Say Goodbye to Sniffles
Simple tips to keep you gardening through the spring allergy season.
Here is the great news:
The plants we love for their big, pretty blooms are the same ones that
Warren recommends for a low-allergen garden.
He says they’re better because insects pollinate them. Plants that rely on the wind to spread their pollen are more likely to trigger allergies. So plant your garden full of the showiest flowers you can find, like smooth hydrangeas, blue false indigo, coral bells or rudbeckia, and watch the bees and butterflies enjoy them, too.
Flowering trees like magnolia, serviceberry and dogwood also rely on insects to pollinate them.
Even better, those flowers turn into fruits that may attract birds and wildlife to our yards.
Warren points out that pollen has the potential to travel vast distances, so removing large trees
“is not practical—or even desirable.”
You can avoid stirring up clouds of pollen by replacing grass with a ground cover that does not require mowing. If you don’t want to give up your lawn, consider hiring someone to handle this chore.
Always remove poison ivy, stinging nettle and other irritating plants from your yard. Be sure to wear gloves when handling less abrasive plants like blanket flower, bleeding heart, amaryllis or baby’s breath.