# Flowers for Children
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Edible Flowers
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Edible flowers can be a new concept to kids. An interesting concept to children is learning that select flowers are edible. Nasturtiums have a peppery taste and are used as a garnish in salads. Pansies and violas are beautiful on top of cakes. Clover and lavender are edible. The blossoms of eggplants, beans and peas can be eaten, and the children can then enjoy watching the plant produce the vegetables they eat.
Feeding the Birds
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Children can attract birds with select flowers. Children can grow a flower garden that is full of activity by supplying food sources for the birds. Sunflowers are fun for the kids to watch grow because of their giant size. They can measure the growth daily. Sunflowers provide a valuable source of food for many species of birds, including cardinals, chickadees, blue jays and nuthatch. Daisies and coneflowers also produce seeds for the birds. Kids can plant tubular-shaped red flowers, such as salvia or petunias, and the hummingbirds will arrive and entertain the children.
Attracting the Butterflies
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Children will take delight in watching the butterflies. From caterpillars to winged beauties, butterflies are a source of fascination for children. Planting a butterfly bush will bring many different species into your garden during the summer months. The blooms are clusters of flowers that supply the butterflies with nectar. Common wildflowers that feed butterflies are Queen Anne's lace, milk weed and thistles. Butterflies also feed from the nectar of red, purple, pink, orange and red flowers with a flat top, such as impatiens, begonias, geraniums and primrose.
Fall Plantings for Spring Flowers
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Children will enjoy seeing the results of planting spring bulbs. After a long winter, spring flowers are a welcome sight. Children will enjoy the first sighting of brightly-colored blooms, knowing that they are the result of their labor from the previous fall. Have your children plant a variety of bulbs in the fall which will bloom at various times during the spring months. Easy to grow spring bulbs include daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths and snowdrops. Dig a shallow hole and place a bulb into it with the pointed side up. Cover the bulb and enjoy its display in the spring.
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