Southampton - Gardens are so wonderful to have. Summertime means pool parties, B-B-Q's, friends, family, guests and fun and games. Being on top of your game regarding checking your gardens and entertainment areas for potential hazards to children and pets in particular is essential.

''Newman' in Zen garden - East Hampton.

Loose and or forgotten garden tools such as rakes are definitely a no-no. Keeping all of your garden machinery and tools out of reach of children should be a daily priority as well. Ponds need to be well exposed so that an unknowing individual does not go running into the pond while focusing on a kite or ball. Believe it or not that has happened.

Making Your Garden Stay Safe
First of all be sure to make sure the perimeter of your garden is fenced with chicken wire (chicken wire has a one-inch square mesh). This code fencing is the very best way to keep children and pets corralled and safe from outside traffic. If you already have hedging, make sure that the hedging does not have open gaps that curious children and pets can squeeze through. That is also why having the chicken wire fencing along with the hedging secures the area most efficiently.

Make sure to keep path borders trimmed away from paths. Leaves can get very slippery when wet. Thorny shrubs most definitely need to be trimmed and kept in check. Sometimes children and pets can get nasty cuts and scrapes from prickly and thorny shrubs. Avoiding them to begin with would be best.

Be careful of your domestic wildlife in gardens.

Making your children aware of dangerous plants and the effects of eating them is very important. Some plants can actually cut badly. Pampas grasses have long stems that are extremely sharp. Holly and roses should be pointed out as well

Children And Pet Toys, Equipment And Surfaces
Play structures, toys and climbing equipment should always be installed according to manufacturers guidelines. Keep play structures away from walls where children could fall against and get hurt. You can also buy play surfaces to lay in your garden to reduce risks of muddy slippery ground below. Check out Perma Life Products - Soft Stuff for commercial and private playgrounds at www.permalife.com

Put away any water play elements. Plastic pools are especially dangerous and need to be emptied and stored away. There have been many drowning accidents with toddlers who wander outside and fall into these vessels.

Honeysuckle Goldflame is safe if ingested by cats or dogs.

Chemicals
All chemicals, organic or not, should be locked away. Weed and insect killer products sometimes have a playful colored packaging and children might mistake them for playthings. Be up on any professional visits from your landscape maintenance people. They are responsible for leaving alert signs around your property. This relates to children and pets most definitely.

In short - never leave your children alone. The excitement of all the summer's activities and company can lead to curiosity and showing off.

Plant Safe Pet Garden
You may not be aware that some plants may be toxic to your pets. Cats and dogs are known to cleanse their stomachs by munching on green plants for their chlorophyll content. Baby's Breath can be extremely harmful to your pets if ingested.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a complete list of plants that are approved and safe for plant-snacking pets.

Many plants are beautiful looking and safe for your pets. Honeysuckle Goldflame are one, and Nepeta (Cat Mint/Cat Nip) puts a cat in seventh heaven! Cats are pretty smart animals and most won't eat plants that are harmful to them.

Dogs may come into contact with freshly treated lawns. Contact with herbicide can cause vomiting, and may cause problems with their central nervous system. If so, wash your pet's paws with soap and water immediately and contact your veterinarian. In an emergency always have the container and or name of the product that was ingested.

For any emergency guidance or help call the ASPCA toll free number at 888-426-4435.