Kids love gardening, and you'll love watching them explore the great outdoors.

Peas

They actually love the cooler weather so now is the time for these little pods.  They never even make it to the plate in our house.  My kids eat them straight off the vine.

Peas are climbing plants so you will need some kind of support for them.  Sunflowers and corn are great natural plant supports, or a trellis or tomato cage are other alternatives.

Poke your finger in the ground to your second knuckle and drop a seed in.  Cover with soil.  Space your seeds 10cm apart.  Cover with mulch. (Check out my blog on the "Best mulch options for your vegetable garden").

Peas are great for succession planting, that means plant a few more seeds every 4 weeks and you will have a continuous crop.  You can plant these seeds in the middle of your current seeds.

Want to learn more about companion planting?

Snow peas

Like peas, these bursts of crunchy sweetness are a hit with kids and are often eaten in the garden.  Imagine having afternoon tea straight off the vine?  However, they do not like the frost.  Plant immediately and cover with some frost netting when needed. (Check out my blog for "Frost protection: how to keep growing during winter")

Plant like the peas.  They are also great for succession planting.  However, in autumn, it is best to follow with peas, rather than another crop of snow peas, unless you have frost protection.

 

Green Beans

Another great crop to munch straight from the garden, green beans grow well even in autumn.  They come in purple and yellow as well so you can brighten up a child's dinner plate and give a range of vitamins easily.  (Did you know that a vegetable's colour indicates the vitamins they contain?  Check out my blog on "How to quickly eat a rainbow of vitamins".)

Like peas and snow peas, beans also need climbing support.  Make sure you put your support in place before planting so you do not disturb the roots.  Like snow peas, green beans are frost sensitive, so you will only be able to plant them during autumn.  Utilise frost netting when those cold mornings hit.

Plant green beans like peas as stated above.

Carrots

This would have to be one of the most eaten vegetables by kids.  They are even sweeter when you grow them yourself.

Like green beans, carrots come in a variety of colours and are a great way to get the rainbow onto a kids plate.

Check out my blog for "3 ways to plant carrots for beginner, advanced and lazy gardeners".

To plant, dig a trench about 2cm deep.  Scatter the carrot seeds into the trench.  Cover lightly with soil.  Carrot seeds are very small and you will space your carrots every 5 - 7cm.  This is too hard to do when you are planting so you will thin you seedlings in about 8 weeks.  Check out my video on "How to thin your seedlings".

You'll be needing a scrubbing brush so you can get the dirt off. (Check out my blog on "Why you shouldn't peel your vegetables").  Check out these sustainable options from Biome:

Beetroot

There are a rainbow of beetroot varieties available, making them a great way to give kids a healthy variety of vitamins.  Traditionally we eat beetroots pickled, which can often not be a hit with kids.  But if you roast these little beauties straight out of the garden, then they are sweet and delicious.  And the kids find the pink fingers a source of entertainment.

Plant beetroot by poking your finger into the soil to the first knuckle.  Pop the seed in and cover with soil.  Not sure how deep to plant seeds?  Check out my blog on "How deep to plant seeds".

Like with carrots, you will be wanting a scrubbing brush so you do not need to peel the dirt away.  Check out these sustainable options from Biome: