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Crayola Color Gardens for Kids

© Linda Mazar

Kids are very focused on colors. They are learning their colors, coloring with crayons, learning what colors coordinate while they dress, choosing favorite colors, etc. Color is a big part of their lives and exists in everything around them. Because of this it is fun to make a kid's garden that focuses on color as well. There are many ways to do this, but here are a few ideas: a single color garden, color wheel/spectrum/rainbow or a Crayola crayon garden.

Single color garden beds have been around for a long time, but have become very popular recently following the example of the white garden at Sissinghurst in England. The idea is to have the flowers/plants be in the same color family. It's like going to the paint store for "white" paint and finding 30 or so white shades to choose from. At the Sissinghurst white garden, the flowers are not all bright pure white, but are in a variety of "white" colors - white is dominant. Very few flowers are pure white. They may have a tone to them that is pink, peach, lavendar, gold, green, etc. Think about placement before you plant the flowers. You may not want the pinkish-white flowers next to the peachy gold ones, etc. Blend together with silver (lamb's ears, artemesia)and green foliage (ferns, hosta) to soften any harsh contrasts. Flowers to include in a white garden could be: Flower Carpet White Roses, Shasta Daisies, white Petunias, lilies, white Marigolds (French Vanilla, Snowdrift), white Cleome, white Salvia, white Spiderwort, etc. You can even sneak in a few other colors to show the white (or other desired color) off.

A color garden is not limited to white only, but can be most any favorite color of your child's (even black). In a red garden there could be a variety of flowers with reds or red involvement such as burgundy, magenta, red-orange, etc. Also, maybe red is edging the petals, in the veining of the leaves (like Japanese ferns), stripes in the petal, etc. Plants for a red garden may include: a deep red rose, a burgundy "Husker's Red" penstemon, "Chocolate Ruffles" Coral bells, scarlet salvia, a red astilbe, the red fern leaf peony, red petunias, an red-orange daylily, etc. Now these colors can clash a bit, but if you work your way gradually through starting with pink tones into maroon then to burgundy, toward scarlet and then onto the orangy reds, it will help. To soften and help blend these strong colors together, use careful placement and use some white flowers, silver foliage, and green foliage plants as needed.

The copyright of the article Crayola Color Gardens for Kids in Gardening with Children is owned by Linda Mazar. Permission to republish Crayola Color Gardens for Kids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.