructables Growing Potatoes In Buckets
* Cucumbers – These are easy to grow in containers, but they need the right conditions. They grow best in warm temperatures so don’t plant until early summer for best results.
* Carrots – These are so simple to grow and do really well in containers. So they’re a really great starter vegetable to grow with children.
* Blueberries – These grow well in containers, but only with the right conditions. They ripen best in heat so they’re best saved for the summer. They require rain water too, so grow them outdoors unless you are able to collect the rain water in something. They won’t do well with tap water.
* Parsley – This is great in a window box. It takes a while to germinate though and requires heat. Also, be sure to use a rich soil.
* Basil – Put it in the window box with parsley, but be warned: this does not do well at all with cold. So make sure there is not going to be any frost. Basil has a few weeks’ germination time, though, so it grows quicker than parsley.
* Radish – This is probably the easiest vegetable to grow in a container and will really get the kids excited. So this is the perfect choice.
* Lettuce – This is actually a great choice for growing in containers. Water in the morning and make sure it is kept in the shade and you’ll have a quick and easy plant in a container in no time.
* Flowers – It doesn’t have to be vegetables alone that you plant in containers. Potted plants such as geraniums, petunias, mums, and sunflowers are great in a pot and something kids will love to help cultivate.
Planting anything with kids can be a whole lot of fun and very educational. Getting kids to eat more vegetables, then planting some sort of garden will be a huge help in that. Letting them get their hands dirty and eating the food they make is a huge incentive for even the pickiest of eaters.
‘As you can see, lots of plants are not fond of the cold weather of winter, and it’s such a shame if your kids can’t experience gardening tasks just because of that. So how about moving under the roof and grow some indoors? That way, all the difficult conditions before can be adjusted as you please since an indoor plant is easier to protect from pests, you can control the amount of water and nutrients your plants consume and even the light can be monitored through the convenient LED Grow Lights.’
So don’t think just because you don’t have a lot of room you can’t create some sort of garden. Hanging tomatoes and window boxes with herbs and including some containers on your porch of radishes and potatoes and you’re off to a great start -gardening with the kids and getting them to try more fruits and vegetables. But if growing outdoors wont work for you, learn how you can “Enjoy growing vegetables indoors all year long with the Miracle-Gro AeroGarden”
What have you grown in containers before? Do you think your kids would enjoy gardening?
If you enjoyed this article you might want to check these in my Garden Series:
Growing Plants In Containers
Small Spaces For Gardens-I have some solutions
Recycling Water Bottles To Use As a Planter
Planting A Sweet Potato
Critters In Your Garden – The Pests
In addition you could also teach your kids about Re-Growing Vegetables using vegetable scraps from your kitchen. Such as Lettuce, Celery, Lemon Grass, Fennel, Basil, Cilantro, Bean Sprouts or re-growing root crops such as potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Ginger, Onions, Green Onions, the list goes on and you can read all about those and how it is done on And if you need a guide check out Vegetables That You Can Regrow Again And Again From Scraps and one more 30 Insanely Clever Gardening Tricks
Garden Boxes: How to Build a Square Foot Garden Box With Kids!
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A great post! When I was a kid we used to grow nasturtiums in our garden. I am sure they would work in pots as well….not only are do they have nice bright flowers but you can eat the leaves in salad (they have a peppery taste).
Great post! I love that not only did you share the plants thrive in containers, you shared the rewards from it. Thanks for sharing with us all and hosting wordless Wednesdays.
~Sarah-Ann
My daughter is 21 now, but when she was a child we would plant tomatoes and flowers in containers and of course the potato in the jar of water. Such great memories.
Hi Pamela, thanks for reading, glad it brought back memories. My grandmother taught me all about gardening, I watched how diligent she was each spring and can remember all that she did to prepare. And actually that was before we used containers, thats when we had plenty of land around our homes. And come to think of it, I dont remember seeing anyone have a plant at their doorstep or on patios.
Hope you have a great day!
Hi Sarah, thanks for stopping by the post, I love planting in containers, thats all I have now due to no access to the soil under desert landscape rock.
Happy to have you as a CO-Host this month, so nice to have you with us.
Karren
I remember nasturtiums, my grandmother planted them around the shade tree in the back yard, but I dont remember anything about eating them, I think she planted them because they grew well and the color.
I just love this post and the info on the individual plants. I think I may add radishes to my balcony garden. Pinning this post.
Thanks, Kathleen
Oh goodness Kathleen, thanks so much for pinning. I need to add some radishes to my existing containers.
Thanks for coming by, I appreciate it!!
Hope you enjoy your weekend!
Karren
Hugs
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Your post is being featured at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home! Be sure to stop by starting on Thursday night to see it. Thanks for participating and I hope to see you again.
Jennifer
http://www.myflagstaffhome.com
Hi Jennifer, thank you for sharing my post on your blog, that is so sweet!!!
Have a great week!
Karren
is good that kids can gardening keep them active
I remember seeing huge flowers like sunflowers & elephant ears in my Great-Aunt’s yard as a kid & being amazed. I need to try growing some of those! (She planted the elephant ears after her marriage; by the time I was seeing them, 50 years later, they pretty much covered the entire area in front of her porch, lol.)
Thank you for this information. I would like to do something like this with my grandkids.
HI Denise, thanks for reading, hope you will find it useful!
Happy gardening!
Karren
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This is such a fun and educational way to teach kids how to garden! I also think some of these containers are absolutely gorgeous! This is also a great solution for people who can only garden in small spaces or even city living. I live in a tiny one bedroom apartment and these little plant containers provide an easy and gorgeous way to garden! I love it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi Sarah, Im glad you found this information was helpful. IT’s so fun to involve the kids, great teaching opportunity!
Thanks for your kind comment and your visit!
Have a wonderful 4th of July!!
You make gardening look so fun
And I am looking forward to getting started again soon.
Happy Gardening!
Karren – this is an AWESOME post!! Had to pin it – and not just for kids! Us “older” folks will enjoy it too! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW’s DIY Party!
Hi Helen, thank you, it was a fun one to write to share. Thank you for Pinning!
Have a wonderful week!
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These are really great ideas. The vertical containers look great and take up so little space. I am terrible at growing anything. Maybe my kids will have better luck.
If your setting out to spend a little time with the kids containers are great they can each have their own to care for and if something does not work out, you can plant over. Seeds are so inexpensive you can do it several times a growing season or stagger planting.
Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a great week!
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It’s always so much fun to plant with your kids or the grand kids. Thanks for sharing at Over The Moon Party. Hope you come back next week so I can stop by again.
Hugs,
Bev
Thanks Bev, I loved sharing this post, so fun for all parents and kids.
Have a wonderful week!
Hugs
Karren
I love kids doing projects with parents – gardening, cooking, etc. Great post.
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Can I plant basil and lettuce indoors or do they need to be kept outside? I only have a small balcony, no yard, so I want to plant these in containers and show my daughter how they grow. How large does the lettuce container need to be? Does depth matter? I need to buy some containers for these this weekend. #thelistlinky
Hi Paula, yes Basil and lettuce can be grown indoors but need a good amount of light. The balcony would work well for container planting. Will you be buying plants or using seed that would determine the size pot for basil, but I would suggest at least 6″ across. And depending on size of plant can be grown in a smaller pot in you house. For lettuce I would give it more room and go for a 10″ pot, follow the directions on package for depth of planting, will help determine the depth of pot. I hope that will help but if you have other questions let me know and how it goes.
HAppy Easter!! #Thelistlinky
Hi Carol, thanks for reading and your comment!
Have a great weekend!
Hi Karren, I will be planting from seeds…so I should look for a 6″ diameter pot and a 10″ one? I’m totally not a gardener but doing this for my daughter haha I hope it works out alright! And Happy Easter to you, too!
Yes Paula, that would be he diameter across the top and is usually tapered small at the bottom.
And the potting mix an be something like Miracle Grow potting soil. Give them a good water the first time and check to see when water is needed by dipping you finger into pot and if it feel dry, water. Hotter days of course you would want to water daily.
Have fun, take pics and let me know. Good luck!!
Ok, thanks for the advice! I’ll let you know how it goes!
OK Paul, I will look forward to hearing how the planting goes.
We’ve grown tomatoes, herbs, lettuce and wheat in containers. But I never thought about growing carrots or blueberries in containers. Thanks for sharing at the Sew It Cook It Craft It Link Party!
If a pot or planter is larger enough you can actually plant anything. Now I am going to try using a tomato cage to grown lettuce vertically.
Or even something new growing plants in moss called (Kokedama) Japanese term. Your suppose to be able to grow plants, vegetables and flowers in a ball made of dirst, wrapped in moss and hung from wire or string.
I love that this teaches kids where our food comes from and to be more eco friendly!
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We have plenty of room for a garden, but this is a great idea for parents who doesn’t.
Ive been wanting to start some blueberry plants for awhile now but thought they needed lots of room. I cant wait to get my tomatoes and berries started tomorrow!
Hi Casey, thanks for reading, and comment, The plants can thrive and bear fruit in containers in any area that gets a lot of sunlight. Just be aware that growing blueberries in containers (or anywhere else) requires some patience. As with most fruit-bearing plants, it can take a couple of years for the plants to produce a lot of fruit. And you can find this an more info on blueberries atThe Spruce
Happy Planting!!
Karren~
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I have been thinking of roping my boys into planting some herbs in pots and containers. We’ve tried a few vegetables over the years but have never really been successful at it. I am notoriously bad at remembering to water plants when the hot sunny summer days come around. We did get summer squash to grow really one year (in a very very large pot) but that’s about it.
Thank you for this list! Maybe one day I will try my hand again at planting: right now I am letting my mother in law take care of our flowers and tomato plants. I tend to forget to water them!
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