Recommendations for non-toxic perennial plants for backs of borders?

[Edith]

ETA just quoted myself! How weird!

Great suggestions, thank you!

Actually a range of heights is great, I'm just not so much after bedding plants as I have a lot of low growing herbs and strawberries already in there. I'm not too worried about thistles, prickles don't kill kids.

The whole debate on toxicity vs non-toxicity IS an interesting one actually, I see both sides. I feel strongly about teaching kids to be safe in any garden and have done that with my own. But the other side to that is that, for kids whose parents can't or won't do this, or who are not able to understand the message, its nice and, I think in the long run a good investment, for them to enjoy being outside in a garden. I can still enforce the no sampling rule, I can still point out toxic-but-low-concern plants, I can still teach basic garden safety, but with the risk being just way lower than if I had fatally toxic at low ingestion plants like foxgloves, say. I do put these plants in my front garden by the way-I am not inviting small kids to play in my front garden! But I also think spaces for kids to be able to explore with minimal supervision are really helpful in teaching them to love nature and gardening.

I probably sound an awful lot more neurotic about this than I really am. Like I say, my kids, not bothered at all. We have an allotment and various wild trees and shrubs growing there-yew, occasional self seeded nightshade-and I'm not bothered at all. I think this season I just happen to have a lot of friends with kids at that age that this is an issue.

Also really like the idea of fennel, its a beautiful plant. We grow both kinds of artichokes on the allotment...think my garden is on the small side for them but I'll see. And I like the idea of the netting and the roses etc. Actually I'm not bothered by toxicity at that level anyway, it'd be above their heads. I do love clematis but I am also going for a scented garden and I've never really come across a scented clematis...

[Two_Sheds]

like foxgloves, say.

out of interest, most foxglove poisonings are to adults, not children. They have eaten the leaves, in a salad, not the flowers, possibly mistaking them for something else?

source: Poisonous Plants: A Guide for Parents & Childcare Providers: Amazon.co.uk: Elizabeth A. Dauncey: Books