Sneeze-Free Garden

Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-632 -- More Projects »
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Columbine is a good choice for allergy sufferers. Get a list of the worst pollen producers.
For people with allergies, gardening can be a challenge, but if you know what to plant and when, you can have a sneeze-free garden. The first thing you have to do is figure out what you're allergic to. It might be certain flowers, grass, trees or shrubs, or it might be certain pollens. Only an allergist can tell you for certain.

When picking out plants and flowers, stay away from those, like alyssum, that are fragrant; generally they stimulate a sneeze-fest. Some good sneeze-free plants include impatiens, hosta, astilbe, snow-on-the-mountain, scabiosa, columbine, viola and ajuga.

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Impatiens
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Hosta
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Astilbe
Grass is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to allergies. Replace lawns with paths of mulch, stone or gravel. If you really want grass, get someone else to mow it.

And remember, pollen counts seem to be lower in the afternoon, so that's the best time to garden. If it's windy, definitely stay indoors, but do take advantage of those cloudy, still days because that's when you'll breathe a lot easier.

Also in this Episode
Rebecca's Garden : Episode REB-632
•America's Most Beautiful Garden
•Cut Tulip Arrangement
•Botanical Bowls
•Lucky Bamboo
•Sneeze-Free Garden