Child friendly / neglect friendly / plant for classroom
Clarington
Posts: 4,949
in Plants
I am currently sat in my classroom and I think it needs more colour and some cheer. So what about putting a plant in here?
The room
- Receives lots of daylight
- Is usually the same temperature as it is outside. So being in the centre of Sheffield that's "grim" in the winter and "by heck" in the summer.
- Is used for scout sleep overs, school groups, conference meetings, my office, and anything else you can think of. So it wants to look bold and smart but cope with being poked at, prodded, and generally be safe should someone decide they want to lick it (trust me I've seen school children licking the fire engines it wouldn't surprise me if the plant got bitten) That said I have an Ikea plastic display case (see here: http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/80219622/) that could be turned into some kind of display box putting the lid on when visitors are around for something small yet spectacular.
Anyone care to pitch some ideas?
I'm wondering about some kind of gruesome small fly trap so I could turn it into a crime scene (we're an emergency services museum) with *dramatic drum roll* WHO KILLED FRANCIS FLY?
(This post is almost entirely fueled by mugs of tea and flapjack. I can't promise it'll make sense)
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I had a Bilbergia in my Special Needs classroom for years and it withstood all kinds of neglect. Also had a Swiss Cheese plant. I thought it was important for them to have something growing and to find out about caring for it. Can't say that anyone tried licking or eating them though!
Spider plant. Can be set up on a high shelf out of the way but will throw out shoots/runners with baby clones on the end that can be handled as well as removed and planted up for anyone who wants one so they can learn about potting on and growing on.
"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
It'll sound daft obelixx but I have a hatred of spider plants. It comes from visiting my grandparents I'm sure when theirs hanging down used to try and snare me every time I went inside. Unfortunately the classroom is very "hospital bed" corners and there isn't anywhere to put a plant high up so I need something rather compact that can sit above the cupboards.
How about some herbs. It won't matter if the little dears eat them and the plants smell good. Basil and parsley are easy to grow and there are a million different kinds of mint with different scents. Mint normally dies down in winter but should keep going indoors even allowing for your obvious lack of insulation and double glazing. Thyme is shrubby and might be okay in your neck of the woods.....its not as if you'll be putting it outside to suffer the rigours of a northern winter.
Scented pelargoniums are another possibility. I haven't eaten any so can't vouch for their safety but I can't see children munching on the stickier varieties. They are easy to grow and readily root from cuttings so you can increase the stock and sell them off to parents on behalf of the PTA.