Q. I love to do gardening but I also suffer from allergy, thus I avoid moving around the garden when it is the season for pollen. Is it possible to create a garden with a low level of allergy?
A. Various studies have indicated that there are greater chances of us getting exposed if we go closer to an extremely allergenic, tall pollen plant. The same plant in your garden will make you face ten times the quantity of pollen found on another tree further ahead in the garden. So you would need to remember that your garden can have plants that may cause you a problem and have to be removed and instead be replaced by other plants that will not harm you in any way. Doing this helps you in the cleaning process of your garden airspace. Any well planned garden should only have plants that are allergy-free or at least low in allergy by nature. The same holds true for all the different types of flowers, trees, shrubs, plants including lawns in your area.
Q. Is it possible to identify flowers and shrubs that create worse problems for allergy sufferers compared to others? What could be the reason for that?
A. You will find a large number of ordinary shrubs that exist as male clones. Such shrubs keep producing a large quantity of pollens year after year. You should choose female shrubs as they don’t produce pollen. Flowers like honeysuckle are known to cause allergy although their pollen production is not very high. Also lilacs produce fragrance that has proved to be lethal for anyone who has an allergy for perfumes.
Q. Has the pollen found to be less active during any time period of the day, thus proving to be safer for allergy sufferers who enjoy gardening?
A. You will find the pollen being highly active between 3 am and 8 am in a lawn. You should avoid mowing the lawn early in the morning as the pollen probably may be active. Pollen levels come down to a reasonably low level after it has rained heavily as most of the pollens get washed off. But if it rains lightly, pollens get active and more allergenic – birch is known for doing this. Airborne pollen is worst on days when it is dry, hot and windy.
Q. Do annuals and perennials differ in their allergic potential?
A. No, you will not find much of a difference in the allergy levels of annuals and perennials. Some perennials are known to cause allergies while others don’t cause any harm. Annuals too behave in a similar manner.
Q. Name some popular annuals that produce a low level of pollens?
A. Impatiens, petunias and snapdragons are some of the annuals that are known for causing fewer allergies.
Q. Name some popular perennials that cause fewer allergies?
A. Dianthus, peonies and phlox are a number of perennials that hardly cause any allergy.
Q. Although I might possess a garden that causes no allergy, what’s the use, I might still face a problem from pollen that may fly off from my neighbor’s garden?
A. Yeah, although you might have a totally allergy–free garden, pollens can still come from other gardens. But your exposure to such pollens would be very low. There will be no direct source of high pollen close to you. And your garden would not have any plants that cause allergy due to smells or any kind of contact. Since you are exposed to a low level of pollen, your family including your children or grandchildren will find it easier to breathe. Besides this you will also be aware of the fact that your plants are not harming your neighbors in any way. In fact you are doing something concrete to enhance the quality of air. Since your gardens or yards are free from allergy, you are able to do something positive instead of suffering the ill-effects of pollens.
