Health and Safety in the Garden!

Well, the clearing phase of the project was completed last night - much to my relief - but along the way I have picked up the odd injury!

It turns out that the delicately fronded grass-type plant at the back of the bed is Pampas. This is my first encounter with it. Those who have encountered it immediately make some comment along the lines of "that's a vicious plant!".

And so it is. The leaves have a fine serrated edge to them which, I have discovered, can slice through fingers with ease. Gloves are most definitely advisable when working near/around this plant. Indeed my personal, though biased, suggestion would be "don't plant it in the first place"! Of course, that's mostly because I resent getting assaulted by the plant life.

It has not been an easy task to clear the beds and the Pampas was just one in a series of injuries. I've spent evenings picking bramble prickles out of myself and applying anti histamine creams for allergy reactions from sap (I think Spanish Bluebell sap is an irritant). I was a smidge careless with the secateurs at one point (my fault that one) and to cap it all, I stepped on a wooden plank with a sticking up nail last night! Fortunately, the damage to my foot was minor but next time it rains those shoes ain't gonna cut it.

All quite humerous and taken in my stride but there is a serious point.

Actually, undertaking a big clearing project in a garden is NOT without its hazards. Gloves are a fantastic idea, not just because of the protection from prickles and Pampas, but in general to keep irritant sap at bay. And whilst it might seem excessive, I should probably also check whether I am up to date on my Tetanus protection. Its pretty easy to assume everthing will be ok, but actually Tetanus is common and not much fun to get!

So this post will be my "Health and Safety" missive. Wear the right clothes, avoid Pampas grass, and don't underestimate the chances of infection from rusty nails - check when you last had a tetanus jab.