Safe cottage garden flowers

[BiscuitLover3678]

Hello, I’d love to get some more plants but I’ve read that so many are poisonous! I have a small child so need to be a bit wary.

I love delphiniums, lupins, foxgloves and things like peonies. They all seem to be very poisonous!

can anyone recommend some which are not?

I like that beautiful, classic mixture of colours typical for a cottage garden. I also love hydrangeas.

They're poisonous if you eat them. I can't get my kids to eat the strawberries we grow, let alone the flowers

"Very poisonous" is a bit of an exaggeration!

he has a habit of putting things in his mouth unfortunately

I love cottage garden plants too. Tbh I've 4 DC and it's never stopped me growing things like delphiniums, I think you'd need to eat high quantities to be ill. But there's loads of cottage garden plamts that aren't toxic, salvias are good as is erysimum bowles mauve, Penstemons , geraniums etc are all great and non toxic have a look at an online retailer like crocus or Sarah Raven for inspiration

Snapdragons are beautiful, sweet peas, salvia, poached eggs plants. Second penstemon and geraniums. Wild roses are fantastic. Lots of fuchsias and nasturtiums. I also really love Mexican fleabane and nemesia. I am also particularly enjoying anagalis skylover.

Googling these all, thank you

Cosmos are reliable and I dont think they're problematic

Fennel is good, grows really tall and you can eat that!

Grow herbs and edible flowers! Lavender, rosemary, thyme, violas, nasturtiums, marigolds, roses.

I think sweet peas are poisonous or at least toxic. Nasturtiums are edible and fun for children to plant, sunflowers, pansy and violas.

I have three children and grow foxgloves and delphiniums at the back of the bed.

Then Bowles mauve, nasturtium, geranium, Irises, roses at the front.

If he's still at the stage of putting things in his mouth, he shouldn't be unattended in the garden anyway. Never mind the plants, I've heard of toddlers eating snails urgh...

I don’t leave him unattended. I just don’t want to be worrying about it regardless.

Astrantia are lovely cottage flowers and will happily repeat flower every year.

Honestly? Your list has nothing on it that has caused a child to be hospitalised in- what - the last few decades.

Avoid aconitim (monkshood), laburnum, giant hogweed, and possibly yew. Foxglove (digitalis) is unlikely to cause harm because it’s revolting- no one is going to eat toxic quantities by mistake. Yew berries are delicious but difficult to eat enough to be poorly (they were a favourite of mine until my mum realised...). Explain that not all berries and mushrooms are good to eat. You’d have to be lax to the point of child neglect to have a toddler suffer from the plants you listed.

I understand OP, I went for a non-toxic garden too when I had small children. As the kids got bigger, I added other things. I always told them never to put plants in their mouths anyway, so that they knew not to in other places. Once they were a bit older I could start to identify the plants.

The Gardeners World site gives a handy chart showing if certain plants are toxic or not - scroll down to the section at the bottom - these are a good alternative to foxgloves: www.gardenersworld.com/plants/penstemon-geoff-hamilton/

I love Astrantia which are non toxic on here: www.gardenersworld.com/plants/astrantia-major-shaggy/

I really like our Geum plants and they're not toxic.

Also look out for edible ornamental (edimentals). Day Lilly, campanulas, alliums, hosta, Common mallow, chicory, Solomon seal, sweet violet, primrose
and herbs like fennel, angelica, lavender, thyme are all edible.

Monarda are lovely cottage garden plants.

Roses, need some of those in a cottage style garden.

Forget me Nots
Roses
Marigolds

Antaryniums not sure of correct spelling.

Commenting partly so I also see these ideas (new build garden from scratch project for me soon, no plastic 'grass' on my patch!!) But also to say that I have also avoided things like foxglove and delphs here because I just took the view that toxic was an automatic no no without thinking about doses or likelihood, maybe I'll be able to have some of my favourite delphs in the new garden after all!

Honestly, I'd be more worried about thorns with a toddler.