Create a low-pollution and allergy-free garden

 

 

Start with a clean slate for edible gardens

If you are starting a vegetable patch but are anxious that your garden soil may be degraded or contaminated, consider raised, base-sealed beds (with aerable thermal barriers sold for this purpose) for total peace of mind. 

Create a low-allergy garden

• Eliminate weeds. Get rid of weeds like privet, plantain, asthma weed which carry airborne seeds that can irritate nasal passages or have sap that can cause allergies.
• Chose the right plants. Avoid plants that have insignificant flowers and use wind to spread their pollen.  Examples are grasses, conifers and deciduous trees such as elm, plane and poplar trees. Instead, choose plants such as grevilleas, banksias, citrus, eucalypts, lilly pilly, correas, hibiscus and magnolias, that have big, fauna attracting flowers.
• Use foliage instead of flowers for effect. Opt for a lush, tropical, yet drought-resistant effect with yukkas, cordylines, agaves, succulents and many of the shrubs named above.
• Use grass alternatives. Dump the lawn and don't use native grasses. Instead, use cottage and native groundcovers and bark/chip mulches (not hay), combined with paving and pebbles. Good choices are ajuga (bugle), mondo grass, herbs, periwinkle and anemone.
• Minimise fertilizer. Reduce or eliminate nutrient-greedy lawn, plants and groundcovers to reduce allergic reactions to fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides.
• Select plants that have low requirements for water, fertilisers and pesticides.

 

Fertilise right

• Use protective gear (a face mask and gloves) when applying compost, manures and mulch to minimise any direct contact with elements that might cause allergic reactions or nasal irritation.
• Use compost and natural fertilisers rather than chemical fertilisers, and apply just enough. Most gardeners over-fertilise plants. Use slow-release fertilisers in areas where the potential for water contamination is high, such as sandy soils, steep slopes, compacted soils, and verges of water bodies.
• Use pine or bark mulch over compost, fertiliser or mulches you may use such as hay, mushroom compost and organic manure to minimise intake of spores and other airborne microorganisms.
• Calibrate your applicator before applying pesticides or fertilisers. As equipment ages, annual adjustments may be needed.

Minimise erosion and ‘dust bowl' gardens/patios

• Preserve existing trees and plant trees, shrubs and groundcovers to help prevent erosion and promote infiltration of water into the soil.
• Minimise lawn and non-porous paving, which can cause dusty environments in hot summer conditions. Opt instead for native and cottage groundcovers supported by mulch and permeable paving.
• If you can, grow thick fence hedges using low-allergen plants to minimise entry of airborne particulates, dust and pollen into the home while not causing irritations or allergies.

Minimise sediment, fertiliser and grey-water runoff

• Use landscaping techniques such as grass swales (low areas in the lawn) or porous walkways to increase infiltration and decrease runoff and stormwater pollution.
• Avoid watering with grey water before or after a downpour to prevent runoff and stormwater pollution.
• Use mulch and plantings to avoid erosion and runoff in the garden.
• Install gravel trenches along driveways or patios to collect water and allow it to filter into the ground.
• Clean stormwater gutters and drains and keep them free of leaves.

Treat stormwater on site  

• Create your own stormwater improvement system; it's easy to install one on even the smallest site. Consider a raingarden.  

For more information on eco-friendly gardening, visit the Our Natural Environment section.