huerochingon wrote:
Brilliant! Tell my children not to touch them! I never thought of that.
Oh wait, what about my friends children? I'll have to remember to tell
them too. Then there's my nieces and nephews, I better call them ahead
of time since they usually just arrive and go straight to playing in
the yard (not "garden" but yard, as in for playing on!). Oh, I almost
forgot..My neighbor's kids play out there near that planter. Got it!
I'll just hang a sign on it "DANGER! DO NOT TOUCH!", a little barbed
wire and I'm all set.

Well, I've never had that kind of problem with my kids and grandkids,
nor with their friends. Maybe living up here in the wilds of Northern
Ontario, where we seem to absorb a healthy respect for non-human nature,
had something to do with it.... :-)

Seriously, it's essential to teach kids a healthy wariness. In my
experience, it's not that hard. Basically, you just model (and explain)
safe behaviour. Then they'll believe you when you say, "If you touch
that stuff without gloves, you will probably get nasty blisters..."
OTOH, if your kids ignore your Don't Touch, you have problems that no
amount of advice on this forum will help.