Low allergen sanctuary at garden show
23 July 2003

People with asthma can enjoy a summer sanctuary at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Show in Tatton Park, Cheshire, this week. Garden designer Robert Frier has replaced the lawn and hedges of a traditional garden with water features and herbaceous planting to create a low allergen environment, minimising levels of dust and pollen, which can bring on asthma symptoms.

The 'Living and Breathing' garden has been created in support of the National Asthma Campaign to provide a space in which people with asthma can make the most of their time outdoors. Many of the 5.1 million people with asthma in the UK dread the summer months, as pollen from flowering grasses, plants and trees can trigger their symptoms.

'At a time of year when everyone else is relaxing in the garden many people with asthma and allergies feel they have to hide indoors,' said Philippa Cowley-Thwaites, the Campaign's assistant marketing director. 'By taking sensible steps to create a garden that suits their condition, and by keeping up to date with their medication, people with asthma can enjoy the great outdoors just like anyone else.'

The garden has been sponsored by AstraZeneca and Cheshire Life and is open to the public 24-27 July 2003. 'The "Living and Breathing" garden will raise money for vital asthma research so that even more people with asthma can improve their quality of life,' added Ms Cowley-Thwaites.

To create your own low allergen garden, the National Asthma Campaign recommends taking the following steps:

• Choose insect-pollinated plants, because the pollen on these plants does not easily travel. This includes most flowers with large petals.
• Avoid all wind pollinated plants, as the pollen is easily inhaled, aggravating allergic reactions.
• Avoid heavily scented flowers, which can trigger asthma attacks such as carnations, jasmine, wisteria, freesias and hyacinths.
• Avoid plants from the daisy family, these include chrysanthemums, michaelmas daisies, and dahlias
• Avoid climbing plants near bedroom windows as these can transfer pollen into the house.
• Blossom trees are preferable as they are insect pollinated, but avoid wind pollinated varieties such as ash, birch, elder, hazel, horse chesnut, oak, plane and sycamore.