My mother and I make our annual trip to the green house together each year around Mother’s Day to pick out our vegetable plants and flowers. I guess it has become a tradition because when I asked her what she wanted this year, she said, “We usually go to the green house.” Well, that makes my job easier, because it can be difficult to choose gifts for parents.

People may spend hours designing their flower gardens, carefully choosing plants and flowers for just the right mix of color, varying heights, and blooming time. I have a rather unique approach to flower purchasing; some of you with special needs children may use the same technique. I only purchase the plants that won’t make you sick or dead if you eat them.

Age appropriate children usually learn not to eat plants, without checking with an adult first, by the time they are seven or eight. Just yesterday, one of my teenage sons caught my 13-year-old daughter eating plants outside, from one of our planters. He insisted that she stop, pointing out that she had no idea what she was eating, and it could be poisonous.

With the typical arrogance we’ve come to expect from her, she told him to mind his own business. Then she told him that they tasted like lemon, and they were quite good, as she continued to munch on them. The more adamant he became, the more flippant she became.
He finally gave up, came up to my shower, and vented to me about her lack of sense.

Plants referred to as poisonous may only cause mild reactions such as nausea, diarrhea, and hallucinations, or reactions as severe as death. Eating mistletoe berries for example can lead to death and small doses of Lilies can lead to serious kidney damage in cats. Uncooked Tulip bulbs are very dangerous to children and animals. Azaleas usually only cause tummy troubles although there have been cases of comas and death. Other common plants you may have in your home or flower garden that are considered poisonous are Daffodils, foxglove, delphiniums, bittersweet, wisteria, lupine, buttercup, Mayapple, Dutchman's breeches, morning glory, and periwinkle.

I found a really good list of poisonous plants that even identifies the part of the plant that is toxic. Follow this link and consider printing it off and taping it to the inside of your shed door.
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Time Alone? – Living with FAS and ADHD
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