Weekend Garden Project: Train Planter for Kids (and Adults!)

Got a kid (or adult) who's obsessed with trains? Create a living landscape for your train track to run through with this quick, easy garden project. It uses edible and non-toxic plants, so you don't have to worry about your kids nibbling at the vegetation.

I'm always looking for fun ways to help my kids get outside and enjoy the garden. While my toddler needs little encouragement and often wants to "help" with gardening jobs, sometimes it's quicker (and safer for my plants!) if he has something else to be getting on with. This train planter was a great way to bring one of their favourite indoor toys outside and teach them about looking after plants.

What you need to create a train planter

This train track planter is very quick and easy to set up. All you need is:

• One or two large planters: I chose two rectangular planters so I could fit a double loop of track, but you could also create a circular track in a large, round planter. Two planters also meant fewer sibling arguments, as they could have a planter each. I got a second train out to help with this too – anything for an easy life!

• Compost: I used this peat-free multipurpose compost. If you're planting herbs or plants that need well-drained soil, mix some horticultural grit in with the compost.

• A selection of plants: If you're creating this planter for young kids, I recommend using herbs, edible flowers and non-toxic plants. You can find a full list of the plants I used and recommended alternatives below.

• A train track and trains: If you don't have a train set, you can often pick one up cheaply on Facebook Marketplace or Vinted. Our secondhand set is a mix of brands.

How to set up your garden train planter

Here's a step-by-step guide to creating your train planter, so it will be fun for your kids and your plants:

1. I recommend figuring out a layout for your train track before you start. Measure the internal size of your planter(s), then lay out your track and see what fits. If you want to buy a planter specifically for this project, lay out your track first and measure it, so you can make sure the planter you choose is large enough.

2. Check your planter has drainage holes and fill it with peat-free multipurpose compost. Water the compost thoroughly, let it settle, then level the compost so you have a flat surface.

3. Lay out your track on top of the compost. You can buy plastic clips to reinforce the connections between wooden pieces, but if you have a level surface, these aren't necessary.

4. Add your plants! Use edible plants if your kids or grandkids like putting things in their mouths. As an aside, if you're not sure whether your garden plants are toxic, the HTA's Guide to Potentially Harmful Plants is a useful resource. If you want to avoid getting dirt all over your train track, set out the plants in their pots so you know where they're going, then remove the track before planting them.

5. Get creative with your setup. Add a railway station and people, or hide animals and birds in the plants for your kids to discover. I borrowed a small metal dish from my children's mud kitchen and filled it with water to create a pond. This was intended for the birds, but proved very popular with my boys, who enjoyed giving their toy animals a bath.

6. Add trains and leave the kids to play while you get on with some gardening jobs – or just put your feet up and enjoy ten minutes' peace!

Plants used in my train planter

Here's a full list of the plants I used in this project:

• Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor': A culinary herb with variegated leaves that have a milder taste than common sage. It produces lovely purple flowers in the summer. Likes: full sun, very well-drained soil.

• Chamaemelum nobile (chamomile): This fragrant herb is a great filler, as it forms a dense mat of foliage, rather like a lawn. You can use the flowers to create a soothing (sleepy!) chamomile tea. Likes: full sun, poor soil.

• Thymus 'Creeping Red' (thyme): Creeping thyme spreads to form a green mat; perfect for filling in the gaps between other plants and creating a "lawn" for your trains. Likes: full sun, very well-drained soil.

• Carex morrowii 'Ice Dance': An ornamental sedge that adds contrasting texture and height to the display. Likes: shade and moist, fertile soil.

• Matteuccia struthiopteris (ostrich fern): A very pretty fern with light green fronds. It has an upright habit, which gives it a tree-like appearance in miniature landscapes. Likes: dappled shade and moist, fertile soil.

• Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff): This shade-loving herb flowers in late spring and early summer and spreads readily, making it an excellent groundcover option. Likes: partial or full shade and moist, fertile soil.

• Violas: These edible flowers are perfectly sized for this planter and add wonderful colour and interest. Violas look their best in spring and autumn and can struggle in hot summers. Likes: cool weather, full sun or partial shade, moist soil.

Some of these plants can grow quite big, but as they're all perennials, you can move them to other pots or plant them out in your garden once they outgrow this planter. I planted my train track planter in spring, and the violas and herbs flowered into early summer. Here are some alternative edible and non-toxic plants that would work well for a mid or late summer planter:

• French marigolds: These brightly coloured annuals flower profusely from summer through to the first frost. A great hot-weather alternative to violas. Likes: full sun and fertile, well-drained soil.

• Festuca 'Intense Blue': This vibrant blue grass looks its best in mid summer. Naturally compact, it's a great alternative to Carex if your planter is exposed to hot afternoon sun. Likes: full sun or partial shade, well-drained soil.

• Asplenium scolopendrium (hart's tongue fern): A hardy, non-toxic fern that is relatively drought tolerant once established (though you'll need to water young plants). Its compact size and leathery fronds make it an excellent choice for small landscapes. Likes: shade (though can cope with some sun), moist soil.

• Nasturtiums: The leaves and flowers on this fast-growing plant are both edible, though kids may not like the peppery taste! Choose a dwarf variety and let it tumble over the edge of the planter. Likes: Full sun or partial shade, poor soil. 

• Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears': This diminutive hosta is perfectly proportioned to fit in or around your train track. Its thick blue-green leaves add texture and colour with the addition of lavender flowers in summer. Likes: Partial or full shade, moist soil. 

• Rosemary 'Miss Jessopp's Upright': A fragrant herb that makes a wonderful "tree" or "forest" in small landscapes. Likes: Full sun, well-drained soil.