Help-Designing a Children's Garden and need some enchanting ideas

[The Review Mommy]

I feel like I'm in our backyard all day with the twins and right now it's got a couple of plants that they are helping me water but we could be doing so much more back there. DH and I are finally ready financially to transform our backyard. I would like to see nature: butterfly's, hummingbirds, ladybugs and the like and was thinking of growing veggies and fruits with the kids and also roses and flowers. I'd like the design/layout focal points to be geared towards children-so a children's garden. Something inspiring for the young mind. Somewhere they can really get their hands dirty and learn through play.

So lets have some fun and brainstorm some enchanting children's spaces. Maybe there are some local gardens or children's places that your kids enjoy spending time in. Strange water fountains or curious water flowing ponds-climbing trees or mazes-rainbow light displays, or natural musical sounds and soothing smells?

TIA
Rebekah

[brittone2]

nak-
ever see these books?

http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Shoots-Buckets-Boots-Gardening/dp/0761110569

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0761123865/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0761110569&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=1ET050HRNCGY32FHNDGC

I think they'd have exactly what you are looking for :thumbsup:

eta: also look at Soulemama's blog or book (The Creative Family)...she has a "banging wall" for kids outside...you'd have to live somewhere with neighbors who were okay with that or have a private backyard LOL but that's one idea of hers I can remember.

[fivi2]

At one of our local nurseries you can buy ladybugs to release - we had fun with that.

I also like the books Brittone mentioned. Someone else mentioned a book a while back with fabulous pics and ideas, I will have to search for it. (eta: I think this was it: http://www.amazon.com/Childs-Garden-Ideas-Children-Archetype/dp/0881928437/ref=pd_sim_b_6) Adding elements like windchimes and birdfeeders can be fun.

Remember - pretty much anything butterflies like bees will like also. Which is good for nature, but not always good for little bare feet.

I tried to have grand plans, but found it easier to just stick things that will grow in my climate in random spots in the yard that have the right sun/water amounts. We have a lot of herbs - things they can munch on, smell good, feel soft, etc. (lemon balm, rosemary, basil, parsley, mint, chocolate mint, scented geraniums, lamb's ear, lavendar, oregano, pineapple sage, various thymes, etc). Flowers - I usually let them pick out ones they like (usually based on color). I do throw some sunflower and zinnia seeds down. bean vines can be fun and easy to grow - there are some very pretty ones. nasturtiums are supposed to be easy (and an edible flower!) but mine don't grow...

As far as veggies, we have had limited success. Cherry tomatoes have worked well for us and the girls like to munch on them. We are trying cukes again after limited success last year. I'd love to grow strawberries, but haven't made those work. We are trying watermelons this year just for fun (after the great pumpkin failure last year - but big things like gourds and pumpkins and melons can be fun for kids). Squash and zucchini are supposed to be easy, but my family won't eat so we don't grow them. We did some green beans (and purple and yellow beans) last year that we ate.

We have started putting little fairy/birdhouses around the garden, hiding pretty rocks, etc. A birdbath would be nice.

My girls however, also love having an empty dirt patch that they can dig in and look for worms, bugs etc.

We are still pretty new to all this and it is a lot of trial and error, but that is some of what we have done!

eta: the garden web forums have some ideas also - I may have some links saved.

I would start at a good local nursery. I searched on the web and found a ton of great ideas only to discover that most wouldn't work in my climate. Lowes/Home depot type nurseries aren't always aware of what is good locally.

[newg]

My mom has a pond in her front yard with a little toad/frog house....it is really cute and DD loves to see if a frog is in there. I've always loved the water features that don't actually hold water....it's a ball or vase that water just trickles out of. DD loves playing with these at home depot/lowes and I don't feel like I have to worry about her taking face plant in the water.
Wind chimes, and those wind spinners that you stick in the ground..........just fun, ornimental things that can catch light or make fun sounds.
We are doing a veggie/herb garden in the backyard this year too.
We just went to a flower show that had really cute statues of bunnies, frogs......that were hidding around in the flower beds.
My neighbor has these huge Elephant ear plants that her kids love and some rasberry bushes that her kids will just go over to snack on while playing.
You could let each kid make their own stepping stone to put in the garden and paint rocks to decorate the flower beds.

[Raidra]

I posted this in Around the House a little while back and got some great ideas.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=350582

We're planning on getting some sections of tree trunks and making a circle under a tree with them, and mulching the middle. Then they can use the stumps as seats or to walk along. That or I want to set up an area with sections of tree trunks and 2x6s that they can make balance beams and walkways with.

I let the kids pick plants from the nursery for their own container gardens, and I let them pick seeds for our veggie garden. One year we made a fairy house (just twigs stuck upright in the dirt to create a circle) surrounded by marigolds, and put a few wind chimes around.

Water play is good to have somewhere.

[stillplayswithbarbies]

I plan to grow a sunflower house this year. Google it, there are lots of pages that tell you how to do it.