Foxgloves and outdoor time

KGLeslie

KGLeslie

Junior Guinea Pig
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Widnes, Merseyside
We have two indoor ladies since last July.
We moved to our current house in August 2024. The garden had been left for years and there are foxgloves everywhere in the borders. The lawn was in rubbish condition, with geraniums invading from the borders too. It's been through several rounds of feed 'n weed and is looking a lot better - BUT the foxgloves remain popping up throughout the borders. (I foolishly pottered in open sandals last summer and ended up with a swollen toe!)

I'm aware of how dangerous foxgloves can be. I guess my Q is: is there a safe distance from potential foxgloves, or would you treat this as a complete no-go?

I've so far pot-grown wheatgrass for my girls so they can have the joy of fresh grass. I'm happy to keep doing this, but I'd love for them to have a few enrichment sessions outdoors some time.

Pic for cuteness 🥰
 

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It’s a case that they need to be completely away from any foxgloves including fallen leaves etc.

If there is a place in the garden which is completely foxglove free and no chance of the piggies getting to foxgloves then that area would be safe for the piggies to go on in a secure run.
If you cannot guarantee an area is totally free of them, then best not to let the piggies into the garden
 
@Piggies&buns has given you great advice
You could dig up a patch of grass and remove any risk of foxglove contamination and then lay new turf but you would have to wait a few weeks as it will have been treated or you could seed it yourself using pure grass seed

I have a gravel garden so my piggies don’t go outside but I’ve grown grass in trays for them
 
Foxglove seeds are very small and light and while they usually fall within a few feet of the plant, they can blow several metres away if wind conditions are right.
You would have to be careful to pick an area where they really are not anywhere near
 
I’d probably be more concerned about the several rounds of feed and weed used on the lawn as weed killer is poisonous to all animals so would leave the grass untreated for a long period of time before putting them out to graze on it too.
 
What a shame but better safe than sorry.
For future lawn fun could you use complete weed killer in the foxglove to eradicate them? Then you'd be ready for next year I don't like killing plants but for guineas pigs it's fine 🥰
How about getting some low sitting plastic trays and making mini lawns they could still go outside if you have another area with the trays in there maybe 💐
 
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