We all tend to consider our garden a haven of relaxation, a place where you can hide from the hustle and bustle of the city, slowly communicate with nature, gain strength from Mother Earth. However, this impression is deceptive. In the garden (you will be surprised!) there are many dangers that lie in wait for us literally at every step. And it’s not even about the notorious rake, which we still step on from time to time. Let’s talk about what you should beware of, so that the serene country life is not complicated by all sorts of troubles.
Gardening activities
When working in the garden, you need to be very careful with fire and other threats. This also applies to chemicals and electrical equipment, and water can be dangerous.
Fire
Every gardener knows that plant debris is constantly accumulating in the garden — waste from pruning trees and shrubs, dry leaves, stems of fading perennial plants. If you keep your site in a neat condition, then sooner or later the question arises about the disposal and processing of this endless waste.
Some of them (weeded weeds, mown lawn grass) find their end in the compost box. However, not all plant residues can be disposed of in compost — we are talking about the stems of peonies, phlox, clematis, etc. They should be burned, because otherwise they will become a source of diseases.
To maintain the health of the garden, we are forced to light a fire from time to time. The all-consuming flame allows you to deal with waste from pruning roses (with a large rose garden, they turn into a serious problem), fallen leaves, pine needles, dried grass, rhizomatous perennial weeds such as Aegopodium, wheatgrass and horsetail.
To build a fire, it is necessary to equip a stationary place away from buildings. Everyone knows that it is not necessary to light a big fire, and even in windy weather. An open fire can lead to big trouble, so you should plant it very carefully in your garden. Our latest purchase — a special thick-walled barrel on wheels-allows us to do this safely enough, and also leave it without much attention.
You only need to make sure that the content does not burn out: you have to throw something up all the time. The barrel is equipped with a lid — it can be used during rain or to reduce the flame. Thanks to the wheels, the incinerator can be easily moved to any place in the garden. There is a special pallet that makes it possible to obtain valuable fertilizer-ash – without losses. During operation, the barrel, of course, gets very hot, so if you have small children, you need to make sure that they do not come very close.
Water
A great danger (first of all, for our children) in the garden is a pond, even the smallest one. A child can drown almost in a puddle. And a pond full of frogs and all sorts of other animals always attracts children.
Therefore, it is better to postpone landscape solutions in the form of a pond device until later, when children grow up and enter the mind. If such a reservoir already exists, then it should be “sewn up” with boards, and thoroughly, having arranged a solid “deck”. Or-to fence the pond with a fairly high picket fence with a gate on the lock (although experience has shown that children are ubiquitous, and the presence of the lock does not stop them).
Special precautions are also required when installing an inflatable pool, here adults should always be on the alert, not leaving the kids unattended for a single minute. And the most dangerous thing is the well. It should always be under lock and key!
Power tools
Continuing to reflect on the dangers that lie in wait for us in the garden, it is impossible not to say about power tools. When using them, it is necessary to follow the safety rules, especially if you have an electric saw in your hands. Turn off the power immediately after finishing the work or during a pause!
It is impossible to mow the grass with an electric lawn mower in the morning on dew and after rain: moisture and electricity are incompatible, you can get an electric shock. Many summer residents are already familiar with shredders: wood scraps are easily processed into chips on a shredder, and in the future it can be used as mulch in flower beds. But-attention! — when working with this device, you must be careful: wear protective glasses and take care of your hands.
A very dangerous occupation is sawdust and pruning of trees. What rules should be followed at the same time is the topic of a separate conversation. But you need to take up this procedure with knowledge of the case — it is not recommended for amateurs. And the best thing is to invite a special team of craftsmen. It is also necessary to observe safety precautions during dacha construction.
Chemicals
Gardening is often associated with the use of chemicals. Is it necessary to talk about safety in such situations?! It is necessary to work without fail in gloves and special clothes, when spraying the garden, it is necessary to wear a respirator. All these vitriol, herbicides and insecticides are unsafe for humans and animals, so they should be stored in a separate pantry — and the used containers should be disposed of according to safety rules. When treating the garden with chemicals, dogs and cats should be kept in the house.
Wood chopping
A rather dangerous occupation in the country is chopping firewood when “chips are flying”. An accidentally bounced log can cause serious injury. Therefore, if you do not have a certain experience, it is better to entrust this matter to specially trained people.
For self-harvesting of firewood, the place should be well equipped, with a stable deck, and the axes should be sharpened and matched by hand and weight. Now you can buy beautiful Finnish axes of any format. The Finns know a lot about this business. No need to be stingy, this valuable (in the literal sense of the word) tool will serve you regularly for many years and will be inherited by your grandchildren.