Got hayfever, asthma or eczema? You too can have a plant-filled garden

Mar 16

Spring and summer in particular can be challenging for people with hay fever, also known as seasonal allergic rhinitis, asthma and eczema - although with the recent mild conditions starting earlier and prolonged into late autumn, the potential for ‘suffering’ could also be prolonged.

*West End Glasgow Garden. Photo credit:* *Andrea Jone*s

What can cause allergic reactions in gardens?

Mould

In gardens often associated with spores that are given off by fungi and tend to be found in compost heaps, decaying leaves on borders and on decaying timber structures.

Pollen

Male flowers: Pollen is only produced by ‘male’ plants or plants that are monoecious - that is plants that produce flowers that contain both male and female parts. Pollen is high in protein, which makes it very allergenic.

Timing

*Hazel catkins. Photo credit: Rachel Bailey*

Pollen tends to be at its highest levels first thing in the morning as the air warms and later in the day as the air cools, so avoid being outside during this time.

Plants to avoid

Trees and shrubs that can be found in gardens that have catkins, such as birch, hazel, willow, and yew, privet (Ligustrum) hedges, ivy
Ornamental and native grasses that are allowed to flower
Plants that have either only male flowers or are monoecious (have both male and female flowers)
Scented plants

*Garden with many low allergy plants. Design & photo credit: Rachel Bailey Garden Design Ltd*

So how can you avoid and/or manage your allergic reactions?

Design your garden

Please note that before you add any plants to your garden, you need to check the soil type and pH as well as consider how sunny/shady it is, and whether it is hardy enough. The plants suggested below would grow in the northern part of the UK/ Scotland happily.

Include plants that are female and are insect pollinated (not wind pollinated) - preferably on ranked 1 to 2 on the OPAL system (see list below for some suggestions)
Avoid plants as described above
Unscented plants
Plant a hedge of female evergreen plants such as Taxus baccata ‘Fastigata’or Ilex species (holly) on the windward side of your garden. Here it can act as a barrier, catch airborne pollen, dust and mould, clean the air and offer a good place for wildlife!
Replace your lawn with flowering plants that are insect pollinated or replace with gravel or deck and create planted borders full of plants that are low in allergens. We do not advocate replacing your lawn with artificial turf - recent research is showing that artificial turf that you would typically find in a domestic garden gives off certain chemicals (PFAS) - see Reference 2 in Further Reading. This is different from the chemicals given off from the rubber crumb associated with artificial sports-field pitches, which is not used in domestic gardens. As yet, we do not know the effects of the chemicals, such as PFAS from domestic artificial turf has on people, let alone those with allergies, so best to keep with a lawn or low-allergen plants and gravel/deck.
Select naturally durable timber, such as larch or oak, or use a modified timber such as thermowood (thermally treated pine), moso-bamboo, accoya/kebony that will have a long life and ensure the structure is properly constructed to avoid premature decay.

Low allergen plants

We have selected a few that would grow in Scotland and are ranked as some of the best for low allergens on the Ogren Plant Allergy Scale (OPALS). Those ranked 1 to 3 [on scale 1 - best to 10 worst] are given below. See References 3 & 4 in Further Reading

*Apple blossom. Photo credit: Rachel Bailey*

Small trees

Acer rubrum ‘October Glory’

Amelanchier laevis

Aronia arbutifolia

Ilex sp. (holly) - female only

Malus - domestic & crab apple trees - female only (3 to 4 OPAL rank)

Prunus domestica - plum tree - female only

Ptelea triloba - female only

Taxus baccata ‘fastigata’ (female form)

*Skimmia - female with flowers & berries. Photo credit: Rachel Bailey*

Shrubs

Aucuba japonica (female only)

Chimonanthus praecox

Choiysa ternata

Enkianthus

Hydrangea macrophylla

Potentilla fruiticosa

Ribes - currants, gooseberries -female only

Skimma - female only

Viburnum - deciduous or sterile cultivars only

*Bee on Geranium ‘Derick Cook’. Photo credit: Rachel Bailey*

Herbaceous Perennials

Acanthus mollis

Actaea

Ajuga

Aquilegia;

Aster (double flowered varieties)

Astrantia

Bergenia

Brunnera macrophylla

Epimedium

Fragaria (strawberries)

Galium odoratum

Geranium (true geraniums not pelargoniums)

Geum

Gillenia trifoliata

Herniaria glabra

Hosta

Phlox

Podophyllum peltatum

Polemonium

Prunella

Rodgersia

Sagina subulata;

Saxifraga

Tellima grandiflora

Veronica

Vinca

Manage your allergy

If you have a lawn, regularly cut your lawn to prevent it flowering
Sit on a blanket when sitting on grass & don’t roll in grass if you have eczema.
Only touch plants whilst wearing gloves
Avoid morning and early evening when pollen counts are high
If you can, avoid being outside on warm, windy days during tree pollen season (Feb to June) especially if you are near trees such as the London plane, sweet chestnut, ash, oak, pines, elms, poplar, gingko. In streets/ public areas, male trees tend to be planted because they do not produce ‘messy’ fruits - so you can safely assume that the trees you are surrounded by on the streets are male. Street trees are so important and we need them, but we need to campaign for female trees to be used. Until then, best wear a mask on warm, windy days.

Summary

So even with allergies, you too can have a beautiful plant-filled garden that is good for you and for wildlife. It does not have to be sterile and plain, and can actually help reduce allergens coming in from nearby gardens.

*Carriage Lodge Design & photo: Rachel Bailey Garden Design Ltd*

Let us help you!

Not sure how to go about creating a low allergen garden, we would be happy to help you, so that you can enjoy all seasons just as much as everyone else.

Get in contact with us.