One of my favorite flowers would definitely have to be the Oleander. There is something about their almond shaped leaves that range in colors from pink, white to red that just captures me. I feel like the Oleander has somewhat of a mysterious essence to it. It seems as if a scandalous, elegant women would grow this type of flower in her garden and then pick them to leave at the homes of those she has done wrong. Regardless, they are sweet smelling and something I really enjoy growing.

Adding to the sultry essence of the Oleander is its toxicity levels. While no evidence has proven that they are toxic to humans, they are toxic to animals when consumed in a large amounts, especially to rodents. This is the only downside of the flower for me. I am a huge animal lover and I know that animals love to munch on flowers. Because of the poisonous essence, I keep all of my Oleanders in a section of my garden that is completely fenced off.

I just use a small metal garden fence around the flowers and it works because it keeps the animals out while allowing the flowers to still be seen from afar. Even through toxicity has not been proven in humans, I still do not pick my Oleanders and bring them in the house. I have too many young children running around to risk if they are toxic or they are not. Instead, while reading one of my books on my veranda, I am able to enjoy their beauty while they blossom within my garden.