Any parent knows the value of one's kids entertaining themselves in the great outdoors, thus affording their parents a moment's peace! Yesterday, my kids were playing nicely in our backyard. No fighting, screaming, or crying!

When I went to check on them, I found something unexpected. They threw our garden flowers and foliage into their water table. They pulled off peonies, geraniums, roses, hosta and daylily leaves, Oakleaf hydrangea leaves, etc. and floated them in the water, and it was surprisingly beautiful. And it smelled divine!

I took photos and told them they made art, and they told me they "thought [I'd] be mad." This made me think about priorities and to remember what should be my gardening philosophy: "flowers are for picking!"

Nice.
You just HAVE to let kids pick flowers. It's the right way to be. Grow enough flowers to satisfy them. And then grow more, haha.

Children do beautiful things with what they find

Ages ago when my kids were little they picked dandelions for me, I put them in a pretty vase on the table (they only last one day) and the next day the picked a bunch more a great way to rid the yard of the seeds and the kids were so happy to do it .

Garden desecration no doubt.
With my grandfather such a feat would have probably warranted summary execution followed by burial in an unmarked grave.

A lot depends on whether they are your own kids/ grands, or not.

@sallyg, haha! You are absolutely right!

This is the perfect opportunity for the kids to start growing their own plants! Zinnias & marigolds sprout & bloom quickly enough that kids can see daily progress. Not too late for some sunflowers. Something to eat is always memorable, educational & impressive to kids.

sallyg said:
A lot depends on whether they are your own kids/ grands, or not.

My brother and I learned the hard way family ties will only get you so far when we tried cutting some flowers off his lotus plants.

Bschmuck said: Any parent knows the value of one's kids entertaining themselves in the great outdoors, thus affording their parents a moment's peace! Yesterday, my kids were playing nicely in our backyard. No fighting, screaming, or crying!

When I went to check on them, I found something unexpected. They threw our garden flowers and foliage into their water table. They pulled off peonies, geraniums, roses, hosta and daylily leaves, Oakleaf hydrangea leaves, etc. and floated them in the water, and it was surprisingly beautiful. And it smelled divine!

I took photos and told them they made art, and they told me they "thought [I'd] be mad." This made me think about priorities and to remember what should be my gardening philosophy: "flowers are for picking!"

I do this when I'm absolutely bored. Sometimes the blooms (when crushed) can even dye the water!

purpleinopp said: This is the perfect opportunity for the kids to start growing their own plants! Zinnias & marigolds sprout & bloom quickly enough that kids can see daily progress. Not too late for some sunflowers. Something to eat is always memorable, educational & impressive to kids.

That's a great idea. I consider it a work of art as well (I'd secretly miss the pulled flowers if they left bare patches though , but would never let on). It would be real interesting to see if they would do the same with the flowers they grew themselves, just curious if that would change or not.

@gardengus.....dandelions are good eatin, wilted in vineger an oil.....sum salt an you got a treat.

My kids had their own space in the yard for their toys, play time and friends ect and they were taught to respect my things. They knew picking flowers was off limits. I had no issue w them looking, smelling or asking, but to pick without asking was a huge no.

Different strokes.
Like I resisted HAVING a stroke, when neighbor kid saw a caterpillar on my parsley, plucked it off and squeezed till.. he was little but still.. My kids I am almost certain would have never done that.

All teachable moments, educational opportunities. Kids love to teach themselves something with the aid of leading questions. "What will happen if...?" "When would be a good time to...?" "How can we grow more flowers to pick?" "What is the best way to cut this kind of flower?"

A lot of petals stay colorful after they have dried. It can be fun to save them over summer and put them in a big vase or jar. Probably find a lot of seeds in the process if letting them dry naturally, still attached to the plants.

Kids & gardening go together like a wink & a smile.

When my daughter was little she used to accompany me each evening to gather our dinner salad. We lived on some rural acreage and foraged for both wild edibles and cultivated plants from my garden

One day she invited a school chum to visit, who not only lived in a condo but also had a rather protective mother. They were about five years old.

I overheard them in the garden, my daughter dragging her friend from plant to plant saying, "...and this is called sheep sorrel, it tastes kind of lemony, and this is nasturtium, it's spicy, and this is borage, see? you pull this tiny little flower off..." All the while trying to get her friend to taste each one as the girl protested, "But my mother says you're not supposed to eat plants, they can make you sick!"

Poor little girl, of course she'd learned not to put unknown, random plants in her mouth, and here was this new friend and her MOTHER trying to poison her!

It's one of my most precious memories from my daughter's early childhood—hearing her name each edible and its culinary qualities. 💚 Not sure her friend went home so happy.

The friend was right and I'd be proud of her if she were mine. You should never do something you are uncomfortable with just because your friend is doing it. And her mom is right, never put plants in your mouth if you are unsure. Neither little girl did anything wrong, they were both right.

I wasn't judging rightness or wrongness, and I think I expressed my sympathy for the friend in such a foreign, confusing situation. It was just a sweet story.

It's surprisingly beautiful. And those plants{except the peony} will rebloom quickly. If you tried to replicate it in resin it probably would not turn out as well as the kids' version.

Bschmuck, judging from the flowers and leaves in your kids' work of art, I'd say your garden must be a work of art in itself! You're doing a BEAUTIFUL job with your garden AND your kids!

@ImaPlanterNTx thank you!!