Image of Clarkia double mixed from Unwins to create colourful flowers from scattered seeds.

1. A Broad bean or runner bean grown in a jar with curled tube of blotting paper to hold the seed against the glass. The roots will start when the bean germinates and then a leaf will form. The bean can be planted or the shoots eaten.
2. Mustard and or Cress sown on a wet cloth or flannel will germinate by growing a jelly coating and produce a fresh smell. In about 8 days there will be cress to eat.
3. Sunflower seeds sown in the garden can make giant plants taller than the children. Put a cane in firmly as a stake to tie the growing plant too.
4. Nasturtium seeds are big enough for even the smallest fingers. Plant in poor soil and they will trail and spread and the flowers leave new seed to collect for next year. The leaves and flowers can also be eaten so use this to teach children what can and can’t be eaten.
6. Virginia stocks can be sown in a broadcast manner and produce sweetly smelling flowers quite quickly
7. Forget-me-not can be sown in summer or autumn and will flower in spring when you haven’t forgotten them
8. Cottage garden selections like Cornflower,
9. Clarkia, and
10. Larkspur all provide a lot of colour for relatively low cost
11. Calendula are hardy seedlings that do not require any effort other than broadcasting the sizable seed