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Safety Guide

Tips for Planting Safely in Your Garden

A gardener wearing rose gauntlet gloves (sleeves tucked into gloves) eye protection, long sleeves, long plants and sturdy shoes.
A gardener wearing rose gauntlet gloves (sleeves tucked into gloves) eye protection, long sleeves, long plants and sturdy shoes.

 Teach children to not put any part of a plant in their mouth without checking with an adult first.

 Know the names of plants, including scientific names, on your property in case some are toxic or cause injury.

 Do not eat landscape plants or make teas, poultices, compresses, etc. with them.

 Take care when gardening around plants with thorns, spines, or toxic sap. Avoid injury by wearing long sleeves, thick gloves and eye protection.  Try gloves that are ¾ length such as rose gauntlet gloves or any quality glove with a nitrile coating. 

 Be sure to thoroughly clean up all plant parts on the ground when work is complete. Chopsticks, tongs or forceps can come in handy for picking up toxic plant parts from the ground. 

 If you need to move a plant with thorns, spines or toxic sap try using burlap, old carpet scrap, cardboard or other material to contain and help move the plant.

 

A gardener wearing long rose gauntlet gloves demonstrates how to use rolled up newspaper to safely transport this 6” spiny Agave.

A gardener wearing long rose gauntlet gloves demonstrates how to use rolled up newspaper to safely transport this 6” spiny Agave.

A gardener wearing long rose gauntlet gloves demonstrates how to use rolled up newspaper to safely transport this 6” spiny Agave.

A gardener uses an old beach towel to move this 12" wide by 15"h Agave.

A gardener uses brown paper to move this 30”w by 18”h Aloe plant.

A gardener uses brown paper to move this   30”w by 18”h Aloe plant.

Harmful Plants Should be Planted Away from Walkways

Agave-too-close

Agaves planted too close to the sidewalk can injure pedestrians or pets.

firesticks_NP_sidewalk

In this photo, Fire Sticks (Euphorbia tirucalli) is planted on the left side and right side of the sidewalk giving people and pets nowhere to escape injury.

Sago too close

Sago Palm planted too close to a walkway is now spilling out onto the sidewalk.

spaced agave

These Agaves are set back 20 feet from the sidewalk and 20 feet from each other.

Bougain well spaced2

This hedge of bougainvillea has been cut back 30 feet from the sidewalk.

Safe Distance Safety Photo

This photo taken at the Water Conservation Garden, https://thegarden.org, shows a landscape of many harmful and dangerous plants set back in an area where they can be SEEN but NOT TOUCHED.

Children and Pets Should Always be Supervised when Playing in or Near the Garden
Kid and dog