I once gave a homily at my church based on a gospel of Luke text about planting seeds. To illustrate the text I planted beans in styrofoam cups and gave one to each person in attendance, instructing them to water and nurture the seeds until they bore fruit.

One older man at the service -- a resident of a group home -- proceeded to give me weekly updates and one Sunday, months later, he reported that his bean plant had flowers!

Planting seeds produces satisfaction and joy for all ages.

“Planting a seed brings out nurturing instincts,” explains well-known gardening author Cathy Wilkinson Barash. “As the seed germinates and grows, it's impossible not to become attached to the plant. With each passing day, your emotional investment in the plant grows, as does the plant. And then, the first flower bud appears and opens its petals. It's so exciting! That first blossom is the ultimate reward for your diligence -- a wonderful sense of accomplishment that boosts self-esteem.”

Children often appreciate the miracle of seed germination more than adults. Give a child a sunflower seed and explain that before long, the seed will turn into a plant that will grow so tall as to tower over him or her. They look at you in disbelief but their eyes also harbor hope and their hands communicate a “Let’s get started” attitude.

Sunflowers are among the best flowers for children to grow. Their fast growth is impressive and will rivet a child's interest. Of course, adults can derive as much pleasure as a child from growing sunflowers. I do. My sunflower plants grew to more than 10 feet high last summer and I left the stalks stand all winter. When I cut them down a few weeks ago the seed heads were completely empty of seeds. The birds dined on them throughout the winter months.

Dinner-plate-size sunflowers can show off extraordinary hues of yellow, with some marked with green, brown, or red. Not all sunflowers are mammoth giants, however. Height can range from 2-12 feet or more, depending on the variety. Sunflowers last a long time as cut flowers. They are striking in a vase, either as a lone specimen or as a bouquet. And their seeds are edible. What more could a kid want?

Barash suggests five other flowers as excellent for kids. All are members of the daisy family and are guaranteed to enliven the garden from late spring to frost. Look for seed packets containing these old-fashioned flowers and try growing them with your kids this spring. They all grow to 3 feet or taller and are good as cut flowers. In fact, cutting flowering stems actually encourages more blooms. Best of all, each is easy to grow from seed planted directly in the garden.

Although seeds can be sown indoors and then transplanted into the garden after spring thaw, it is easier and more reliable to start them outside. In addition, all have the tendency to self-sow so they may return to your garden in future years.

Zinnias (Zinnia elegans). Old-fashioned varieties can reach two and one-half to three feet -- the eye level of many children. Even a small planting of zinnias creates a riot of summer-long color in deep reds, oranges, magentas and pinks. Cut zinnias make nice indoor bouquets right up through frost.

Bachelor's buttons (Centaurea cyanus). Traditional varieties are sky blue, resembling chicory that grows wild along roadways in late spring and summer. The 1-inch flowers have a somewhat shaggy look with roughly overlapping petals. Newer cultivar colors are white, pink, and maroon.

Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia). Also called Mexican hats, these plants are not sunflowers, yet their vivid orange, 2- to 4-inch, daisylike blooms rival the impact of sunflowers. Choose from short or tall varieties. In rich soil with ample space, a single tall plant can be mistaken for a shrub. Cultivars come in varying shades of orange and, more recently, yellow.

Cosmos bipinnatus (Mexican asters). This flower has a lovely light, airy look with dainty, fern-like foliage and daisy-type flowers. Traditionally, the flower colors are pink, white, or magenta, all with yellow centers. Orange blooms are now part of the color palette. Cosmos add a cool touch to the garden.

Gloriosa daisies (Rudbeckia hirta). Resembling black-eyed Susans, gloriosa daisies harmonize well with Mexican sunflowers, orange cosmos and sunflowers; each has a similar form that is distinguished by flower size and hue.

These easy-to-grow flowers can be found in mail order catalogs or seed-packet racks in retail stores. Give one or more a try this spring. When you involve kids in a seed-starting project you are nurturing a love for gardening that can last a lifetime.