WHAT a silly non-article you printed in the SA, “flowers may be pretty poisonous”.

Of course the corn cockle is poisonous, but so are many other common garden plants and many are always deadly, such as yew, laburnum, foxgloves, monkshood, castor oil plant, all of which can be readily bought at garden centres or from seed merchants.

Many common plants are mildly poisonous in the same degree as the corn cockle, examples of which are hellebores, daffodils, ivy, euphorbia, lily of the valley, solomon seal, angels trumpets et al. Ivy, holly and mistletoe that we bring into our home at Christmas are also poisonous.

Then there are the vegetables that are poisonous in parts such as rhubarb, tomatoes and potatoes.

There are also many plants that as a gardener I know to be either narcotic or psychoactive, but as a responsible person I will not name them, but they are very common.

Mr Crooks need not dig up his corn cockle but if he wishes to they can be safely disposed of in the compost heap as the poison will break down.

He need not wear gloves to handle them, but should wash his hands afterwards.

Indeed, it is always wise to wash your hands after gardening.

Steve Thompson, Norman Road, Swindon