Easy Flowers for children to grow • Aquilegia, sunflowers, marigolds, pansies, nasturtium, sweet peas, nigella, Californian poppy, and hardy geranium.

Growing Wildflower Meadows from Seeds • Sow wild flower garden seeds in March and April, or September if your soil is light and well drained. They prefer an open position in full sun. For annual displays, autumn sowing favours wild red poppy seeds and cornflowers, whereas spring sowing tends to favour corncockles and corn marigolds.

• Prepare the ground by clearing away all existing plants and grass. It’s particularly important to remove vigorous perennial weeds such as stinging nettles, docks and couch grass.

• 1g of pure wild flower garden seeds is enough for 1 square metre of soil.

• Rake the area lightly after sowing and cover with netting initially to protect from birds and cats.

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Preparing your soil • Most flowers prefer well drained soils in a sunny area. • Your soil should be raked, weeded and any stones removed beforehand. Ensure you have cleared the roots of all

existing plants and grass. It’s particularly important to remove vigorous perennial weeds such as stinging nettles, docks and couch grass. It may be beneficial to wait 6 weeks after preparing your soil to ensure you have successfully removed all weed roots.

• Dig the soil over and rake to create a level seed bed. Don’t incorporate any fertilisers or manure as this encourages grass growth which crowds out the flowers.

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Flowers to attract Wildlife

• Growing Bee-friendly Flowers: Annuals: Borage; Buckwheat; Californian Poppy; Candytuft; China Aster; Cornflower; Cosmos bipinnatus; Forget-me-not; Gilia capitata; Godetia; Heliotrope; Nigella; Mignonette; Nemophila; Phacelia; Poached Egg Plant; Sunflower; Sweet Sultan; Zinnia. Biennials: French honeysuckle (Hedysarum coronarium); Hollyhock (single flowered varieties only); Honesty; Wallflower.

• Butterfly and moth friendly flowers: Buddleja, Verbena bonariensis, Lavender, Wallflowers and Oregano (Marjoram). Moths will feed on the same plants as butterflies but are particularly drawn to night-scented plants such as Jasmine, Honeysuckle, Evening primrose and Night-scented stock.

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Aquilegia

Geographical Origins • Aquilegia (other common names: granny's bonnet or columbine) is a genus of about 60-70 species of perennial plants that belong to the ‘buttercup’ family and are found in meadows, woodlands, and at higher altitudes throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Name Origins • The name Aquilegia came from the Latin word for eagle, perhaps because the petals look like eagle talons

Historical Uses • Native Americans used this plant for medicinal purposes, including relieving heart problems, headaches and fevers.

Benefits and Current Uses • The flowers are edible; they have a sweet taste

Growing Flowers • Aquilegias are easy plants to grow from seeds and will come back year after year.

• The flower seeds can be directly sown in the garden late summer, for flowering in May.

• Alternatively, you could start aquilegias in small pots for transplanting to outdoor soils later on.

• Spacing for both seeds and plants should be around 45cm.

• Their pretty bonnet-like flowers come in almost every imaginable colour combination.

• Remove the seedbeds and scatter the seeds in appropriate space if required.

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Sunflowers

Geographical Origins • Sunflower is a plant that belongs to the family Asteraceae. There are around 60 different species of sunflowers

that are all native to North America. Cultivation of sunflowers started 2600 BC in Central America. Historical Uses • Sunflower was important source of food for Native Americans. They used the yellow pigment from the flowers to

paint their bodies during spiritual rituals. They also used sunflowers in medical purposes and for the production of bread.

• Sunflowers were a great inspiration for Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, who dedicated many of his masterpieces to this beautiful flower.

Benefits and Current Uses • Sunflower seeds are rich source of vitamin B, vitamin E, and minerals such as copper, phosphorus, selenium and

magnesium. • Black sunflower seeds are rich source of oil which is used for cooking. • Sunflower seeds are popular as snacks. They are also often used as ingredient of salads, breakfast cereals,

various salty dishes and breads. • Seeds of sunflower are important food source for birds, squirrels and insects. • Sunflower seeds are used for the production of biodiesel (an eco-friendly type of diesel, designed to reduce

pollution of the atmosphere). Interesting Facts • Young sunflower plants orient their heads toward the sun. This phenomenon is known as heliotropism. • Sunflower is able to absorb heavy metals and toxins from the ground and it is often planted in the heavily

polluted areas. These plants were used to reduce nuclear pollution after Chernobyl and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Growing Flowers • Sunflowers are easy plants for children to

grow. • They can grow up to 14 feet tall! • Sow the seeds straight into the ground in

a sunny spot. in well draining soils. • See individual seed packets for details, but

sunflowers are mainly sown from mid-April to the end of May.

• Provide the stems with supports to grow the tallest sunflowers around.

• They are an annual plant and will flower in August.

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Marigolds

Geographical Origins • Marigold is herbaceous plant that belongs to the family Asteraceae. This plant originates from Mexico and South America.

Cultivation of marigold started in 16th century, when Spanish explorers brought marigold from South America to Europe. Historical Uses • Aztecs (Indigenous people of Mexico) believed that marigold has protective properties and used it for treatment of burns from

lightning strikes. Benefits and Current Uses • Dyes extracted from the marigold flowers are used in textile and food industry. • Essential oils extracted from the marigold have protective effects on the skin. They are used in the cosmetic industry for the

production of creams and lotions. • Medical studies have also showed that marigold contains substances with anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-

inflammatory properties. • Marigold has edible flowers. They are often used as an ingredient of salads and for the decoration of sweet desserts. • Marigold is rich source of lutein, a substance that acts beneficially on the human eye. Thanks to this substance, marigold can be

used in treatment of eye problems. if chickens are fed marigolds, they produce lutein in their eggs which can be used in the treatment of vision loss. Eggs rich in lutein have brightly coloured yolk.

Interesting Facts • Marigold produces flowers all year round under optimal weather conditions. Majority of marigold species bloom

during the summer and fall. Removal of old flowers from the stem stimulates development of new flowers. • Marigold produces dry fruit called achene.

Growing Flowers • Marigolds require full sun and well drained soil for successful

growth and development. It doesn't tolerate frost well. • Sow them directly into the garden once the soil is warm, or

start seeds indoors about a month to 6 weeks before the last spring-frost date.

• Separate seedlings when they are about 2 inches tall. Space tall marigolds 2 to 3 feet apart; lower-growing ones about a foot apart.

• Wild types of marigold are perennial plants, whereas cultivated marigold is an annual plant.

• Marigolds are easy to grow and and blooms should appear within a few weeks of sowing.

• If the old blossoms are deadheaded, the plants will continue to bloom profusely.

• Do not water marigolds from overhead. Water at the base of the plant. 

• Do not fertilise marigolds. Too rich a diet stimulates the leaves rather than the flowers. Marigolds bloom better and more profusely in poor soil.

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Pansies

Geographical Origins • The pansy is linked to its ancestor, the viola, which contains 500 species, including both pansies and violets. Name Origin • The pansy derives its name from the French word pensée, which means “thought”; it was so named because

the flower resembles a human face, and in mid-to-late summer it nods forward as if deep in thought. The French believed that pansies could make people you admire think of you.

Historical Uses • The Ancient Greeks considered the Violet a symbol of love. • The Celts made a tea from the dried leaves and used it as love potion. • The Victorian meaning of Pansy is “to think,” particularly of love. If a lady found a pansy left for her it would

mean she has an admirer. Benefits and Current Uses • Pansies are actually edible blooms. The flowers are high in vitamins A and C. Pansies are used to make syrup,

flavoured honey and salads. Interesting Fact • Legend says that at one time all pansies were white, and it was not until they were pierced by cupid’s arrow

that they gained the purple and yellow colors. With the colors, however, came the magic power to be used in love potions.

• The common words “pansy” and “violet” are often used interchangeably. When a distinction is made, plants considered to be pansies have four petals pointing upwards, and only one pointing down. Violets have three petals pointing up and two pointing down.”

Growing Pansies • These garden favourites are easy plants to

grow from seed but even easier from pansy plug plants.

• You can start pansy seeds indoors 6 to 8 weeks before you plan on transplanting them.

• Plant seeds in late winter for early spring and summer flowering, or plant seeds in the summer for winter flowering.

• Plant in moist, well-drained soil. • Space the plants about 20cm apart. • Whether you grow them for winter or summer

colour, remember to water them regularly and to deadhead the faded flowers to encourage more and more.

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Nasturtium

Geographical Origins • Nasturtium is native to the jungles of Peru. Name Origins • The name nasturtium means “nose twister” in Latin, referring to people’s reaction upon tasting the

flowers. Historical Uses • The seeds were used for a substitute for pepper during World War II. Benefits and Current Uses • The flowers are a good source of Vitamin C and iron. • Try some of their edible flowers in a salad or as a pretty garnish.

Growing Flowers • Nasturtiums are quick growing and colourful. • Nasturtiums are easy plants for children to grow.

• These annuals are very easy to grow from seed. Just sow the seeds after the last frosts and within 7-10 days, it will start to sprout.

• Seeds can be planted in early spring for summer flowering.

• Plant in full sun. Be careful not to over fertilise, as this can cause more leaves and less flowers.

• Water regularly and deadhead to encourage new blooms.

• They will self-seed, producing more flowers for years to come!

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