LANDSCAPE YOUR YARD AND GARDEN FOR A HEALTHY LIFE; Design the Exterior of Your House for Allergy Free Outdoor Living!

“Mary, Where are you, Mary?” 

 Jimmy Stewart is running down the streets, grabbing at those giant gnarly looking tree trunks, searching for Mary. Who can forget that fabulous street, those big old trees and the canopy it made over the streets of Bedford Falls.

Did you know Capra, the director, brought in 40 mature trees for the shot to mimic the streets of ‘Elm towns’ of the Northeast like Salem, Mass?  That had to cost a pretty penny.  

 “In the early part of the United States’ industrialized history most trees planted in newly populous cities were Elm. Elm trees were not only selected for their “grace, stature, and adaptability”, but for the fact that they are monecious, which means they produce both male and female flowers. This is an important feature because it produced low amounts of seeds compared to dioecious trees, which have a dedicated male and female tree.

 These are the kind of great old trees that had berries to throw at your brother, or wing-like seeds we’d stick to our noses.

What happened to the perfect Main Street?

The Dutch Elm and the Mighty Oak were virtually wiped out partly because they were so intertwined in their beauty by a very hungry beetle starting in the 1930’s. That left Main Street, USA with a ton of empty municipal streets that were naked and afraid!

 "In 1949 the USDA published their Yearbook of Agriculture. The book in several spots advocated planting only one sex of dioecious trees, usually male, to reduce the amount of seeds and fruit that would have to be cleaned up. These seeds and fruits attracted birds and insects which was undesirable at the time."

When city planners evaluated the costs, the “messy” species of trees were replaced with less messy trees. Less berries, less birds, less insects, less clean up. Problem is they used only male trees.

I know, I know, men are less messy?

“The USDA started to produce male only cultivars of red maples to help replace the lost Elms in cities. Maples were selected for their shade, autumn colors, rapid growth, and ease of establishment. On top of this single-sex cultivars of monoecious trees were being produced (you guessed it, male) and planted with great prevalence. The need for these new, “low maintenance” trees was also expanding, not only as replacements for the elms, but as the suburbs around the country grew.”

Heavy on the pollen boys. This has caused a dramatic rise in allergies and asthma. 

“Allergies began to increase around the country as these new male only trees were planted. It was largely down-played at first because allergies were thought to be psychosomatic. There is some thought that this view point was held because women (and children) were (and still are) disproportionately affected by seasonal allergies.”

That is the story of how Disease and the Patriarchy Gave You Seasonal Allergies by Jakob Hamlescher, Urban Technician

Why do I know all this when I hated science and Botany and plants and bugs and anything that involves weeds?

15 years ago, on the night before Thanksgiving, I was on my way to the emergency room with my three-year-old in my arms. She was so swollen from seasonal allergies that I couldn’t recognize her.

In the coming weeks and months she was tested and pricked and fought like a wrestling champion not to have blood taken........one.....more....time.   

According to the allergists and specialists of every flavor, because of seasonal allergies, her breathing had been reduced by 50%. She was suffering from situational asthma and should be put on medication immediately.  She was swollen from hives and terrified. Kinda like mom. 

So, what the heck does any of this have to do with exterior landscape design and what to plant in my yard, you ask?  

 Everything! 

 You can change your environment and improve your little sandbox! 

I did.

Considering we were starting with a clean slate on our plot with new construction, I was making my patch of the universe safer for my child.   And so the homework began.

 I read every study, book, medical journal, sought the opinions of allergists, parents and sufferers alike.  I finally found the best solution for me and it was called,

 Safe Sex in the Garden?   Botanical Sexism?

 Isn’t that crazy???

A nerdy botanist who teaches at risk youth in a maximum-security prison would be the one to help solve my daughter's problems, 3,000 miles away? 

 But he did.

His name is Dr. Thomas Leo Ogren.  I don't think he's a nerd.  He actually sounds kinda cool.  He plays guitar.

He holds a Master of Science in Agriculture, with an emphasis on horticulture, urban forests, and plant flowering systems and the connections between landscape plant materials and allergy. 

Impressive, right?

Ogren has studied our environment and landscaping and how it affects allergies.  I read his studies and books.  I even emailed him and wouldn't you know it?  He emailed me back! His guidance and patience with a frantic mom were invaluable and I will forever hold him in the highest regard!

His writings and studies were considered to be almost “Woo Woo” at the time I found him, almost 15 years ago.  

Since then, 

 Oh my, how we have become enlightened!

Today, he’s the foremost expert in the field of designing and landscape environments with allergies in mind. He developed a scale to measure the level of pollen produced by plants so that

• you can look up what’s in your yard
• find lower allergy plants for your area
• plant smarter
• live a healthier life

OPALS  (Ogren’s Plant and Allergy Scale) the first and only numerical plant-allergy ranking system in existence, which is being used by the USDA to develop allergy rankings for all major U.S. urban areas.  It’s also used by the American Lung Association and the USDA Urban Foresters.   

There's a great video, How Humans Caused Our Own Allergies. The video mainly cites the work of Thomas Leo Ogren, who when working in landscaping in the 70's discovered that his workers tended to show more symptoms of allergies under male trees. This led to a life’s long work in pollen allergy and what Ogren has dubbed “Botanical Sexism." Jakob Hamlescher

HALLELUIA, when science meets Woo Woo!  

Trees and plants have a rating of how allergic they are from 1-10.  You can landscape to MINIMIZE the negative effects of your outdoor living spaces on your health and that of your family.

Not the world, but your patch, can be drastically improved.  Just by making smart choices.

The yellow film of spring covers my windshield. Spring is on. I see it in the flowers and the smiles of those smart enough to be out enjoying the first hints of summer.  I walk past the offensive smell of Scotch Broom, a level 10 offender on the OPALS scale and cast a reproachful look at my neighbor as she sneezes. 

Just pull out that damn bush! 

There are so many ways we can make a small difference in our outdoor spaces.  

Plant female trees. 

And yes, your landscaper will probably look at you like you have two heads, so do your homework.  Know the type of trees and flowers and what to look for when planting.

“Messy” trees and flowers attract birds, butterflies and bees

Benefits: 

They eat bugs 

Sounds of them singing

Beauty

Honey and flowers for next year

Did I mention bugs?  They eat mosquitoes. 

I’m not a granola crunching, Subaru driver in case you’re wondering.  There’s always something in it for us. Healthy child, healthy family, healthier world.  If you are mindful of how and who is going to use the space, just like on your home's interior design, you can plan for success.

Maintenance is required from trees and flowers that bear fruit and berries.  Birds make a mess, berries drop on the walkways and flowers lose their buds.  But the benefits outweigh the work in my humble opinion.  

Deliberately Design your outdoor spaces and garden. 

What is your purpose for planting?

• Definition of space, fences, property lines
• Walkways
• Beauty
• Privacy - evergreens are your curtains, even in the winter
• Welcome to my front door - how do you want to say it?
• Accessibility  pathways 
• A feeling - think The Shining and the maze, the White House and the Rose Garden

 Things to consider

• Placement - What’s near doors and windows?  You don’t want a juniper (a 10 on the OPALS, see pic above) beside the vent or HVAC units outside
• What are you going to see from the inside?  Frame your views from all vistas!
• Year round evergreens vs. deciduous trees (the leaves fall)
• Your local soil and weather conditions
• Patience- some trees are fast growing, some not
• Where is it located, what’s it near and what's the effect on people? 
• Maintenance- what are you willing to do?
• Water 
• Sunlight
• Growth - it seems small now, but time flies and trees spread!
• Style of your home - what plants are in keeping with your design?  
• Annuals vs. Perennials- advantage Perennials.  They come back each year and tend to be low allergy producing.  
• Deep bulbs flowers -  less pollen, more cost upfront but come back every year.  Less work, less $ and time overall.  Think Daffodils, Tulips, Lilies.

MY WINNERS

Now you can’t be perfect because there are some flowers that are just too pretty, native to your area or existing.  But there are alternatives and I’ve managed to figure them out for my yard, growing in sand, in the harsh winters of the Northeast.  Your needs will be different but here’s my top picks:

Bougainvillea - It won't grow near me...yet.  But there is something magical about this one.  I'm keeping this one for my next house.

Female Blue Spruce and Junipers (with berries) 2-3 on OPALS

We bought little pots, 4 feet tall. They are now over 15 feet. They are horribly prickly for intruders along the perimeter and the birds are always in our yard for the berries.  They provide year-round coverage and privacy from the wind and my neighbors, and give my husband a great place to decorate when he feels his annual Clark Griswald come on for Christmas time.

Autumn Glory Maple 2 on OPALS

We planted 2 and they were just coming into their own.  Glorious in the fall with brilliant reds and oranges.  COVID and lightning struck and one of the trees is no more. What are the odds?

Roses and Hydrangeas 2-4 on OPALS

Perfect for my house's coastal location and style. My beloved and hardy roses are a great low allergy choice, so long as you don’t stick your nose deep in them. 

Hydrangeas are a staple in the sand.  I throw in some wildflowers for the butterflies every year.  Zinnia and Cosmos are a butterfly and bee fave!

LOSERS

Taxus Yew

Interesting fact about this easy to grow hedge that is commonly used outside entryways, fences and walkways (maximum people exposure) 

It’s Docetaxel and paclitaxel,....Taxol, the number one cancer treating drug for several types including breast, ovarian and lymphatic type cancers.  

 Hooray for nature helping us out, but HELL NO!!! outside my front door every day!  

Ogren discussed in his book, Safe Sex in the Garden, about a specific case of a family who experienced the health effects of the Taxus Yew outside their bedroom windows.  They suffered from symptoms similar to chemotherapy side effects until the plants were removed.  The male versions appear to have a dusty film of pollen in the early spring.

Forsythia

Those yellow flowering hedges in spring you see at every soccer game?  Another common hedge planted around every school yard and highway in the northeast.  They are regularly used at every school field on Long Island I played at as a kid.   

Related to the rising asthma and allergy rates in young children over the past 40 years?  Hmmm.... 

Scotch Broom

If there was an 11, this is it!  They smell awful and irritate the lungs of even the non- allergy sufferer.  They are poisonous to your dogs, need I say more?  OK, they’re ugly!

When you design your home thoughtfully, you can consider not only your interior layout, but how it will work with your exterior design. How are you going to use the outdoor space?  The details for your landscaping plan, materials and plants can be simplified by a plan that'll make sense to your overall vision of your home with less sneezing!.

How it looks coming, going from your front gate to the couch, sets the tone for what to expect and you can do that with landscaping.  Choose plants that compliment your style and keep your family safe with lower allergy alternatives. 

Trees and plants you choose in your yard are more important to your design, your health and longer lasting than furniture choices, kitchen cabinets and paint colors.

You can find varieties that will compliment your style without compromising your health.  

BTW, my daughter, today, is allergy and asthma free!

Be well my friend,

Liz

p.s. Check out Dr Ogren for more information!