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Step 1
Plant conifers. During the time that dinosaurs lived, the landscape was dominated by these evergreen trees and shrubs. Conifers that date to the Mesozoic Era include Pseudofrenelopsis, yews, pines, cypress, Araucaria and redwoods. Plant conifers in autumn in sun to partial shade.
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Step 2
Choose a sunny spot to plant a Ginkgo tree. Ginkgo lived during the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
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Step 3
Add horsetail, which was a main source of food for dinosaurs. You can plant it in a wet area or place it in a pond. Horsetail can be invasive, though. Leave it in its pot to help reduce the spread.
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Step 4
Fill in the garden with other prehistoric plants. Ferns, magnolia and palms are some other plants that date from the time of dinosaurs. Make stepping stones through the plants in the shape of dinosaur footprints.
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Step 5
Place models of dinosaurs in the garden. Use the models to talk to your children about dinosaurs, discussing when each species lived and what it ate.
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Step 6
Paint a mural with different kinds of dinosaurs and plants on large rocks, walls or fences within the garden.
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Step 7
Create a "dig site" where children can search for fossils and bones. Fill a raised bed with sand. Make impressions of leaves and other natural materials in pieces of clay. Bury them in the sand. Add small plastic bones.
