When you were seeking a family home, outside space probably felt non-negotiable. After all, you have young children tearing around the place, the ability to all get out in the garden can feel like a lifesaver.
But what happens if someone in the family experiences allergies? Suddenly, that outside space can feel more like a curse than a blessing, as you enter an endless battle with passing cats, blowing blossoms, and plants that could cause a serious reaction. This will hardly lead to the outdoor escape and natural educational environment you had in mind when you moved in.
Luckily, it is possible to design an allergen-free garden with a little careful thought. Keep reading to find out how.
1 – Lose the Lawn
Losing the lawn is the first step towards creating an allergy-free space outdoors, as wind-polluted grasses are a leading cause for allergen flare-ups. Worse, with the lawn typically taking up a large amount of most gardens, this isn’t exactly an easy allergen to avoid.
Replacing your allergy-riddled lawn with allergy-free alternatives is a great solution. Alternatives like artificial turf installation are especially popular amongst homeowners, and ensure that you can keep the natural, green feeling of a growing garden, without the actual growth that can leave eyes streaming and skin breaking out within moments. Equally, replaced lawned spaces with alternatives including patio and decking areas can significantly reduce allergens and increase outdoor usability.
2 – Choose Allergy-Friendly Plants
You shouldn’t have to go without beautiful plants outside because someone in your family has allergies. After all, plant growth makes a garden look its best, and also attracts the wildlife that your children can track and learn from. This means you’ll probably want to find a planting middle ground that ensures the whole family can enjoy your garden, and that’s precisely what you’ll find from researching allergy-friendly plants.
Of course, all plants contain pollen or pores, both of which can exacerbate allergy symptoms to some extent, but some plants are much lower in allergens than others. This is especially true of plants that are pollinated by insects rather than wind, as this can lead to a reduced amount of allergens in the air. Top plants to look out for with this purpose in mind include geraniums, roses, tulips, and hostas.
3 – Look for Allergy-Friendly Layouts
It’s also worth simply reassessing outdoor design with allergies in mind. After all, if your outdoor space is all on one open level, allergens will undeniably have more of an impact. By comparison, zoned gardening can serve to prevent pollen from traveling where it shouldn’t. Thinking hard about planting areas, which you should ideally position behind dense hedges that can block pollen from traveling far, is also sure to bring benefits. As discussed, hardscaping elements like raised patio areas can also help to ensure at least some outdoor areas have much-needed low pollen counts.
Outdoor design becomes undeniably more difficult when you’re factoring in allergens, but these allergen-free garden design tips could see you designing the ideal outdoor space after all.