Five Fast-Growing Plants to Spark Your Kids’ Love of Gardening
(Alternate blog title: Five fast-growing plants when your kids are impatient AF)
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I’ve been gleefully digging in the dirt since I was four years old (probably earlier). Whether I was making mud pies or planting sunflowers, the garden has always been my happy place. With my hands in the dirt, I can shut out the world when it becomes too heavy and tune into the rhythms of nature. I want my kids to have this outlet, too, which is part of why Motherhood in the Mud was born. Happiness for me and my kids can always be found playing in the dirt.
We purchased our home three years ago and I loved everything about our property…except for the random circular patch of grass that sat splat in the middle of our xeriscaped yard. I honestly have no idea why the previous owners kept this random patch of grass (putting practice?), but the only purpose I could see was the giant litter box it provided our neighborhood bunnies. I had aspirations to transform this space, but to what?
Lucky for me Monty Don and Big Dreams, Small Spaces came to my rescue during some late-night binge-watching. In season 3, episode two he helps another mum transform her front yard into a community vegetable garden and she hosts a garden opening party for her entire neighborhood (the dream, right). I immediately began Pinterest spamming my husband with English-inspired garden ideas. I too wanted to create something beautiful to share with my community and provide an edible children’s garden where my kids could explore and play.
We broke ground on our front-yard garden on Easter of 2017 – ripping up all of the turf and installing garden rows and fencing in its place. Our front yard garden has gone through several transformations since the initial installation (raised planter boxes, drip watering system, bricks to block out Peter Rabbit), and I’ve also learned a few hacks for making a kid-friendly garden along the way.
The best part is that I’ve been able to witness the same joy I feel gardening come to life in my kids. Each spring, we sing and read about the season as we plant our vegetable garden for kids and dream about our summer harvest. But if you’ve ever gardened with kids, you also know that they want immediate results… like right now.
One way I’ve kept their interest is by making sure we have plenty of fast-growing plants that they can watch come to life practically overnight and you don’t need a Monty Don-inspired space either. All of these easy plants to grow will work well on a kitchen windowsill, patio, or dining room table. Below are five of our favorites that I use to keep my kids inspired in the garden.
Radishes
From seed to plant, you can have spicy and delicious radishes ready to eat in 30 days. We grow ours in a rain gutter planter box that runs along the outside of our garden, so I know firsthand that you don’t need much dirt to bring these beauties to life. Radishes will grow equally well in a pot or a raised planter. Just make sure they have around four to five inches of space for the radish root to grow. Because ours are in a rain gutter, they don’t get very fat, but they are the perfect snack size when our kids pull them up and (believe it or not) eat them! You’ll see radish sprouts within 3-5 days of planting, which also make a great salad topping if you (or your kiddo) are feeling impatient. Shop for radish seeds.
Microgreens
Broccoli, purple kohlrabi, radish, collard, and turnip – oh my! These little beauties are amazing! Microgreens can be purchased by the green type or in a mix (I prefer the mix) and they are packed with vitamins. Mix the seeds with just a little bit of water and dirt and they will sprout almost overnight to create vibrant green micro forests that are ready to harvest within 1-2 weeks (once the leaves start to sprout)! We grow ours in our pocket wall planter that hangs on the side of our chimney. The spicy greens are the perfect way to kick up your salads and my kids love being tasked with giving them haircuts. Shop for microgreen seeds.
Chia
Ch-ch-ch-chia! We are believers in the health benefits of chia (all hail chia!) and put them in everything from our smoothies to our bread. However, I was recently reminded of how much fun chia is to grow when some misplaced chia seeds started sprouting from our kitchen sponge. We’ve been experimenting to see if we can grow chia seeds in really tiny spaces – like a fairy pot and a clamshell. Similar to microgreens, chia sprout in just a few days and have a nutty taste similar to alfalfa sprouts. I think I am going to also try sprouting in a mason jar method described on the Simply Notable blog. Shop for chia seeds.
Greek Basil
It’s been a few years since I’ve grown these in our rain gutter herb garden, but writing this post reminded me to put some in my Amazon cart. This basil is of the dwarf variety and is meant to grow small. They only need a ¼ inch of soil and will start sprouting in 12-18 days. These tiny basil plants remind me of little green umbrellas when they come up and the kids love the aroma the plants leave on their fingers when picked. I love to use them to make microgreen cherry tomato Caprese salad. Shop for Greek basil seeds.
Wheatgrass (AKA Cat Grass)
We like to plant wheatgrass in the spring, as the vibrant green shoots are the perfect addition to our Easter table (see my Easter Basket craft if you are reading this around the holiday). Wheatgrass is also nice to have around if you have a kitty. We have some growing in our garden year-round that my girls will harvest as treats for our cat Jon Snowflake. Wheatgrass seeds only need one inch of soil, a little sunlight, a little water, and it will be ready for a haircut in 6-10 days. Check out Ecopeanut for a variety of ways you can grow wheatgrass indoors. Shop for wheatgrass seeds.
What are your favorite plants to bring to life with your kiddos? Leave a comment below or tag @motherhoodinthemud on Instagram so we can watch your garden grow.
