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Lawn options for hayfever

phoenix_arisenphoenix_arisen Posts: 2
in The potting shed
Hi,

I suffer from a fairly sever grass allergy but i enjoy spending time outside. We bought a house with a garden and it was a few month later we learned how sever my allergies were. I are in the process to taking the lawn out but i'm wondering if there is a way to have some from of lawn that isn't as bad for my allergies (I know i want my cake and to eat it too) I've read that some clover varieties can offer a low maintenance option but i'm seeing conflicting information about it's affect on allergies. 

In an ideal world i'd like some from of green ground cover that kids could potentially play on (not a must have) and supports eco diversity without my allergies going mad even with antihistamines. 

Any ideas of am I doomed to paving and potted plants? (i'm not a fan of artificial grass so not really an option)

Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Ophiopogon perhaps? (Not the black kind). Or perhaps chamomile or creeping thyme. None of these like being trampled on though really.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    Are you allergic to sedges, as they're not true grasses? A tufted "lawn" of Carex dispaca would look pretty nice.  
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    Hay fever is caused by the pollen so I would have keeping a lawn cut short so that it doesn’t get chance to flower would be the way to go. You may then find that a lot of the problem is your neighbours lawns but at least you would have minimised the impact from your own garden. Also make sure to avoid any ornamental grasses.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Have you had the alergy tests done to make 100% sure thats what it is?
  • phoenix_arisenphoenix_arisen Posts: 2
    Thanks for the replies so far! I have had allergy tests and it cam back severe against grass mix. I also forgot to mention that our garden is a south facing garden so it gets a lot of light.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited May 2020
    The problem is, if your neighbours have grass that they allow to get long enough to flower, you'll get symptoms anyway so you might as well have grass yourself if it's the best surface for the children to play on. There's really no escape from grass pollen outdoors in summer unless you live in a heavily built-up area with no gardens, parks etc. I have hay fever from tree pollen which is just as hard to avoid - resigned to antihistamines and itchy sneezy reactions.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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