[loopylottie]

So I've put my name down to plant up all of the borders and patches at my daughters school. it wont be till the end of this month or maybe the next. I have a few ideas for plants ( marigolds, sunflowers, gypsophila,asters,amaranthus, pretty herbs like chives and nasturtiums )

But Id love to hear your ideas on what I should include.

(Obviously it cannot be poisonous or dangerous ie spiky or sharp. (some of the children are playschool age, 3 or 4. )  Oh and they have the six week holidays ( end of july to september) and theres no caretaker so the plants will have to look after themselves for a while.

So any ideas ? ? ?

LottieX

[Paul Plots]

It's a great project and a good question (which I am sure has been asked before somewhere)........

Check to see that whatever you plant:

• is not poisonous (as the little dears might just decided to eat them all.... as if they would  ) as most LEAs have a Health & Safety list just to keep the back-room guys busy.
• will flower or fruit while the children are there rather than middle of the summer hols

Marigolds sound good as there's lots of varieties.
Sunflowers - again there's reds and white, tall and short as well as the traditional ones and the children could adopt one and see who has the best.

My school had its own flower: "Michael Ayres Delphinium" so it was rather special to us. 
Perhaps each class could choose one type they particularly liked and look after it. 

[fisher]

"easy cut flowers for school please???"

I asked this question on 'general gardening forum' a month or so ago, and got some useful ideas. We grow cosmos; marigolds, sweet peas up the bean poles with the beans! Also we saved seed last year from a nice crop grown from packet of seeds labelled 'attractive to bees'.. they looked pretty and were useful too.
We have bulbs for early spring: snowdrops/daffs/hyacinths/tulips and some primroses too. Various hellebores are flowering now.
You could consider some shrubs/climbers maybe, for structure.
All the best with the jobs and YES YES YES get the children involved!!

Growing Schools, the RHS and others, offer ideas on school gardening.
Britain in Bloom has just offered some help to our school (practical, and money off deals with local garden centre) (Actually a bit late cos Ive already got my beans and potatoes, but i might find that receipt!!)  But BiB might be worth looking at too. 

[loopylottie]

Thanks for the replies

@ Learner I have about twelve different types of sunflowers if not more. I'm a bit of a sunflower horder. The children always help with those. which is nice. means I dont have to grow them on. 

@ Fisher. Im a bit worried about some of the choices you were given, daf bulbs and hyacinths are poisonous so are sweetpeas if eaten in large amounts so probs not good by 3 year olds who try and eat everything. other than that cheers.

LottieX

[fisher]

Hello Lottie
Supervision is key with children in the garden. We do grow some bulbs which if the children dug them up and ate them would cause probs.. but  have a look here...

http://www.growingschools.org.uk/Resources/Downloads/get_growing%20web.pdf

Some ideas  on growing with early years

[Paul Plots]

That's a useful resource Fisher.

There's money to be had through grants if you link growing with Healthy Eating. Try the Healthy Schools' programe.... I'm sure it still operates.