MARIPOSA LANDSCAPING

Allergy-Free Gardening

Landscapes, whether in nature or in our own backyard, can be a source of visual and experiential pleasure. They offer beautiful sights, sounds, and fragrances. A healthy landscape is rich with abundant life; it is a vibrant ecosystem. The many plant forms in various stages of development remind us that we live in a dynamic and creative world.

For people suffering from environmental allergies, though, gardens can be a source of irritation and illness. Hay fever, asthma, and skin rashes are some of the symptoms of allergies from plants in the landscape.

Landscape Designer Sue Powell has experience creating beautiful gardens for people that have environmental allergies. She has researched plant allergens and allergen levels of landscape plants and selects low-allergen plants that create diverse, colorful, pleasing landscapes.

Thomas Ogren and OPALS

Sue's favorite source of information about plant allergens are publications by famous horticulturist Thomas Ogren, who became interested in allergy-free gardening because his wife, his mother, and his sisters all suffered from hay fever and asthma. He has done extensive research on the specific sources of allergens in landscape plants. His book, Allergy-Free Gardening, offers information on hundreds of plants that can be selected for California gardens.

Over his many years of research and study, Thomas Ogren has developed what he has termed the Ogren Plant-Allergy Scale (OPALS), which is an index of plants on a 1 to 10 scale. At the lower end of the scale are plants that are low in allergy-producing substances, and at the upper end of the scale are plants that are major sources of allergenic substances.

When working with clients that suffer from plant allergies, Sue recommends only those plants at the lower end of the scale. Examples of low-allergen vines, shrubs, perennials, and groundcovers that are also well-adapted to Central Coast gardens include: Bougainvillea, Pineapple Guava, Camellia, Princess Flower, Leucadendron, Penstemon, Campanula, Sea Thrift, and Impatiens. Low-allergen tree choices include: Persimmon, Pomegranate, Strawberry Tree, and Canary Island Date Palm.