Spring is coming and now is a good time to plan your upcoming plant and plant
life cycle units. Many teachers integrate planting seeds into their science
units at this time of year, then use the newly sprouted seedlings as gifts for
Mother’s Day. Listed below are some photos and basic information about 12
easy-to-grow flowers that’d be perfect for your indoor gardening activities.
Enjoy!
About These Flowers
I selected these 12 flowers to add to my list for several reasons. Firstly,
these flowers are super cute. They are colorful and cheerful and will make
your students smile. Secondly, these seeds are quick to germinate. Some will
germinate in as little as seven days.
Note: If you and your students are going to plant these seeds outside,
keep in mind that outdoor conditions will vary depending on where you live.
Seeds planted outside may take longer to germinate than those planted indoors.
You can talk to someone at your local garden center to find out which flowers
will do well in your area’s climate. Whether you plant your seeds inside or
outside, please follow the directions on the back of the seed packets you
purchase.
Petunia
Petunias are cheerful flowers that come in a variety of colors and shapes,
some of the most popular colors being pink, white, and purple. Petunias are
easily recognizable because of their trumpet-shaped blooms.
Poppy
Poppies are popular choices for gardening because of their historical significance.
They are a symbol of both Remembrance and hope for a peaceful future. Red
poppies are worn on Veterans Day as a show of support for the Armed Forces
community. Some types of poppy seeds can even be used in cooking.
Sunflower
will change directions to follow the sun each day. Yellow and brown
sunflowers are the most common but they can also be red, orange, striped,
and even blue. Sunflower seeds are edible and a tasty treat for people and
animals.
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums
are an old-fashioned flower that has been around for generations. Both
hybrid and heirloom nasturtium seeds are available on the market.
Nasturtiums come in a variety of colors and can tolerate poor soil and
temperature changes. Also, nasturtiums are edible. People enjoy cooking with
nasturtiums because of their flavor and health benefits.
Alyssum
Alyssums
are dainty flowers that don’t grow very high but can spread wide in open
areas. White alyssums are sometimes called carpets of snow and purple
ones are sometimes called royal carpets. Alyssums are popular plants
because of their cuteness and their ability to attract butterflies that may
be in the area.
Marigold (aka Calendula)
Marigolds
are popular flowers that bloom all summer long. Backyard farmers sometimes
plant marigolds next to their tomato plants to keep the pests away.
Marigolds come in a variety of reds, yellows, oranges, and gold. Their
blooms can be large and up to 2 inches wide.
Zinnia
Zinnias are popular flowers for children to grow because they come in so many
different colors. They can be red, yellow, white, pink, orange, purple, and
even lime green. Zinnias are also popular because they help to attract
butterflies that may be in the area.
Cosmos
are cute little flowers that look a bit like daisies because of their yellow
center. Their petals, however, come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and
colors. Pinks, pale purples, and white are the most common colors. Cosmos
are easy to grow because they can survive poor soil conditions and
temperature changes.
Cornflower (aka Bachelor Buttons)
Cornflowers are cheerful flowers that come in shades of pink and purple. Their
flower bloom on long stems that can reach up to 30 inches high. Bachelor
buttons got their name due to an old practice when men wore a cornflower in
a buttonhole of their suit, indicating they were in love and ready for
courting!
Sweet Pea (aka Lathyrus)
and veggie sweet peas are two completely different species and shouldn’t be
confused. Sweet pea flowers have ruffled petals that look like someone
painted them with watercolors. Even though sweet peas can tolerate hot
temperatures, they do best in the coolness of the shade and away from direct
sun. Sweet peas are also climbers and will need something like a trellis to
support them when they get taller.
Morning Glory
Morning glories
are another climbing flower that will need a trellis-type structure to grow
on when they get taller. Children love watching morning glories grow because
morning glory blooms will open in the morning when the sun comes up and
close in the evening when the sun goes down. Morning glories come in a
variety of colors but blues and purples are the most common.
Daisy
When people think about
daisies, they think about cute flowers with white petals and sunny yellow centers.
But… did you know that there are roughly 20,000 different types of daisies
out there? Daisies come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. They can
tolerate poor soil conditions and temperature changes. Interestingly…
daisies, zinnias, cosmos, cornflowers, marigolds, and sunflowers all come
from the same family!
Did you enjoy this list of easy-to-grow flowers? If so, check out these
other blog posts for more plants and gardening activities:
search words: plants, plant life cycles, gardening, planting
seeds, science, STEM, gardening with kids, garden club
