Garden for Children

Interactive Plants

Sensitive Plant Mimosa pudica (from Latin: pudica "shy, bashful or shrinking"), is a creeping annual or perennial herb often grown for its curiosity value: the compound leaves fold inward and droop when touched or shaken, re-opening minutes later. The species is native to South America and Central America.

Easy to start from seed!

Exotic Venus Flytrap, Dionaea muscipula, is a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey—mostly insects and arachnids. 

Butterfly Gardening

Host Plants for Larvae

• The Giant Yellow Swallowtail larvae prefers herbaceous leaves from the Citrus Family. Rue (the leaf was the inspiration for the club design in playing cards) - this herb is from the citrus family and is a great host for the Giant Swallowtail.
• Black Swallowtail - Dill, Parsley
• Frittilary - Passion flower Vine
• Monarch - Mexican Milkweed
• Attracting Butterflies Nectar Plants
• Lantana, Purple Coneflower, Abelia

Related Articles: Butterfly Gardening

Hummingbirds

Attract hummingbirds by selecting plants with trumpet shaped flowers in bright colors.
Tracking Hummingbirds.

Visit a local Arboretum or Botanical Garden

Fort Worth Botanical Garden

       Fort Worth Children's Garden Design
       BRIT

Dallas Arboretum

Five Star Book for Children

Kite, L. P., and; Banek, Y. S. (1995). Gardening wizardry for kids. Hauppauge, N.Y: Barron's.

Dinosauric Fun

One of our child's best birthday excursions was going to Dinosaur State Park with our kids and some friends. They ran, swung, skipped stones and looked for dinosaur footprints in the limestone ledges along and underneath the river.

I think of prehistoric plants and animals as unique and unusual.

Dinosauric Fun

Dinosaur State Park, Glen Rose Another great Texas resource to explore Dinosauric Fun is in Austin. Hartman Prehistoric Garden at Zilker Botanical Garden

Prehistoric Plants include Gymmnosperms

Ginkgo

Maidenhair Tree 
(Ginkgo Biloba)

Leaf, Ginkgo Biloba Tree 
Shaped like fan or "duck-foot" 
Fall leaf color is yellow

Ginkgo Biloba Fruit