How to create an allergy-friendly garden

Many plant allergics are allergic to pollen and are especially plagued by plants that are wind-pollinated. These plants have large amounts of volatile small pollen that is easy to inhale. Insect-pollinated plants often have heavier pollen grains and do not pose the same problem. The reason wind-pollinated plants have such large amounts of pollen is that their pollination is more random. If a single pollen grain is to land in a suitable place, the plant must spread large amounts of them. Thanks to the small pollen grains, they can end up far from the original plant. In the north, we can even find pollen from countries like Germany, although not in large quantities. The majority of pollen falls, fortunately, very close to the tree or plant. This means that the plants you choose to have in your garden greatly affect the pollen content. When it comes to insect-pollinated plants, the insect takes a bit of pollen from one flower to another in a more precise way. The plant therefore does not need to produce as large amounts. The grains are also heavier and stickier, which allows them to attach to the insect and prevents them from flying around in the air. If you are allergic to pollen, it is therefore better to choose insect-pollinated plants or plants that have little or no pollen at all.

There are many allergy-friendly flowers and plants to choose from. Bleeding heart is one of them - it has a lot of nectar, but low pollen content and blooms until the frost arrives. Columbine, various types of bellflower, and barrenwort are also allergy-friendly, and are plants that are easy to take care of. For those who like sunflowers, there are now several varieties that do not have pollen. In addition, there are some types of lilies that do not have pollen in them. A tip is to plant a base of allergy-friendly perennials and then try out annual plants. If you cannot tolerate them, just replace them.

Wood anemone,Lady's mantle,Daylily,Crimson columbine,Hosta,Japanese anemone,Lambs' ears,Harebell,Buttercup,Pollen-free sunflowers,Nasturtium,Hanging lobelia,Fuchsia

Creating an allergy-friendly garden does not necessarily only mean choosing allergy-friendly plants, but also choosing to avoid plants you are allergic to – for example, replacing pollen-producing trees with female trees that do not produce pollen. Some people are also allergic to strongly scented plants such as lilacs and hyacinths, so it is wise to replace them with something else. Plants and trees that are known to cause allergies include cypress, mulberry, elm, birch, beech, willow, ragweed, hazel, ragweed, and grass.

Avoid wind-pollinated flowers, trees, and shrubs. Instead, plant insect-pollinated plants, which also benefit diversity and many endangered insects. Plant flowers with low pollen content or no pollen at all - many mature plants have low levels. Double flowers are also good, as they keep pollen inside the foliage. The downside is that they are not as easily accessible to insects. Many people react to flowering grass of various kinds. In these cases, it may be wise to avoid grass altogether, or cut it so often that it does not have time to bloom. Let someone who is not allergic do the job for you, if the opportunity arises. If it is dry outside, water with a sprinkler in the evening so that much of the pollen is washed down from leaves and straw instead of being carried up into the air. If you want to save groundwater, you can use rainwater from a rain barrel. Even a small pond can catch flying pollen. Trim allergy-inducing hedges and bushes before they start to bloom. It may be a bit of a boring task, but it works effectively. Plant allergy-friendly hedges like cherry laurel or yew around the garden, as they filter out a lot of wind-borne pollen.

Liselotte Roll, Swedish garden inspirator, journalist and author of books on nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Earth", "Cultivate for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".