How do I make a garden safe for children and pets?

The genuine hazards — water, chemicals, toxic plants and access — and how to address each without redesigning the garden.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 1 hr 30 min
Read: 2 min
Safety: warning

Short answer

Deal with water first, then chemicals and tools, then plants. Ponds and water butts are the most serious hazard for young children, and any depth of water is enough.

Garden safety is mostly about a small number of serious hazards rather than a long list of small ones. Water, stored chemicals and unsecured access account for the most serious incidents, and all three are addressable in an afternoon.

Safety

Several common garden plants are toxic if eaten, and some are dangerous in small quantities. Water of any depth is a drowning risk for young children. Store all chemicals, tools and fuel locked away. If a child or pet eats an unidentified plant, seek medical or veterinary advice immediately and take a sample with you.

What you'll need

Lockable storage
Pond cover or grille (optional)
Gate latch (optional)

Step by step

Deal with water first.Ponds, water butts, buckets, paddling pools. Any depth is a drowning risk for a young child. Cover, fence, or fill in until they are older.
Lock chemicals, fuel and tools away.Slug pellets, weedkillers, fertilisers, petrol, sharp tools. A locked shed or a high locked cupboard, not a low shelf.
Secure the boundary and gates.Check for gaps a child or dog can get through, and fit a latch high enough that a child cannot reach it.
Identify toxic plants and decide what to do.Foxglove, yew, laburnum, monkshood and several others are genuinely dangerous. Remove them where young children play, or fence them off.
Check for pet-specific hazards.Lilies are severely toxic to cats; grapes, onions and chocolate to dogs; some fertilisers and cocoa mulch are dangerous. Species differ, so check for your animals.
Check play equipment and surfaces.Stable, well anchored, with an appropriate surface beneath. Check fixings annually — timber and fixings deteriorate outdoors.
Look at what a small child could climb.Furniture near a fence, a bin beside a wall, a low shed roof. Access routes are the thing most often missed.
Teach as well as fence.Do not eat anything from the garden without asking. Wash hands after being outside. Both are simple and effective as children get older.

Tips

A pond can be made much safer with a rigid grille just below the surface, which keeps it usable for wildlife while preventing a child falling in.
Growing something edible — strawberries, peas, herbs — gives children something they are allowed to pick, which helps with the rule about everything else.
Keep a note of what is planted where. If a child or pet eats something, identifying it quickly matters a great deal.

Common mistakes

Assuming shallow water is safe — A very small depth is enough for a young child to drown, and it can happen silently and quickly. Water is the most serious garden hazard.
Storing chemicals on a low shelf in an unlocked shed — Slug pellets and weedkillers are attractive and dangerous. Locked and high is the standard, not one or the other.
Not checking which plants are toxic to pets specifically — Species differ — lilies are severe for cats but not dogs. A general list is not enough.

Questions people ask

What are the most dangerous things in a garden for children?

Water of any depth, stored chemicals and fuel, sharp tools, and unsecured access to roads. Toxic plants matter but come after those four.

Which plants are dangerous for pets?

It depends on the animal — lilies are severely toxic to cats, while grapes, onions and chocolate affect dogs. Check a species-specific list rather than a general one.