Poisonous to sheep

[Chrissie]

My plans to plant rhododendrons along part of our borders were scuppered when I was told these were poisonous to sheep (both neighbours have grazing sheep who are accustomed to snatching what they can through the fence...)

Can anyone tell me if any of the following are poisonous to sheep?

Climbers: passion flower, clematis, trumpet vine, honeysuckle

Shrubs:  potentilla, philadelphus, box, tamaris.

Thanks in advance

Chrissie (81)

[Alcazar]

Surely, you can plant what you like on your own property? (Well, maybe not Cannabis, Heroin poppies etc, but you know what I mean?)

So long as they don't overhang, it's their problem if their sheep trespass on your land, isn't it?

Alcazar

[Ron Avery]

"it's their problem if their sheep trespass on your land, isn't it?"

What a warm and cheering post, makes you proud to be British:  With that typical British warmth and concern for one's neighbours , I can see that you should fit in very well........ if you ever move here. 

Chrissie have a look at http://www.takingthelead.co.uk/2/Health/poisonplants.htm

The azalea family are harmful to sheep, but having had a quick look, few if any of what you are considering should cause a problem, but if they graze horses in the fields you will find some plants that are not harmful to sheep are harmful to horses and vice versa

[Chrissie]

Thanks for that site, Ron, although it's rather terrifying!  There are never horses on the adjoining land, so I can forget that complication.

Chrissie (81)

[Alcazar]

[quote]"it's their problem if their sheep trespass on your land, isn't it?" What a warm and cheering post, makes you proud to be British : With that typical British warmth and concern for one's neighbours ...[/quote]

Divvent talk soft, man. How many people, whose sheep were trespassing and damaging another person's garden, do you think would take the time to do something about it?

Very few. Why should ANYONE have to take into account that their next door neighbour can't control their animals? 

My neighbour has veal cows and calves. When they go into the field that borders my property, he puts up an electric fence to stop them eating our hedge.

That's the way it should be.........they're HIS animals, and they aren't allowed to damage my property.

There's no warm caring attitude to be thought of here.......just responsibility.

Alcazar

[Patf]

We sometimes have a friend's sheep on our land and they often roam. Once they got into a neighbour's field and started to eat their wheat. I asked advice on this and was told that friend's insurance woud cover the cost of the wheat consumed. So if the sheep actually come onto yourland and eat your plants you should claim off his insurance for the cost of new plants. Pat.

[hoverfrog]

the only thing really poisonous to sheep that I know of is yew. We didn't have the right soil for rhododendrons in the UK so I never looked it up.

Sheep can eat just about anything else - including ivy. They like roses best though... although sycamore with a goodly covering of honeydew (sticky sweet stuff from greenfly) always was well appreciated, and the extra sugar made them jump about like spring lambs!

hoverfrog

[Missy]

[quote]the only thing really poisonous to sheep that I know of is yew. We didn't have the right soil for rhododendrons in the UK so I never looked it up.Sheep can eat just about anything else - including ivy...[/quote]

Yew, all azaleas and rhododendrons do not mix with sheep!  I learnt that some 25+years ago, during my first summer (only about 6mths married then) on my OH's small holding in Wales!...

We wanted to create a camping site in the corner of the field below the house and to have something nice to look at, for me and the future punters coming on the site, I decided to plant various colours of azaleas and rhodies.

I went about not caring in the least about his shouts of 'don't plant this here 'cause of the sheep etc...' as I went about beautifying the place.

All went well during the summer months, flowers and riot of colours, as the sheep were not allowed on that field but in the autumn I did not know that OH would use it as a pad for Mr Ram to visit his 5 ladies.... For variety to their diet, they helped themself to my planting effort of early on in the spring.... Only took a couple of days to find Mr Ram and his 5 ladies leg up and souls to heaven....

OH decidedly not a happy bunny as I put an end to his sheep breeding program and he firmly put an end to my gardening career!!...

[Tony F Dordogne]

I think that mint sauce is poisonous to sheep, every time I see sheep and mint sauce the sheep is dead.

[Chrissie]

Funny you should say that - MOH always growls "mint sauce" when we meet "ferocious"-looking sheep on our walks and then says "See - they all ran away!".....  I have tried to point out that saying the same thing in the same tone of voice on a train would proably have the same effect on the audience but he remains unshaken.

Chrissie (81)

 

[hoverfrog]

I used to have mint growing in the orchard where my sheep were...

hmm, the sheep ate the mint and we ate the sheep! Never had the chance to say 'mint sauce', but they sure tasted fine !