London - They are pretty to look at and lovely to smell. But many of our favourite garden plants are deadly to our pets.
From begonias, clematis and dahlias to geraniums, lobelia and marigolds, dozens of common flowers, shrubs and trees are potentially poisonous when eaten by cats and dogs.
Puppies are particularly at risk, because of their playful nature and small size.
The warning comes from TV gardener Charlie Dimmock, the face of the world’s most dangerous garden – the Poisonous Pawtanical Garden in South London.
Designed by Chelsea flower show gold medal winner Ian Drummond, it looks stunning but contains 34 highly poisonous plants which can all be found in gardens, parks and horticultural centres around Britain.
They include climbing plants such as clematis, ivy and wisteria, as well cottage garden favourites such as verbena, chrysanthemums and delphiniums and many colourful bedding plants. Once eaten by a pet, they can cause problems from drooling and tummy aches to potentially deadly damage to the nervous system, kidneys and liver.
Although pets are banned from the Poisonous Pawtanical Garden, in the grounds of the Horniman Museum, their owners are encouraged to visit to learn about what they should and shouldn’t plant. Dimmock said: “What we are saying is to be aware and if your puppy is chomping at a particular plant, you know to stop him and keep an eye on him.”
A poll of 2 000 cat and dog owners for insurance firm More Than shows one in 12 pets has eaten poisonous plants or flowers. Almost half of these became ill enough to require veterinary care and 15 percent died.
Daily Mail