I am, yet again, totally baffled……..
There are around 12 million hay fever sufferers in the UK, approximately 20% of the population. And there are around 25 million amateur gardeners, approximately 40% of the population – and that is not counting those who garden for a living. It is therefore reasonable to assume that there must be an absolute minimum of 5 million gardeners (ie 20% of all gardeners) who suffer from hay fever….
Everyone, whether they garden or not, knows that certain plants (like pollen-heavy trees or grasses) give them hay fever. So by definition, certain other plants must be better for their hay fever. Given that hay fever is such a miserable and debilitating condition, why don’t gardeners and town planners design gardens and open spaces planted with trees, bushes and flowers that do not cause hay fever?…..
This regular rant has resurfaced because, of course, it is Chelsea Flower Show this week (‘town square garden’ pictured above). And, yet again, there is absolutely nothing anywhere in all the vastness of the Royal Hospital Gardens about hay fever or allergy. Plenty about saving the world, saving water, helping Alzheimer’s patients, and the partially sighted – all splendidly worthy causes. But why are none of them helping the snivelling millions whose eyes stream and whose noses are blocked every year by the pollen from the trees, and grasses and weeds? Especially when the answer lies in their own speciality – plants?
Several years ago I got so frustrated by this situation that, after the show was over, I contacted every show garden designer, large and small, to ask them whether they would consider designing a low allergen garden. Many ignored me but some responded quite positively. Several of them were hay fever sufferers themselves and always had a miserable time at Chelsea because of the numbers of plane trees shedding their pollen over the Royal Hospital Gardens. But in the end it came down to money and none thought they could raise the prodigious amount that it costs to build one of those show gardens (£100,000s) for a low allergen garden. Why? Because so few people have studied the subject and therefore understand that a low allergen garden can be just as delightful and appealing as one that is laden with pollen – it will just be different.
The American gardener Tom Ogren is a world expert on low allergen gardening. He has invented a plant allergen scale, OPALS (which made its first appearance in Wikipiedia about a month ago) and has written extensively about low allergen plants both in domestic and city planning environments. His basic tenet is very simple. Male plants are anxious to spread their seed as widely and profusely as they can so produce enormous quantities of pollen most of which is dispersed for them by the winds – and gets up human noses in the process. Female plants wish to attract seeds so they suck the pollen in thus cleaning the atmosphere – and going nowhere near human noses. This is particularly relevant in a city planning context as female plants/trees also tend to produce fruits which get shed all over the pavement and have to be cleaned up; male plants/trees do not. So it is pollen-shedding male trees that get planted.
If you wish to investigate further (and if you or any member of your family suffers from hay fever I really suggest that you do), checkout Tom’s website, read one of his books (Allergen Free Gardening or Safe Sex in the Garden – both available from the site or on Amazon) or read the articles, many by Tom, on the gardening section of the FoodsMatter site.
Meanwhile, back to Chelsea… Having done my usual round of the show gardens, cottage gardens and the big marquee without finding any mention of hay fever or inhaled allergens, I fetched up at the Discovery Corner in the Great Pavilion. Surely, here, I thought…. But no – after looking at really good exhibits on transforming waste land into productive land (Groundwork), sleeping ancient woodlands (The Woodland Trust), working allotments and the music of plants I ended up at the Rothamsted Research stand which was telling you how to control pests by using the right plants.
‘What about inhaled allergens and hay fever’, I asked, ‘ever done any work on them?’
‘Err, no’, the friendly young man replied, ‘although my four year old son does suffer badly from hay fever.’
Me: ‘Ever thought about doing some work on low allergen plants?’
Him: ‘Didn’t know there were such things…’
A brief discussion ensued, business cards and website addresses were exchanged and hopefully a small seed might have been sown. Next year a Rothamsted exhibit on how to grow an allergen-free oil-seed rape?…. Now how good would that be?…
PostScript. For those of you just interested in the flowers, this was ‘blue’ year…. Yes, the show gardens were very beautiful and all that but, they were all very blue and, to be honest, very similar. And if one more designer tells me that his/her garden will allow me to ‘reflect, contemplate and relax’ I shall be very tempted to throw a trowel into the middle of their ‘smooth reflective pool of water’…..
But show gardens aside, the flowers in the Great Pavilion were, as always, totally spectacular. Not that they will ever look like that in your garden, but it is always nice for a cat to be able to look at a king!
Chelsea Flower Show – Blue Garden Number 1.
Chelsea Flower Show – Blue Garden Number 2.
Chelsea Flower Show – Blue Garden Number 3.
Chelsea Flower Show – Blue Garden Number 4 – with potter’s shed….
Rather like ‘Blue Garden No 4’, but that has more to do with the potter’s shed…
Aha I have done this with the tweaking of the title. Really annoying that blogs can’t do some kind of clever redirect. I love this idea, of having an allergen free garden. Mine is NOT but I live on edge of woods and fields so not much I can do really. I feel house bound. Really struggling with the old pollen this year. I have seen an allergen friendly garden somewhere but can’t for the life of me remember where now… my sister sent me the sign for it. Will see if i can remember.
Of course, you are right Ruth – if you live in the country – beside a field of oil seed rape, for example! – it is hard to reduce the allergen load – but you could still do so near the house. Do take a look at some of Tom’s articles on the site – might just give you some ideas!!!
I have heard it said that nettle tea – made from freshly gathered nettles, not dried herb – counteracts hay fever.
I don’t suffer myself, so I do not know its efficacy. Has anyone tried this suggested remedy?
Never heard of that one, David, but the tea is lovely anyhow!
Wow! Great minds think alike. I wish they had done a feature on this at Chelsea. I love gardens, and it’s miserable feeling as though you have to stay inside on a lovely summer’s day. Having moved to a new house with a blank canvas for a garden, I would LOVE to know how to go about creating an allergy free garden, as my husband and I both suffer.
Fantastic observation Michelle. I will be having a good read of Toms website and possibly buying a new book. My two career paths and passions are the free from industry and plants. Naturally this article had me hooked. I think I can reflect both sides of the coin. Despite suffering, many people, appear to battle on by taking medication to aid their symptoms rather than look to helping reduce the cause (of many allergens). There are the other people who look to improve the situation from the cause.
As a gardener by trade and a passionate plants woman I can see how both sufferers and businesses in horticulture would be stubborn to change or miss out on any of the familiar plants they have become fond of. Also I wonder, as with the food industry, if people are still scared of admitting a problem with any part of a strong industry and thinking of finding a solution.
In my recollection of many years following Chelsea, Hampton Court, Malvern, Gardeners World Live and (via tv) Tatton Park I do remember this subject has been tackled but never thrived. I think it was Gardeners World Live some years ago that championed allergy friendly gardening and also small garden at Chelsea several years ago. I would love to take up the challenge of an allergy friendly garden design. There is a competition this year from the RHS for an amateur garden to be created and feature in next years Chelsea Flower Show. Sadly even now my heart is breaking at the thought of excluding some favourites if they are not on Toms recommended list. I guess at the end of the day the only people who will truly push for the allergy friendly garden are the people suffering with hayfever to a debilitating extent.
Well do check out the gardening pages on the Foodsmatter site as there are lot so suggestions as to how you can reduce your garden’s allergen load! Good luck!
Oh wow – what a recruit to the cause!!!
I know what you mean about excluding favourite plants – but is it not just like a coeliac or milk allergic who suddenly finds that they c an no longer eat their favourite bread or ice cream? Once they have got over the initial shock they will realise that actually, there are lots of other plants/foods out there – not the same – but maybe just as nice!
How fab it would be if you could get a low allergen amateur garden through that competition…. Please let us know of anything we can do to help.
Very true. I no longer crave or miss dairy products. Once you realise you can live a more pain free life without them allergens become less desirable.
The proof would be in the design. A truly desirable garden with a low allergen rating that looks fantastic, smells great and you could even relax and reflect in?
The label of allergy free often impresses an unfair label on what we strive for. People pigeon hole their thoughts before they even give it a chance, gardens or food! Perhaps it would require a subtle title before the real motivation was revealed?
You are absolutely right on both counts. You work on the design – we’ll work what to call it!!!
Haha! I will let you know if I go for it. On the slim chance it would get any recognition I would certainly need your help 😉
Anything we can do….. Just keep us posted.
This link given to me by Allergy UK this week sounds like a really useful event for anyone needing inspiration for low allergen garden, http://www.whats-on-london.co.uk/event/sneeze-free-garden/
Funnily enough, I have just uploaded details about the Sneeze Free garden to the Foodsmatter site and was goignto flag it up in this w/e’s newsletter! And I am hoping to go next weekend. Watch this space – and thank you for the alert.
Hehe! I was sure you were on to it 😉
Hi Michelle
I am very interested in low allergy gardening and would like to raise the profile of low allergy plants.
I am a big fan of Tom Ogren who has a new book due out 17th Feb “The Allergy Fighting Garden”
In my view Low allergy landscaping and planting should be standard practice around all new public spaces especially schools and hospitals.
Excellent Sheenagh – so would we!!! We are looking forward to Tom’s new book and will, I assure you, be reviewing it both on the blog and the FoodsMatter site.
And yes, I so agree with you about low allergen planting in public spaces.
For more of Tom’s words of wisdom do take a look at the gardening section on the FM site.