Family Garden Theme Ideas

The plants you choose for your family-friendly garden can be selected around a theme. Here are a few fun ideas that include the opportunity to grow kid-friendly vegetables and flowers, too.

Fairy Garden

There are no rules with this garden theme. The primary idea is to add whimsical items to create a garden that is inspired by or inspires magical stories. If your kids are too young to work in the garden, give them a space of their own, under a tree’s canopy of leaves for example, where they feel like part of the gardening process while playing outdoors.

Kitchen Garden

This is just what you would imagine—a garden that gives you fresh produce, herbs, and flowers you can use in the kitchen. Kids will gain an appreciation for homegrown goodness and enjoy it when you ask them to run to the garden and harvest a few tomatoes, a handful of basil, or some parsley for family make your own pizza night.

Butterfly Garden

This one is relatively easy when you plant bright-colored, nectar-rich flowers like butterfly bush, coneflower, zinnia, lavender, sunflower, buddleia, salvia, and more butterfly-attracting flowers.

Sensory Garden

This garden style engages the senses in intentional ways. Plant herbs and flowers that have signature fragrances. Then, as your family maintains your sensory garden, ask your kids to close their eyes as you share a vegetable, flower, or herb for them to smell. Ask them to identify the plant, or if they’re too young for that, ask them if it’s an herb or flower. You can even ask if a scent makes them feel a particular way, like calm, energized, or hungry!

Kid-Friendly Plants

Success is a sure source of motivation so pick seeds that are known to be easier to germinate and grow. Try these plants that are safe for kids, even if they decide to nibble a bit (provided you’re using organic weed and pest control): chives, dahlias, dill, lavender, marigolds, milkweed, peppers, snapdragons, sunflowers, and sweet potatoes are a few good options.

Raised Bed Gardens

This garden type has lots of benefits for kids and families, from standing height for your toddlers to sitting height for grandparents. A raised bed garden makes gardening easier since soil quality is easier to manage. Try planting potato slips in a Smart Pot fabric raised bed. When it’s time to harvest, you can turn the Smart Pot on its side and the kids can gently sift through the soil to find the potatoes.

Compost Bin

While this is not a garden style, it’s certainly a way to get kids involved in gardening. Ask your kids to take the kitchen scraps and throw them in the compost heap or bin. If you have a heap/pile, challenge them to see how far into the pile they can toss it, or if it’s a bin, ask them to turn it 5-10 times for a reward, like a fresh strawberry or carrot they can harvest themselves.

Apart from the garden, you can add seating, playing, and observing areas too. How about a bocce ball court or a sandbox? Try adding finished wood between planters as benches for rest. A slide in an unexpected place might be used for kids and adults—and make carrying produce into the house a lot more fun. Play areas or a simple porch swing are great ways to enjoy your outdoor space as a family.

Involving the whole family in gardening is fun. As your kids watch and learn nature’s process, they may be inspired to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) subjects to answer their questions, find better methods, and develop new products.

Texas A&M Department of Agriculture is part of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University. It offers a wide range of programs and degrees focused on agriculture, life sciences, and related fields. The department is dedicated to providing students with a transformational education that prepares them to become leaders in the agricultural industry. Through research, hands-on learning, and community engagement, the department aims to address global challenges and improve the quality of life for people around the world.