Poisonous plants in garden?

[mumofone]

Please could someone confirm which plants are considered poisonous or dangerous - will OFSTED really be looking out for these? For instance I read that daffodils are dangerous but I have these growing (don't most people?!) and ivy too. Really worried they'll think my gardens a death trap!!

[moggy]

Please could someone confirm which plants are considered poisonous or dangerous - will OFSTED really be looking out for these? For instance I read that daffodils are dangerous but I have these growing (don't most people?!) and ivy too. Really worried they'll think my gardens a death trap!!

It is all about supervision and teaching the children. Lots of things are poisonous in some way but we teach children not to eat them, not to touch some and we supervise them. If you are concerned do a risk assessment- do you feel there is a risk?

You never know what Ofsted are going to pick up on- it is not unheard of for an inspector to look at plants, but most probably don't know a deadly nightshade from a tomato plant.

[mumofone]

Thanks moggy. Well yes I am doing a risk assessment but without knowing which plants are supposedly dangerous or poisonous I don't know what the risk is if that makes sense?!

[k1rstie]

My back garden is very small, overhung by trees and only dries out for about 3 weeks per year ( usually when I'm on holiday!)


I probably have every plant on the list.
I have
Foxgloves
Ivy
Daffodils
Potatoes
Bluebells
Laurel. To name but a few. Plus peanuts on the bird table! Plus I love mushrooms, including red ones

My kids walk past my biscuit box in a drawer before they reach the garden. Why would they want to eat the contents of the garden.


There is a very interesting article in free downloads. Sorry, not sure how to put the link on with my iPad.

[sarah707]

I have this printed in my risk assessment file

http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardeni..._devon_601.pdf

[bunyip]

The RHS site is good for this.

Remember though, anything can be a danger to a person with a sensitivity/allergy to it, and you can be allergic to anything. If it aint food, then it aint that good for you.

Moggy is right about supervision and teaching.

I showed my inspector that I had poisonous plants in the garden (including potato - every above-ground part of it is poisonous). I then told her I have a list, I supervise, and I teach children not to touch or put things to their mouth without telling me. I reminded her that the local council has far more poisonous plants in the parks and roadside verges than I could ever fit in my garden, but the LA never sends out a risk assessment, so does that mean I should teach the children how to behave or never set foot outside the house? I also showed her a picture of hemlock (deadly) and cow parsley (mostly harmless) and asked her which was which. (Google-image this and take care next time you're out.) I think that about did for her botany lesson.

[mumofone]

Thanks guys so what your saying in essence is that dangerous plants are ok as it were in your garden but that you must identify them, know the dangers and supervise children around them?

[bunyip]

Thanks guys so what your saying in essence is that dangerous plants are ok as it were in your garden but that you must identify them, know the dangers and supervise children around them?

Yup. Like every day we walk/drive children within a few feet of a few 1000kg of metal travelling at 30mph+. But Ofsted wouldn't expect us to say we never use the roads/pavements. We supervise and teach responsible behaviour.

.........but avoid triffids.

[mumofone]

Lol thanks bunyip!!! :-)

[moggy]

Thanks guys so what your saying in essence is that dangerous plants are ok as it were in your garden but that you must identify them, know the dangers and supervise children around them?

I would not go as far as to say we need to even 'identify' them, I have so many plants in my garden I could not list them and weeds pop up all the time- I'd never keep up! Many I can not identity anyway.

Some may be technically 'poisonous' but you'd have to eat a bucketful to do you any harm. Many taste bad or make you vomit before much harm done (touching a foxglove will not kill you). I am not saying it is not a risk- just that the risk has to be assessed like any other risk and you need to decide how dangerous it would be if a child touched/ate something. Same when out in woods/park/gardens.

We treat ALL plants the same- we don't touch/eat unless I say it is OK (like picking fruit/veg/herbs). I supervise children. I teach them what they are and what the risks are.

[Maza]

My inspector was very much into the poisonous plant issue and grilled me far more than I thought she would, so it is worth having your answers ready. My garden was knee deep in snow at the time and so fortunately she couldn't see a lot of what I have - don't know what most of them are I'm ashamed to say, but like Bunyip you do need to have risk assessed.

[SYLVIA]

One i spector did pull me up over some ivy growing over the top of a 6 foot fence, from next door once. I pointed out the the children cant get through all the shrubs to scale the fence to reach the ivy and also that the children wouldn't DARE step on my flowerbeds anyway. They always ask if the ball goes into the shrubs.

[FussyElmo]

Yup. Like every day we walk/drive children within a few feet of a few 1000kg of metal travelling at 30mph+. But Ofsted wouldn't expect us to say we never use the roads/pavements. We supervise and teach responsible behaviour.

.........but avoid triffids.

It's the triffids that are the problem. Pesky blighters move

[mumofone]

I have this printed in my risk assessment file http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardeni..._devon_601.pdf

Thanks Sarah, really helpful :-)

[CSR2014]

Ha ha look out for the Japanse Knotweed!!

[k1rstie]

Many of these poisonous plants are so beautiful. For example foxgloves and red spotty mushrooms. I think a foxglove with a coupe of fat bees buzzing in and out are wonderful. My kids are mesmerised by this. They know not to eat the flowers or the bees.

[bunyip]

One i spector did pull me up over some ivy growing over the top of a 6 foot fence, from next door once. I pointed out the the children cant get through all the shrubs to scale the fence to reach the ivy and also that the children wouldn't DARE step on my flowerbeds anyway. They always ask if the ball goes into the shrubs.

What? You mean you don't do SAS training with the lo's?

Face-paint them in camo-pattern so they can lurk unseen in the shrubbery then abseil down the ivy to lob stun grenades. It should certainly impress your next inspector.

...and if it doesn't, they'll just have to silently kill her with the ergonomic plastic baby cutlery and hide the body.

[funemnx]

There is a shortage of inspectors - and now we know why......

[mumofone]

Many of these poisonous plants are so beautiful. For example foxgloves and red spotty mushrooms. I think a foxglove with a coupe of fat bees buzzing in and out are wonderful. My kids are mesmerised by this. They know not to eat the flowers or the bees.

That's what I think too K1stie, I think learning about seasons and seeing daffodils in spring for instance is important. Sounds like sometimes inspectors can be OTT to the detriment of children learning about the real world :-(