Non-Toxic Climber

[liamsdaddy]

Whilst renovating my garden I am adding a couple of trellis onto my shed and back fence to make them a bit prettier. The trellis on the fence faces north and the trellis on the shed faces east, but both are fairly shady due to the proximity of each other and other fences.

I?m looking to buy a nice climber, but I want one that is non-toxic. Although DS is 2.25 years and getting past the ?putting everything in the mouth? stage, the plants will border the decking area where his sandpit will be.

So far I?ve excluded Clematis as too toxic and Wisteria as likely to demolish the shed and fence (and too expensive).

I don?t want Ivy as I?ve spent the last 3 months trying to remove it from my garden!

Honeysuckle or Jasmine might be nice, but both have little black berries (I could chop them off of course) which might not be a good thing seeing as I have a blackcurrant bush in the garden. I?ve read the Jasmine doesn?t actually give that much coverage too.

We could do climbing roses ? but that?s a bit prickly, especially if we have his ball pool anywhere near.

I did consider grapes, but I suspect they could be expensive plus I?ve noticed that they can be a bit aggressive to the structure they are climbing too.

Does anyone have any suggestions or advice?

[CQrrrneee]

sweet peas?

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

I didn't know clematis was toxic. It doesn't get berries, just wispy seed heads that don't look all that appetising :) There are a selection of thornless climbing roses I wouldn't plant anything genuinely edible like grapes because that would only encourage him to pick things and eat them. Akebia quinata looks nice but needs sunshine. You could train Buddleia perhaps.. not strictly a climber but grows fast and is in a variety of colours.

[CQrrrneee]

passionfruit looks like clematis (I think) and is edible

[Lunabelly]

Maybe rethink grapes? I planted three grapevine seedlings that I got for £1.50 each and they were magnificent. As the leaves and fruits are edible I had no worries with my dcs, and they covered our manky fences perfectly...in fact, they pretty much held up some parts of the fence.

They don't mind a good hacking back, and if you don't eat the fruit, the birds will :)

We found them a wonderful and good natured screening plant, and they grow like the clappers. I didn't find them destructive, they are easily pulled away from where they're not wanted.

[stupefy]

Lots of common garden plants are poisonous, Holly and daffodils are! Children have to learn to play safetly and at 2.5 he should be past the eating plants stage anyway.

Go with clematis, there are some really lovely ones and they tend to do well in shade.

[Snackalot]

Clematis is toxic? Oh heck, I love the stuff and have planted several around the garden.
I didn't know honeysuckle had berries either, but then mine hasn't flowered in the 3 years since I bought it...

What about passionfruit? you can get edible or non-edible, both the flowers and the fruit look attractive.

[GrimmaTheNome]

IIRC sweet pea seeds are toxic.

But TBH the safest course with garden plants is to drill into your child that he eats nothing in the garden unless you've picked it. And to supervise until the child is old enough to be trustworthy.