Deadly Nightshade: Help!!

[SarahJinx]

So after much googling I've just found out that the clump of weird flowers that have turned to deep purple berries (I fucking picked one last week!!) is very definitely Deadly Nightshade or Belladonna. I have a two year old and a five year old and a bloody puppy. We've been here just under a year so this is a new one on us. The garden is full of weird stuff but this is terrifying me. What in earth can I do about it? Please advise me if you can mn'ners

Pull it up and get rid of it. No need to panic.
Until then keep a close eye on your children and pets in the garden.

We've had foxgloves here since they were little (well away at the back, but a cause for panic for some visitors and relatives).

Yes, as pp said. Also really hammer it into your children that they mustn't eat anything they have picked until you see it & say it's okay. Might be easier to go with a blanket ban initially.

I'll do it tomorrow, its a big clump and full of bloody berries. The worst if it is that the other side is full of raspberries and blackberries at the moment so kids are just happily foraging around not unsupervised ever, makes my blood run cold though

It's a good thing for children to learn that there are LOTS of deadly poisonous things all around them. And I do mean all around - even if you make your garden totally safe, they'll encounter them as soon as they step outside. Teaching them not to put stuff in their mouths without checking is a basic safety thing - parents have been doing it for centuries.

Just whack some gloves on and pull the plant up. In spite of the name, it's really not that scary unless you eat it.

I'd be amazed if either did pick a berry because they do know not to. They're very young though and I read that even squashing a berry in your fingers or rubbing a leaf could be harmful. The kids are never in the garden unsupervised because there is a massive pond so its more me panicking than anything and wondering how to eradicate it.

I'd be more worried about the pond to be honest. I know a family whose toddler drowned in a few inches of water.

Yeah it terrifies me ohthe its around ten metres long and 8 feet deep. Its raised with a wall around it hence why the kids are never unsupervised there. Its going to be drained and filled, its brimming with goldfish - massive task.

teach your dc 'no picking, no licking'
many many plants are poisonous. even some veg (tomato leaves, beans!).
but most plants are emetic, i.e. they make you sick.

Can you get the fish removed and have a cover put on it until you can complete the project.

Possibly but the cover itself would be immense. The whole thing is a bit mind boggling, for instance, will we have to hire a company to pump.out the water and where will it go? Where will the goldfish go? The fillng in bit is easy

I don't think many people realise just how many common and garden plants are poisonous.

If you are in Surrey, I'll pm you the contact details for my pond people.

Temporarily, fine chicken wire and masonry nails would probably sort it.

Our pond is half the size of yours. A thorough clean and relining with fish safeguarded, plants thinned, fountain replaced and filter installed was £1,150.

If we still had littlies, I'd have had it filled in.

And yes mother. One of the cats ate some lily last year. £1,225.27 to sort him out at the vet !

Jeepers ohthe I have no idea about Lily being toxic. mother is right. We're Norfolk and I googled and found a few options for covers earlier but you're right about chicken wire doing it. The wall helps bit its just the right height that five year old boys like to climb on....

Not that he would, we've out the fear if god into them

That same fear my ds forgot when he put the toy tractor on top of the you car so he could reach the top of the fence and fly like superman then .

I never knew how much blood was in a three year old but they glued his forehead back together and now he's 21 you can barely see the scar much

Check out mesh pond covers that let you keep the pond, coz it's a lovely feature in an amazing space (you have so much room!!) Some are very strong these days: there are pics of toddlers standing on some of them!