Gardening Tips
Spring is a great time to be working in your yard and garden. However, if you suffer from outdoor allergies, gardening can trigger some of your worst symptoms. 

When You Have Allergies: Gardening Tips

Planting

1. Choose plants that are low pollen producers. These include colorful blooming flowers. Roses, impatiens and petunias are all good choices.
2. Use non-allergen elements in your garden, like sand, rocks and water.
3. Avoid plants with small flowers that have off-white to greenish flowers. These plants tend to cause more allergies than large, brightly colored flowers.
4. Avoid hedges. These are good places for pollen, dust and mold to collect.
5. If you are allergic to grass, considering a ground cover that doesn’t produce much pollen for your lawn. These include Irish moss, bunch or dichondra.

Gardening and Yard Work

• Wear a hat, gloves, glasses and paper mask when working in your garden. This will reduce your exposure to pollen.
• Do yard work in the afternoon. Pollen levels are usually highest between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m.
• Avoid working outdoors on warm, dry and breezy days.  These are typically the worst times for pollen. Rainy, cool days are better.
• If you are allergic to mold, don’t rake leaves, mulch or hay.
• Keep your grass cut short.
• Close the windows in your house before you cut the grass and don’t open them for a few hours after you’ve finished.
• Pull weeds immediately. Weeds are the most prolific pollen producers.

Clean Up

• Rinse off your gardening tools after use.
• Take off your gardening clothes in the garage or laundry room to avoid bringing pollen into the house. Wash them separately.
• Shower and wash your hair after yard work to remove any pollen.
• If you have a dog that spends time outdoors, bathe the dog every week to remove pollen from its fur.