Gardens are not to be sneezed at

There is growing knowledge about which plants will exacerbate allergies, so that you can make your garden as hayfever proof as possible

GARDENING CAN be one of life’s great pleasures. It gets you out of doors, engaging with nature, exercising your body and building up a healthy appetite.

However, a significant percentage of gardeners are unwittingly causing themselves – and sometimes their families and neighbours – grief through their choice of plants and their gardening habits.

An estimated one in 10 people in Ireland suffers from hay fever which can be triggered by a reaction to pollen grains, mould spores from decaying vegetation or perfume from certain flowers.

Next week, the Asthma Society of Ireland will launch a new booklet on allergy-friendly gardening.

The aim is to encourage people who suffer from allergies to develop gardening and planting habits that won’t exacerbate their condition.

“The biggest problem is usually the lawn because grass pollen is one of the most allergenic types of pollen,” says Paul Woods from Kilmurry Nursery in Gorey, Co Wexford.

“Grass pollens are generally released between 3am and 8am so people shouldn’t cut their lawns in the morning. They should also keep their grass cut regularly so that it doesn’t flower and therefore will release less pollen,” he explains.

Windows should be kept closed during grass cutting and children who are allergic to pollen shouldn’t be out playing while the grass is being cut.

Many deciduous trees also produce a lot of pollen so planting them as far away from the house as possible is best, according to Woods.

“Also, if you keep your trees, shrubs and hedges pruned in winter, they won’t flower as much which will keep the levels of pollen down,” he says.

Those who are particularly allergic to pollen should also avoid planting trees such as willow, oak and birch which produce copious amounts of pollen.

“You’ve got to be practical about all this and remember that while certain flowers might be high in pollen, if you only have a small number of them, the effect won’t be great,” says Woods.

Trees such as mountain ash, larch, pine and cedar produce only small amounts of pollen.

Garden designer Ciarán Kirwan will be giving talks on allergy-free gardening at the forthcoming Bloom garden and lifestyle show in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, running from May 28th to June 1st.

“Basically, I’ll just be making people aware of allergy as another thing to consider when they are designing a garden. If you’re allergic to bee stings, for example, you should choose less perfumed flowers for your garden,” he says.

“You can only control your own patch, of course, but even that’s a start.”

Both Woods and Kirwan are fans of American horticulturist Thomas Ogren who is the author of Allergy-Free Gardening (www.allergyfree-gardening.com) and the creator of the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS) which ranks plants according to how allergenic they are.

According to Ogren, it’s possible to design and create allergy-free gardens and landscapes by following the principle of selecting female plants.

Basically, plants are either male or female or both. And it’s the single-sexed male plants which produce the most pollen in their quest to pollinate the female plants.

The problem is, according to Ogren, that male plants are planted everywhere – in parks, school gardens and community spaces, because they don’t produce seeds, fruits and flower. So “they bombarded urban areas with huge amounts of pollen”.

He suggests that people who suffer from allergies should choose female plants where possible – particularly when choosing larger shrubs, trees and ornamental grasses.

However, you’ll need the help of a horticulturist to identify the gender of your plant before you buy it.

Ten tips for allergy-friendly gardening

1 Close all windows before gardening to keep pollen and dust out of your house. Special care should be taken when choosing plants which will be placed close to bedroom windows.

2 Check the pollen forecast before going outside. The pollen count is lower in the evening and after rain showers. It is highest on warm, windy days.

3 When gardening, wear wraparound sunglasses to help stop pollen from blowing into your eyes. Vaseline smeared on the inside of your nose will also help to stop pollen or mould spores from settling on the lining of your nose. If you are particularly susceptible to allergies, use a saline nasal rinse to clear nasal passages of pollen and dust after gardening.

4 Wear a hat to protect your hair from pollen (and your head from sun exposure) and brush your hair out of doors after gardening. Shower or wash your hair after gardening if you suffer badly from allergies.

5 If your skin reacts to certain plants that you haven’t yet identified (and so can’t avoid), keep your arms, legs and hands covered when gardening.

6 Do not wear your gardening clothes in your home. Remove your shoes before entering the house and change your clothes as soon as you can, preferably leaving them outside or in the porch.

7 Choose non-toxic pesticides if possible. Otherwise, be careful when using insecticides, fungicides and herbicides as accidental exposure to these chemical pesticides can also trigger allergic reactions.

8 Keep cats and dogs outside to prevent pollen being taken indoors on their coats.

9 Don’t smell flowers as many of them only cause an allergic reaction if you directly inhale their fragrance.

10 Limit ferns as houseplants. If you have more allergies in the winter, you are probably allergic to moulds and spores from plants such as ferns.