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Toddler and laburnum
I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden,
which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
"Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE According to a web search, as little as two seeds can produce symptoms, and most places say its poisonous, down to parania about people wondering if the wood is dangerous (well y4es but only if you eat it....) OTOH if its as deadly as reported, how come actual deaths from it appear to be incredibly rare? This looks like a reasonable reference. http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/spib/summer02.pdf I did also find a lancet ref which said that it wasnt as dangerous as had been feared. I suppose once people decide its dangerous no one is going to bother to investigate exactly how dangerous,and if a horse dies from eating loads of the stuff that is regarded as proof, rather than as proof of the stupidity and or sensitivity of horses. You might also, from a longer term POV, consider if it would be better to teach her not to eat stuff she doesnt know is good, rather than try and remove anything remotely dangerous, which is obviously impossible since you can only affect whats in your garden. If you remove the tree, how will she know not to eat the seeds from another laburnum elsewhere, or other 'pretty' berries. Maybe in a couple of years time she'll be round a friends house playing in the garden, what if they have a laburnum?,My parents drummed it into me not to eat berries off trees or bushes unless I knew they were OK, had they shorn the garden of all such plants, there would have been nothing to warn me against :-) -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from "Rosie" contains these words: I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? No. (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) It's your job to make sure she doesn't! -- AnneJ ICQ #:- 119531282 |
Toddler and laburnum
All parts are very poisonous but taste terrible.
The fruits [pods] do look similar to miniature garden peas to a child and that is the danger. Many other plants are as poisonous but don't look so 'grown up' or so familiar and tempting. To remove or not must be your own decision~~the cut wood is most attractive. I had adventurous children and several Laburnums with no ill effect. If the chid did manage to eat some [not very many] and swallow [without spitting out] then would become ill to very ill. I have found that children do take notice of warnings and don't 'try out for themselves'. Best Wishes "Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:03:25 +0100, "Rosie" wrote:
I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) All parts of the laburnum are poisonous - though most cases of poisoning come from children eating the unripened seed pods, which resemble small pea pods. Having said that, I've raised two toddlers so far with a laburnum in the garden - in fact it's one of the trees the kids climb up - without any incident. I've another toddler who'll be crawling round the garden this summer - and to be honest I'm far more worried about the vicious red ants we have in these parts, they pack one hell of a painful sting. There are many hazards in the garden - ranging from poisonous plants, fungi, animal and bird droppings etc, but even toddlers will learn quite quickly if you're on hand to administer a very stern and loud NO! Tends to result in a flood of tears, and breaks your heart, but children will soon forget the pain - and remember the message, and it's a message they'll take with them wherever they go. I have tasted both the green pod and the ripe black seed as a child - and I'm here to tell you that I really can't understand how anyone could eat any sort of quantity of the things, they're both intensely bitter. It's a fine tree, with cool foliage and fantastic yellow blooms - so it'd be a shame to lop it down. Could you not perhaps prune it back hard this year? This would cut down on the blooms, and with a suitable pair of long-handled shears you might even be able to dead head the blooms ( if any ). Ultimately though, it IS a poisonous plant - and I doubt many parents would blame you if you preferred not to live with the risk. Regards, -- Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations http://www.shwoodwind.co.uk Emails to: showard{who is at}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk |
Toddler and laburnum
"Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE If it was us, we would get rid of the tree. Our daughter had a Laburnum tree over her pond. The seeds/pods dropped into the pond. The fish died. Mike (after taking advice from Joan) -- H.M.S.Newfoundland Association Reunion Hayling Island April 23rd - 26th Royal Naval Reunion Eastbourne May 7th - 10th H.M.S.Collingwood Association Reunion Bracklesham Bay May 21st - 24th Nat.Service (RAF) Assoc. Cosford Parade / Social Weekend 25th - 28th June |
Toddler and laburnum
Quote from the RHS Gardening Manual "Unsuitable for a family garden as all parts are toxic if eaten" Mike (& Joan) |
Toddler and laburnum
and don't cross the road and don't go near the River and .............
I agree with you on teaching the awareness of danger, but the poster has come on asking for advice. They are well aware of the danger and point out that the youngster does tend to put things in her mouth, as all children do. Our eldest daughter, at the age of 3/4 was found eating coal!! 'Our' recommendation is on this occassion, to remove the tree. Poisonous? I can remember as a youngster when pea shooters were the rage, having a mouthful of laburnum seeds as 'ammo'. I was never told they were dangerous!! But I am still here aren't I? :-)) Mike. Yes, still here :-)) -- H.M.S.Newfoundland Association Reunion Hayling Island April 23rd - 26th Royal Naval Reunion Eastbourne May 7th - 10th H.M.S.Collingwood Association Reunion Bracklesham Bay May 21st - 24th Nat.Service (RAF) Assoc. Cosford Parade / Social Weekend 25th - 28th June |
Toddler and laburnum
A quick google search for Laburnum Poison brought up several interesting
items including this extract from http://medtox.org/info/pdq/web%20summer%202003.pdf Poisoning in Children: Laburnum Laburnum (also known as golden rain/ chain) is a smallish, decorative tree often planted in parks and gardens. In late spring it is covered in flowing bright yellow flowers. Seeds develop in pea-like pods in summer and often remain on the tree all winter. Case report1: At a barbeque 3 children had their own party further down the garden where they had found a tree with 'peas' on it. They were caught nibbling these 'peas' by a parent who had heard laburnum was very poisonous and were rushed to hospital. A 3 year-old boy who had eaten 4 seeds remained well. A 5 yearold girl vomited twice on arrival and had colicky abdominal pain and a 4 year-old boy who said he had eaten 1 pod experienced profuse vomiting, tachycardia and twitching. The children all recovered with supportive care. Comment: All parts of the tree especially the bark and seeds contain the toxin cytisine which resembles nicotine. Fortunately ingestion of laburnum usually causes only gastrointestinal upset. Severe intoxication is rare but may result in neurological symptoms. Effects may appear within 1 hour2 and include 'burning' of the oropharynx, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Headache, dizziness, confusion, dilated pupils, clammy skin, tachycardia, pyrexia, dyspnoea and drowsiness are possible later. Recovery is usually complete within 12-24 hours. Massive amounts of cytisine could cause hallucinations, convulsions, respiratory failure, coma and even death3. Children should be given activated charcoal if they have eaten more than 5 seeds. Asymptomatic patients should be observed for a minimum of 6 hours post ingestion. Laburnum seeds are usually ingested by 5- 10 year-olds rather than toddlers!FN Refs: 1. NPIS(L) 95/105355 2. Fuller TC, McClintock E (1986). Poisonous Plants of California. University of California Press: Berkeley, California. 3. Cooper MR, Johnson AW (1998). Poisonous Plants and Fungi in Britain, Ed. 2. The Stationery Office: London. Key point: Systemic toxicity may occur following ingestion of laburnum seeds -- David Hill Abacus nurseries www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk |
Toddler and laburnum
How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE At the end of the day, it is your decision as to whether or not to remove poisonous plants from your own garden. When I was a childminder, I was not allowed to have anything poisonous in my garden. The fact I watched minded children like a hawk was beside the point! Social Services provided childminders with a list of recognised poisonous plants. I don't childmind any more but still have young children of my own. I kill off the nightshade that grows thro my fence from force of habit and having paranoia drummed into me as a child as to "how terribly poisonous" this was. But I don't worry about anything else - foxgloves grow quite happily in one corner. I have a laurel tree overhanging the garden and it dumps it's berries on my lawn annually. The kids know that they are not allowed to even touch any berries of any kind without my permission. Until they were old enough to understand that, they were supervised pretty closely anyway. In fact if I even mention the word poisonous now, they steer well clear of such things. The problem comes when I have a friend's child over and they don't understand these things. I grew up having a reasonable knowledge of and respect for what was and wasn't poisonous - and therefore what is and isn't edible! I teach my kids the same. Obviously, they could do anything the moment your back is turned and you know your own child best. Because I now use all sorts of berries, leaves and herbs from the wild for wine, jam and general cooking, they also learn from me about the safety of plants. And there's nothing like picking rosehips with your kids and introducing them to the itching powder effect of the hairs inside the fruit! I understand that apple leaves are poisonous to a degree and removed one of those from my baby son's mouth once (that baby is now 9). But then he also had a liking for woodlice............. I belong to the Alan Titchmarsh school of thought that it is better to educate children about the dangers of plants rather than remove them altogether. Vicky |
Toddler and laburnum
In article , Vicky
writes I belong to the Alan Titchmarsh school of thought that it is better to educate children about the dangers of plants rather than remove them altogether. Exactly . . . if you cocoon them when they are little, they don't stand a chance when they become independent adults :(( -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see |
Toddler and laburnum
How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? No. (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) It's your job to make sure she doesn't! I had an acquaintance once who gave very definite answers like yours when it came to the subject of controlling/teaching children. Both he and his wife were in their 50's so knew right from wrong and what children should do and what they should not do. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. He and his wife had no children :-)) Mike -- H.M.S.Newfoundland Association Reunion Hayling Island April 23rd - 26th Royal Naval Reunion Eastbourne May 7th - 10th H.M.S.Collingwood Association Reunion Bracklesham Bay May 21st - 24th Nat.Service (RAF) Assoc. Cosford Parade / Social Weekend 25th - 28th June |
Toddler and laburnum
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Toddler and laburnum
Thanks for all the advice and wise words.
I think I will keep the tree. I agree that educating my daughter not to eat anything in the garden is the best approach. So far her main gardening activity is digging up worms and snails and 'cuddling' them. (She is always supervised in the garden and whilst of course it is 'my job' to do that, one does occasionally get distracted by the odd weed that needs tending...) Thanks for advice and thoughts! ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
"Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE Seems a shame to get rid of the tree, children grow up quite quickly it won't be long until warnings to not do things are effective. As to how poisonous, when young my friend ate loads of them and there was mass panic he was rushed off to hospital but on arrival sent home (having been sick) and his mum told "not to worry" he would be fine we were around 3 at a guess (and yes I just sat there and watched him do it! - I had been told not to :~) -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Toddler and laburnum
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:03:25 +0100, "Rosie" said:
] I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, ] which seems to produce a lot of seeds. ] ] How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be ] best off getting rid of the tree? ] ] (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she ] does like shoving things in her mouth.) ] ] ROSIE ] ] Rosie, Read the replies with interest. Just worth noting that Laburnum seeds are also a choking hazard. A friend's little girl ended in hospital with one lodged in her throat. (She's fine now.) We have kids 5 and 7, and Laburnum. They're pretty good about learning what not to do, safety-wise, so we have (knock on wood) had no problems. That said as has been pointed out no child is completely reliable! Seems to me life is full of hazards, Laburnum is less serious than some... HTH -E -- Emery Davis You can reply to by removing the well known companies |
Toddler and laburnum
Rosie,like most have said it would be a shame to fell the tree.I am not
going to get on my high horse and tell you how to look after your own children ,I have two and know what a handful & how unpredictable they can be.Sometimes how many times do you find yourself saying no to a child they drive you up the wall,and will do things anyway!Someone has said that you should not allow small child to wander a garden alone,what do you call small,I have a son he is just walking,I would not let him wander alone,but I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter who I would allow.Why don`t you plant shrubs & perennials around the tree making a border so the berries & tree can not be accessed by kids.You can`t follow kids 24/7 and need piece of mind that your kids can not do harm to themselves if you turn your back!After all the garden is supposed to be a place for relaxation & you can`t do that if you are constantly worrying & following them about. Thanks Keith,UK. "Emery Davis" wrote in message . .. On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:03:25 +0100, "Rosie" said: ] I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, ] which seems to produce a lot of seeds. ] ] How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be ] best off getting rid of the tree? ] ] (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she ] does like shoving things in her mouth.) ] ] ROSIE ] ] Rosie, Read the replies with interest. Just worth noting that Laburnum seeds are also a choking hazard. A friend's little girl ended in hospital with one lodged in her throat. (She's fine now.) We have kids 5 and 7, and Laburnum. They're pretty good about learning what not to do, safety-wise, so we have (knock on wood) had no problems. That said as has been pointed out no child is completely reliable! Seems to me life is full of hazards, Laburnum is less serious than some... HTH -E -- Emery Davis You can reply to by removing the well known companies |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from "Mike" contains these words: How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? No. (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) It's your job to make sure she doesn't! I had an acquaintance once who gave very definite answers like yours when it came to the subject of controlling/teaching children. Both he and his wife were in their 50's so knew right from wrong and what children should do and what they should not do. He and his wife had no children :-)) Well, the difference there would be that I not only had a laburnum tree in my garden, I also have five children and thirteen grandchildren! None of them ever attempted to eat laburnum seeds or pods, because I *made it my job* to educate them as to what was dangerous in the garden, and what was not! -- AnneJ ICQ #:- 119531282 |
Toddler and laburnum
With very very few exceptions all poisonous plant material has a more than
terrible taste. More than enough to deter any child. Many years ago, as students, we were encouraged to taste minute portions.To avoid having their parts eaten, this has been part of plants' evolution. The fruit of the Yew is an exception. Its red fleshy outside is very pleasant, and harmless, but the encased seed is very poisonous and easily swallowed. More lightly~~ Some years ago my wife was baby sitting the grandchildren. The young g.daughter was playing on the lounge floor and her [little older] brother lounging on the sofa. He noticed that his sister had picked up a brown half eaten apple and was about to eat it. " Don't put that in your mouth, you don't know where its been" he bossily said. A few minutes later she looked up at her brother who was reading while sucking his thumb. "Don't put your thumb in your mouth, you Do know where it's been"!! she reproved. At that age they were 'lovely enough to eat'. Now as teenagers I sometimes wish we had done so!! Not really. Best Wishes. "Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
Well, the difference there would be that I not only had a laburnum tree in my garden, I also have five children and thirteen grandchildren! None of them ever attempted to eat laburnum seeds or pods, because I *made it my job* to educate them as to what was dangerous in the garden, and what was not! -- AnneJ ICQ #:- 119531282 In that case, as you are so experienced, possibly more than anyone on this newsgroup and certainly more than me, I have only had four children and one grandchild, then you could have been a little more helpful and constructive in your posting. Your posting was very curt and on the lines of Baraclough of past. Are you by any chance a Traffic Warden in your spare time? Mike |
Toddler and laburnum
Rosie17/4/04 10:19
Thanks for all the advice and wise words. I think I will keep the tree. I agree that educating my daughter not to eat anything in the garden is the best approach. So far her main gardening activity is digging up worms and snails and 'cuddling' them. (She is always supervised in the garden and whilst of course it is 'my job' to do that, one does occasionally get distracted by the odd weed that needs tending...) Thanks for advice and thoughts! ROSIE I think keeping the tree is the better option, Rosie. You could, of course, get rid of it but you really can't keep her from *everything* and learning at home is much, much the best lesson. And to be honest, accidents with children happen so fast that a moment's inattention can lead to anything in or out of the home - all 3 of mine nearly drowned once when the-person-in-charge turned away from the sea to drag their towels etc. up the beach and out of swamping range. Our grand daughter is the adventurous type and our house being Victorian, the banisters aren't the regulation 'safety distance' apart. We have a 'gallery' staircase and twice within 30 minutes of her arriving to stay here for a long period, I found her upstairs, with her body between the balusters and one foot hanging over the edge - clinging on only by her two very small hands. I must say that my nerve failed me at that point and we put clematis trellis all the way up and round the stairs. It looked most peculiar but it cut down on my Valium sandwiches. The kickback on this is that in her own home she started playing about on the stairs a few weeks back, fell down about 6 steps and had a greenstick fracture. In our house she'd have broken her neck. -- Sacha (remove the weeds to email me) |
Toddler and laburnum
At that age they were 'lovely enough to eat'. Now as teenagers I sometimes wish we had done so!! Not really. My middle daughter is a career woman and as such has no interest in children and really doesn't like them at all. Whenever she is asked 'Don't you like children?' she always answers "Oh yes, but I could never eat a whole one" Mike |
Toddler and laburnum
A fairly recent advert in one of the Cornish papers advertised for sale an
'Alsatian, eats anything, very fond of children'! But then they also advertised a 'Tractor with 5 ton wench' and mentioned a local retired colonel as a 'Bottle scarred veteran' ~~ Later corrected as 'Battle scared veteran'!! And to think we were talking about Laburnums?!! As for children it does depend on how they were cooked!! Best Wishes "Mike" wrote in message ... At that age they were 'lovely enough to eat'. Now as teenagers I sometimes wish we had done so!! Not really. My middle daughter is a career woman and as such has no interest in children and really doesn't like them at all. Whenever she is asked 'Don't you like children?' she always answers "Oh yes, but I could never eat a whole one" Mike |
Toddler and laburnum
As for children it does
depend on how they were cooked!! Fried or Boiled? |
Toddler and laburnum
Coddled!! Brian
"Mike" wrote in message ... As for children it does depend on how they were cooked!! Fried or Boiled? |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from "Mike" contains these words: Your posting was very curt and on the lines of Baraclough of past. Are you by any chance a Traffic Warden in your spare time? Well, thanks for the compliment, Mike! I may have been curt, but one does tire of the same questions being asked year after year after year! Does no-one use Google any more? What I do in my spare time is none of your business........ -- AnneJ ICQ #:- 119531282 |
Toddler and laburnum
Anne Jackson wrote:
one does tire of the same questions being asked year after year after year! Does no-one use Google any more? I did look this up on Google - I couldn't find it asked since 2001 and I thought there might be some new information or advice in that time. Cheers, ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
but one
does tire of the same questions being asked year after year after year! Is it beyond your thought that this person might even be a newbie and I might never have posted here before? Just because you are one of the 'Old Hands' full of experience and know all the answers through years and years of experience, please remember, that once upon a time, even YOU did not know all the answers. (When you had your first baby, you knew just what to do? How to feed it and bathe it? And if you are a driver, were you born with a driving licence and all the experience of road craft?) I think I had better advise you, because you are obviously not aware of the fact, that at about this time next year, April 'ish' 2005, a complete set of newbies will 'bombard' this newsgroup with exactly the same questions that you tire of so much. Might I therefore respectfully suggest that you log out now, so that these tiresome newbies, who do not know these things, do not annoy you any more? Or perhaps we will make a posting on the newsgroup every week as follows. In the subject line "SORRY, BUT A QUESTION FROM A NEWBIE" Please note that this is a newsgroup full of very experienced people, of which some do not have the patience to keep on answering questions from newbies. If you want to ask a simple question, just like the experienced ones on here did at the beginning, and so they are not bored to tears, please make a prominent posting such as the above in the subject. Thank you. Would that satisfy you? I doubt it :-(( You can please some of the people some of the time You can please most of the people most of the time But you cannot please ALL of the people ALL of the time Mike -- H.M.S.Newfoundland Association Reunion Hayling Island April 23rd - 26th Royal Naval Reunion Eastbourne May 7th - 10th H.M.S.Collingwood Association Reunion Bracklesham Bay May 21st - 24th Nat.Service (RAF) Assoc. Cosford Parade / Social Weekend 25th - 28th June |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from "Vicky" contains these words: /prune/ I understand that apple leaves are poisonous to a degree and removed one of those from my baby son's mouth once (that baby is now 9). But then he also had a liking for woodlice............. Woodlice used to be boiled for 'shrimp' stock by the impecunious, then made into a sauce for serving with fish. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from "Mike" contains these words: In that case, as you are so experienced, possibly more than anyone on this newsgroup and certainly more than me, I have only had four children and one grandchild, then you could have been a little more helpful and constructive in your posting. Your posting was very curt and on the lines of Baraclough of past. Are you by any chance a Traffic Warden in your spare time? Careful...... Much, much, much worserer and dangerouserer. -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Toddler and laburnum
The message
from Anne Jackson contains these words: He and his wife had no children :-)) Well, the difference there would be that I not only had a laburnum tree in my garden, I also have five children and thirteen grandchildren! None of them ever attempted to eat laburnum seeds or pods, because I *made it my job* to educate them as to what was dangerous in the garden, and what was not! Besides, laburnum seeds are far too valuable to waste on people you like....... -- Rusty Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar. http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ |
Toddler and laburnum
How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE At the end of the day, it is your decision as to whether or not to remove poisonous plants from your own garden. When I was a childminder, I was not allowed to have anything poisonous in my garden. The fact I watched minded children like a hawk was beside the point! Social Services provided childminders with a list of recognised poisonous plants. I don't childmind any more but still have young children of my own. I kill off the nightshade that grows thro my fence from force of habit and having paranoia drummed into me as a child as to "how terribly poisonous" this was. But I don't worry about anything else - foxgloves grow quite happily in one corner. I have a laurel tree overhanging the garden and it dumps it's berries on my lawn annually. The kids know that they are not allowed to even touch any berries of any kind without my permission. Until they were old enough to understand that, they were supervised pretty closely anyway. In fact if I even mention the word poisonous now, they steer well clear of such things. The problem comes when I have a friend's child over and they don't understand these things. I grew up having a reasonable knowledge of and respect for what was and wasn't poisonous - and therefore what is and isn't edible! I teach my kids the same. Obviously, they could do anything the moment your back is turned and you know your own child best. Because I now use all sorts of berries, leaves and herbs from the wild for wine, jam and general cooking, they also learn from me about the safety of plants. And there's nothing like picking rosehips with your kids and introducing them to the itching powder effect of the hairs inside the fruit! I understand that apple leaves are poisonous to a degree and removed one of those from my baby son's mouth once (that baby is now 9). But then he also had a liking for woodlice............. I belong to the Alan Titchmarsh school of thought that it is better to educate children about the dangers of plants rather than remove them altogether. Vicky |
Toddler and laburnum
In article , Vicky
writes I belong to the Alan Titchmarsh school of thought that it is better to educate children about the dangers of plants rather than remove them altogether. Exactly . . . if you cocoon them when they are little, they don't stand a chance when they become independent adults :(( -- Jane Ransom in Lancaster. I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see |
Toddler and laburnum
How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? No. (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) It's your job to make sure she doesn't! I had an acquaintance once who gave very definite answers like yours when it came to the subject of controlling/teaching children. Both he and his wife were in their 50's so knew right from wrong and what children should do and what they should not do. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. He and his wife had no children :-)) Mike -- H.M.S.Newfoundland Association Reunion Hayling Island April 23rd - 26th Royal Naval Reunion Eastbourne May 7th - 10th H.M.S.Collingwood Association Reunion Bracklesham Bay May 21st - 24th Nat.Service (RAF) Assoc. Cosford Parade / Social Weekend 25th - 28th June |
Toddler and laburnum
|
Toddler and laburnum
Thanks for all the advice and wise words.
I think I will keep the tree. I agree that educating my daughter not to eat anything in the garden is the best approach. So far her main gardening activity is digging up worms and snails and 'cuddling' them. (She is always supervised in the garden and whilst of course it is 'my job' to do that, one does occasionally get distracted by the odd weed that needs tending...) Thanks for advice and thoughts! ROSIE |
Toddler and laburnum
"Rosie" wrote in message ... I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, which seems to produce a lot of seeds. How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be best off getting rid of the tree? (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she does like shoving things in her mouth.) ROSIE Seems a shame to get rid of the tree, children grow up quite quickly it won't be long until warnings to not do things are effective. As to how poisonous, when young my friend ate loads of them and there was mass panic he was rushed off to hospital but on arrival sent home (having been sick) and his mum told "not to worry" he would be fine we were around 3 at a guess (and yes I just sat there and watched him do it! - I had been told not to :~) -- Charlie, gardening in Cornwall. http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs) |
Toddler and laburnum
On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:03:25 +0100, "Rosie" said:
] I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, ] which seems to produce a lot of seeds. ] ] How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be ] best off getting rid of the tree? ] ] (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she ] does like shoving things in her mouth.) ] ] ROSIE ] ] Rosie, Read the replies with interest. Just worth noting that Laburnum seeds are also a choking hazard. A friend's little girl ended in hospital with one lodged in her throat. (She's fine now.) We have kids 5 and 7, and Laburnum. They're pretty good about learning what not to do, safety-wise, so we have (knock on wood) had no problems. That said as has been pointed out no child is completely reliable! Seems to me life is full of hazards, Laburnum is less serious than some... HTH -E -- Emery Davis You can reply to by removing the well known companies |
Toddler and laburnum
Rosie,like most have said it would be a shame to fell the tree.I am not
going to get on my high horse and tell you how to look after your own children ,I have two and know what a handful & how unpredictable they can be.Sometimes how many times do you find yourself saying no to a child they drive you up the wall,and will do things anyway!Someone has said that you should not allow small child to wander a garden alone,what do you call small,I have a son he is just walking,I would not let him wander alone,but I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter who I would allow.Why don`t you plant shrubs & perennials around the tree making a border so the berries & tree can not be accessed by kids.You can`t follow kids 24/7 and need piece of mind that your kids can not do harm to themselves if you turn your back!After all the garden is supposed to be a place for relaxation & you can`t do that if you are constantly worrying & following them about. Thanks Keith,UK. "Emery Davis" wrote in message . .. On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 22:03:25 +0100, "Rosie" said: ] I have a toddler and a medium-sized laburnum tree at the back of my garden, ] which seems to produce a lot of seeds. ] ] How poisonous are these seeds? They do seem to get everywhere. Would I be ] best off getting rid of the tree? ] ] (Obviously she isn't left to wander around the garden by herself, but she ] does like shoving things in her mouth.) ] ] ROSIE ] ] Rosie, Read the replies with interest. Just worth noting that Laburnum seeds are also a choking hazard. A friend's little girl ended in hospital with one lodged in her throat. (She's fine now.) We have kids 5 and 7, and Laburnum. They're pretty good about learning what not to do, safety-wise, so we have (knock on wood) had no problems. That said as has been pointed out no child is completely reliable! Seems to me life is full of hazards, Laburnum is less serious than some... HTH -E -- Emery Davis You can reply to by removing the well known companies |
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