Gardening: Make your child's interest grow

We are well into the school holidays and children are over the first flush of excitement and settling into the boredom that follows. Whether they're your own children, grandchildren or just guests, having a space that inspires them to touch, smell and grow their own is irresistible.

Even the smallest planters make child-friendly gardens. We've installed edible plants, flowers that need frequent picking, plants that enjoy being squeezed, or how about some crazy bug eye-shaped flowers, chocolate-smelling plants or curly hair grass?

For the very young, something relatively instant is ideal. There are still plugs of sweet peas available in garden centres which grow almost before your eyes in the wet/warm weather we've been having. If you want to be creative, soak willow canes in water before twisting and bending them into letters or animal shapes.

Another way of fostering an interest is to go to a pick-your-own centre and plant for next season. Strawberries, once established, grow prolifically and herbs are another quick crop that may be overlooked in a child's garden, but the regular cropping required is always a hit.

A sunflower is also a great talking point. Rig up a measuring board so the relative heights of growing bodies can be plotted. Anything that produces a tangible result is popular; how about pumpkins for the autumn?

If the call of the garden doesn't appeal, there are plenty of slugs, ants and snails that need trapping and inspecting.

• Jackie Macdonald is a partner in Small Green Spaces which specialises in container gardening for small urban spaces using locally and ethically sourced materials. 0131-557 1107, www.smallgreenspaces.co.uk.