A garden of death has been opened in Forest Hill, and it's described as "the most poisonous in the world" - to cats and dogs.

Horniman Gardens and Museum will host the "Pawtanical" exhibit until June 14 as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of pets being poisoned by common household plants and flowers.

This collection is in fact so potentially lethal that it has been fenced off and is under constant security supervision, with a strict no access policy to those with animals. 

The display takes place in conjunction with this year’s Chelsea Fringe garden festival, and features over 30 varieties of toxic flora, including chrysanthemums, daisies, and geraniums.

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And designers warn that, although those plants may look beautiful, if ingested by animals they can cause fatal illnesses.

More Than Insurance is the main sponsor behind the project, and managing director Phil Wilson-Brown said: "The Pawtanical Garden allows us to raise awareness of the dangers of plants that are poisonous to cats and dogs in an imaginative and memorable way.

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"However, our new campaign is also about taking direct and immediate action - by both urging suppliers and retailers of garden plants and flowers to provide clear ‘pet safe’ labelling, while also better educating pet owners on the issue".

Several high-profile gardening figures collaborated on bringing together the fatal flowers, including 2015 RHS Chelsea gold medal-winning garden designer Ian Drummond and TV gardener Charlie Dimmock, who is the campaign ambassador.

She said: "This isn't about telling pet owners to go around uprooting their flower beds - it’s a way to help them make more informed choices."