Bring Out the Kids 2013 Old Farmer's Almanac All Seasons Garden Guide

July 15, 2013

Your home landscape presents numerous opportunities to teach kids about nature and gardening in ways that are fun for both them and you. With The 2013 Old Farmer’s Almanac All-Seasons Garden Guide, you can make the entire yard a discovery zone, with places to explore and enjoy!

Make Edibles Fun With:

Surprising Colors: ‘Golden India’ edible pod peas, ‘Green Zebra’ striped heirloom tomatoes, Purple string beans, ‘Sweet Dumpling’ squash
Kid-Size Harvests: ‘Flying Saucer’ summer squashes, ‘Jack-Be-Little’ pumpkins, ‘Thumbelina’ carrots, ‘Tom Thumb’ lettuce
Tasty Flowers: Daylilies, Hibiscus, Johnny-jump-ups, Violets, Tulips
Funny Looks and Names: ‘Dragon Tongue’ beans, ‘Easter Egg’ radishes, ‘Painted Serpent’ cucumbers

Spark the Imagination with a Zoo Garden:

Fun to group together for a playful pot.
Annuals & Tender Perennials: Bat-faced cuphea, Elephant ear, Spiny spider flower
Perennials: Cat’s whiskers, Hens and Chicks, Turtlehead, Lamb’s ear

Welcome Giants:

Grow huge flowers in a sunny corner of your yard and record the size.
‘Casa Blanca’ lilies
“Dinner Plate” hibiscus
‘Mammoth’ or 12-foot-tall ‘Kong’ sunflowers

Scents to Sniff:

From stinky plants that boys prefer to sweet smells for the girls.
Banana mint, chocolate mint, and peppermint
Crown imperial (skunky smell)
Katsura Tree (autumn leaves have been described as smelling like baking muffins, bubble gum, burned sugar, or cotton candy
Persian shield(smells like dirty socks)
Pineapple sage