I love to garden; I love growing new and different plants. My grandson likes to try new plants — from the garden but also ones he “finds.”
It’s hard to tell a boy becoming a man what he should or should not do but in this instance, the conversation was short, sweet and to the point.
“If you don’t know what it is, don’t eat it.”
This was followed by a short series of reasons why he shouldn’t eat anything or everything he found in the yard, the woods or by the pond. He appeared to listen but I wasn’t sure he could hear me. So I turned to the internet and a web site that I use when in doubt.
The site is The Poisoned Garden. It’s out of the UK and it is one of the most comprehensive sites I have ever found on the topic of poisonous plants.
The owner of this site is John Robertson, the former Poison Garden Warden at the Alnwick Garden, which is located in North Umberland, England. Robertson’s site is one of the best sites for looking up and properly identifying deadly plants.
So if you or one of yours likes to experiment with wild flora and fauna, take a minute to browse the Poisoned Garden or pick up a copy of Robertson’s book before you slice, saute and taste. Is That Cat Dead is a wonderfully written book that’s available in both Kindle and paperback and is based on years of his work at the garden.
Visit the garden; read the book but if you are thinking about eating an unknown plant…here’s my final advice; If there is ANY doubt; DON’T EAT IT!
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