Gardening Safely

Remember the good old days when we slid down metal slides that sat out in the sun and drank from the hose attached to the outdoor faucet? It seems neither of those were wise ideas.

Goldenrod may have gotten a bum rap with regard to causing hay fever, but there are plenty of plants that will give you problems. If you find yourself crying when you garden and it has nothing to do with how much work remains, see if you have any of these plants close by.

It's hard to have an all inclusive list of poisonous plants. Some plants are only a problem when ingested in large amounts. Other plants will affect livestock, but not people, pests and wildlife. The rule of thumb is to be certain you know a plant is edible before you sample it, check out plants your pets like to much on and keep the kids away from everything but the vegetable garden. These 5 plants don't come with warnings because it is assumed you wouldn't want to eat them. But you know what they say about assuming.

Did you know gardeners are considered to be in the high risk group for tetanus? Well, let’s face it, who gets more grubby cuts and bruises than us? Before you sink your hands into that mysterious garden soil, make sure you're protected from old rusty rabbit fencing and broken labels.

Hopefully we all know to use caution around poison ivy and oak. Never having been affected by it in the past is no guarantee that it won't cause you problems eventually. Plants can be responsible for some miserable itchy, rashes and sometimes it's the most common plant that causes it. Here are some of the culprits to handle with care. Fortunately most of us won't have any problems at all.

If you’re going to be doing any major digging or excavating, you’d be wise to call 811 first. 811 is a new national "Call Before You Dig" number designated by the FCC. Your local One-Call Center personnel will record your information then notify affected utility companies, who will send locate crews to mark the approximate location of underground lines and ensure that digging is done safely.

Raised beds are great for plants and for backs. When you build one, you want it to last. Conventional wisdom used to recommend using pressure treated lumber as a cost effective durable edging for raised beds. Then came the arsenic scare.

Manure is often cited as a great soil amendment in the garden. It’s very important to remember that animal manure must be either sterilized or fully composted, before spreading it in the garden. Fresh manure is a potential source of disease-causing pathogens such as E. coli.