Allergy free planting - Victoria BC

05/27/2023

05/08/2023

Yes, it’s true, there is more more pollen than ever before and it’s a trend that’s going to continue.

“ As the planet warms, researchers say allergy season is starting earlier and lasting longer. And a study from the journal Nature published last year found that pollen count is projected to increase by 200% by the end of the century if planet-warming pollution continues to rise.” The article goes on to explain that all this airborne pollen is easily breathed into the lungs where people with the genetic predisposition will treat it as an enemy, like germs, setting off an allergic reaction or asthma.
Yet, I don’t know of a government that sees this as part of their climate change action plan. Trees are going to die a need replacing, and in choosing them, they could choose females over males and lower allergenic species including those that support pollinators so that a plant doesn’t have to disperse its pollen. We need trees, but they have to be the right ones and preferably in neighbourhoods that don’t already benefit from green cover. Good for the planet, good for equity, good for accessibility

The pollen count has exploded in some parts of the country this year after warm winter weather pushed plants into growing mode earlier than normal.

04/13/2023

Watch this whole, short video. Climate change affecting allergy season. Yet this implication is not something that anyone seems to be doing anything about. There’s lots they can do which is when replacing plants and especially public urban trees, to plant less allergenic species that won’t be as stressed during climate change

03/28/2023

I've been trying to get local governments to take this into account in their planting plans. Long allergy seasons from stressed plants and higher temperatures. And when they are choosing new plants to replace those that can't survive, choose lower allergen please

The annual pollenocalypse is here.

The outcome?
🥺 Watery eyes.
🤧 Sneezes.
🤕 Headaches.
😷 Cough.

2023 is shaping up to be yet another brutal year for . Just like 2022, and 2021, and 2020 ...

The trend is real: Allergy risk is getting worse over time. The length and intensity of pollen seasons are growing, largely due to . Between 1995 and 2015, the length of ragweed pollen season increased by almost a month in areas of the northern US. And as the planet continues to warm, more misery is in store.

There are two main ways that humans are changing pollen production.

1️⃣ Humans are increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have risen from 280 parts per million in the 1800s to 420 ppm today.

2️⃣ Higher concentrations of carbon dioxide are leading to warmer winters and earlier springs. This gives plants a head start on .

As many as 50 million Americans are estimated to have allergies, and as pollen counts increase, more people may become allergic. That could be a significant burden on the nation’s health and economy. Every year in the US, the cost of treating nasal allergies tops $3.4 billion, and pollen-induced asthma attacks lead to 20,000 emergency room visits a year.

02/23/2023

Shared courtesy of
Are we looking forward to Spring?

11/06/2022

Letter to the editor in today's Times Colonist newspaper that reminds us of the variety of disabilities (and our need to accommodate them). The writer is responding to a previous letter that prescribes a certain way of living, based on ableist assumptions.
"Allergies, intolerances can limit choices

Re: “Good health and a happy planet? Go vegan,” letter, Nov. 2.

Perhaps the good professor would endeavour to encourage colleagues to find a cure for food allergies and intolerances, particularly those to soy and legumes that can be anaphylaxis-level severe, which prevents some people from going vegan because the only absorbable relevant nutrients they can tolerate are in meat, eggs, and dairy." The trend to meat substitutes, especially those that mimic meat (such as the pea protein hamburger meat equivalent now displayed in the meat aisle) can be dangerous, if the contents are not disclosed.

I would add that the trend toward biodegradable utensils, straws, plates and takeout containers also poses risk to people with food allergies etc. We don't know if public policy makers are aware of the risk and their consultation and analysis processes do not ensure that minority concerns are duly considered.

We often hear members of Council say things like "breaking bread together is the best way to build bridges", and those who plan events think they will be more attractive if they include food and refreshments. Those are ableist assumptions and actions. Do they consider how these actions create barriers for some in our society? And do they even know the portion of the population potentially adversely affected? I don't think so.

When you are tempted to think "everyone should...", consider if everyone is able.

06/15/2022

I had the PollenTec screening inserted in my bedroom and key screens on windows I frequently open. I used Doctor Screen, mobile service. I think it's a franchise so there may be one near you.
The material seems a bit denser and blacker than regular fibreglass screening but not when installed. The installer needed special equipment (thicker spline and tool) but was keen to be able to offer the service.

A bit more expensive than regular screening, but should save on replacement filters for air purifiers and help keep pollen out.
These additional expenses are just another of the negative externailities of unregulated planting.
https://www.doctorscreen.com

05/26/2022

Gaslighting? someone posted an article: ‘It looks beautiful’: UK gardeners on leaving lawns uncut for No Mow May.

Comments included:
One consideration is allergies. Grasses are a significant source of pollen allergic reactions and when you let lawns grow, they release pollen.

A response: it is never going to be a perfect world .but let's enjoy it because it is better that Not

Is the second commenter saying Live with allergies - get over it? Your concern is meaningless to me?

05/17/2022

Get more inspiration for allergy-reduced planting from the City of Victoria guide, based on the work of Tom Ogren, author of The Allergy-Fighting Garden.

During May in Victoria, you will see a variety of showy Pieris japonica. Later, you will find Ceanothus. Get some inspiration for native and imported plants that are BOTH low allergen and good for our pollinators.

(We can shed the myth that aiming for low allergen planting harms pollinators. The plants that don't disperse huge amounts of pollen to the winds are precisely those designed to provide food for pollinators).

https://www.victoria.ca/assets/Departments/Parks~Rec~Culture/Parks/Documents/GITC%20Pollinator%20and%20Allergy-Aware%20Gardening%20FINAL.pdf

05/17/2022

Around Victoria in May, you will see spectacular, low allergen Pieris japonica. New growth comes in pink or red, and it has lovely grape like clusters that look like flowers. It's a nice compact shrub that needs little attention. Lots of different varieties sold in Victoria area nurseries and even garden centres of hardware stores. There is a place for it in every garden, and I've even seen it used as a hedge.

"Japanese pieris is a broadleaf evergreen shrub in the heath family, boasting year-round beauty and interest when used as a landscape plant. Native to Asia, Japanese pieris has oblong leaves that open with a reddish-bronze color before transforming into a glossy, leathery green. It is an early bloomer, erupting in drooping clusters of delicate flowers for about two weeks during the late winter and early spring. The white or pale pink blooms resemble those of lily-of-the-valley, without the strong, notable fragrance. Best planted from potted nursery plants in the spring or fall, Japanese pieris grows slowly and will take its time establishing itself in your landscape. Because of its slow growth habit, the plant makes a good choice for foundations and shrub borders—you don't run the risk of damaging nearby structures or losing control of the plant's growth or spread."

Fertilize now:

"Add a fertilizer formulated for azaleas, camellias, and rhododendron in mid-February and mid-May, following the package instructions for the amount. Mulching with an acidifying organic material such as pine needles can also help provide nutrients." So it sounds like it would do well next to a hydrangea (chosen carefully for a lower OPALS rating).

See more about care and growing conditions it likes. I have found it thrives even in an exposed postiion and clay like soil. https://www.thespruce.com/japanese-pieris-plant-profile-5073709

05/16/2022

Further to the post below. This is an extract from CoV allergy Lower Allergen Landscape Planting Resource List.

Re. this: "speak with the experts at your local garden centre about availability and to help you identify the best plant for your situation." Did the City take any steps to ensure that nurseries would be ready for such inquiries? Certainly staff at Russell Nursery are not aware.

CITY OF VICTORIA PARKS
Lower Allergen Landscape Planting Resource List
This plant list is intended to assist in the selection of lower allergen landscape plantings and is not a comprehensive list. For additional resources please refer to the document Pollinator and Allergy-Friendly Gardening in the City of Victoria. Below are some tips to help increase the success of your lower allergen planting.
• Contrary to popular belief, most pollinator friendly species are lower allergen. Plants with bright showy flowers are typically the ones that are insect-pollinated, and are inherently lower allergic reaction inducing due to having less pollen than wind-pollinated plants, and pollen that is heavier and stickier, and less likely to be airborne.
• Right Plant Right Place. This old adage bears true. Plants that are stressed are commonly associated with increased molds, insect frass, and even increased pollen production! Spend the time to ensure the plants you are choosing are appropriate for your site.
• Consider proximity of plantings to high traffic or gathering areas to reduce the potential for plant species that can attract unwanted pests i.e. social wasps such as yellow jackets
• When possible, plant females of dioecious species. This is not always feasible but speak with the experts at your local garden centre about availability and to help you identify the best plant for your situation.
• Careful thought and research into your plant choices will help you to create a successful lower allergen planting that all can enjoy!
The OPALS ranking system has been used here as the primary tool in the assessment of the allergenicity of plant species. Currently, it is the only numerically valued system to rate allergenicity and is not all inclusive of lower allergen plant species available for use in our region. Research and understanding of pollen dispersal methods and other allergy inducing attributes of plants is important in making informed decisions.

And note no reference to Tom Ogren, whose work they are using without attribution, possibly infringing on copyright.

05/16/2022

Spoke to folks at Russell Nursery on the Saanich Peninsula on the weekend and recommended Tom Ogren's Book, the Allergy Fighting Garden. Seemed interested. They only carried male yews (OPALS 10) and didn't know how to determine the s*x, so didn't know that they only carried the most allergenic, even toxic plant. Got the impression they were interested in being able to advise customers and noted the book title. I will follow up and maybe advise all local nurseries.

Had hoped that the City of Victoria would take a leadership role and share the resources it developed and hold a forum with the nursery industry reps, landscape designers and other municipalities. Despite telling Council it would take $100,000 to work on research and addressing the issues (which Council declined), they were able to determine NOT do do much, apart from passively offer information within regular resources.

No information has been reported on how they have publicized resources they developed (or repackaged from Tom Ogren's work, in one case with the source not acknowledged)

I wonder if someone could get a grant to do this. But what non-profit would sponsor it? That's the problem with issues that are not mainstream. Trying to find an organization with enough resources to even support a grant proposal AND for whom the issue is a priority. So many institutional barriers against working on the issue.

Humankind has altered the breathed environment
It's a tragedy of the commons, in that everyone has free access to pollut the air with pollen
The breathed environment is a public health risk for which there is only a private response. The costs are borne by individuals who are adversely affected. Lack of choice about what to do and when outdoors. Leading to lack of exercise and benefits of nature. Medication costs borne individually or bump up cost of healthcare plans. Lack of productivity and individual suffering.

This is an example of one resource. They also have 3 docs for small, med and large trees. But they have not addressed ground cover (lawns and lawn alternatives), which is a major source of allergens in urban environments, particularly one as green as Victoria.