Above: Fields of oilseed rape in the UK (photo: behind-the-hedgerow.com)
For many gardeners, May signals one of the best months to be in the garden. The freshness of Spring-flowering bulbs such as the tulip, will be at their best now and most trees are in full leaf. A walk in the woods lifts the spirits, with the heady smell of wild garlic enveloping the air and a mass carpet of bluebells stuns. The promise of summer is around the corner, gardens are brimming with lush, new growth and the Chelsea Flower Show is about to attract the very best the horticultural world has to offer.
The warming days and longer daylight hours means greater time spent outdoors enjoying the landscape and much time spent pottering in the garden. I really am in love with this month, but for me and countless others, May is a month that fills me with dread. Why? ….because, despite my age (I still can’t quite believe I am in my early fifties) I am still troubled with a debilitating hay fever, brought on by tree and crop pollen such as the bright yellow Rape, which seems to be in nearly every field I now drive past. I’m almost certain that if you were to photograph the earth from space the image of Great Britain would be mostly acid yellow!
IT STARTED EARLY IN LIFE
For as long as I can remember, I have had allergies. I believe I was born itching, scratching and sneezing. I wasn’t privy to those little white mittens available for ‘modern’ babies to stop them scratching themselves so I just dug my razor-sharp nails straight into my skin resulting in the ‘losing catfight’ look. I morphed from one swollen face to another throughout the year, depending on what I ate, sniffed or touched. I have battled with eczema (inherited from my mother), psoriasis (my father’s contribution) and hay fever (a joint gift) and also seem to be allergic to most foods – even more upsetting because they are all the ‘healthy’ options.
I can’t be near Birch trees as the pollen sends me into an itching, sneezing, wheezing frenzy. I can’t touch certain plants with my bare hands or eat an apple – for goodness sake, an apple! I can’t peel potatoes, eat carrots or celery, plums, peaches or cherries. I actually can’t even handle them. If I peel a potato my lips swell, my breath becomes short, maybe I should keep an oxygen mask in my cutlery drawer or just simply stay in bed and do nothing. Even then I would wake to find my eyes stuck together with whatever nastiness they produce and have to fight my way through a mountain of used tissues.
Unfortunately, these allergies are not exclusive to the month of May, as the autumn approaches they all start again with the fungi and other spore producing allergens…“Oh, what joy”.
HOW ELSE DOES IT AFFECT ME?
Having allergies can also tend to make sufferers more irritable – especially hard if you are trying to concentrate (for example, during school exams). It is also hard, for people who are lucky enough not to have any allergies, to understand what you might be going through.
SO WHY CHOOSE TO BE A GARDEN DESIGNER?
You might imagine that with my constitution and constantly irritated skin, a career in gardening was not perhaps the best choice… after all, I have a degree in Politics (yes, really). Gardening, however, chose me. Here I am, in my fifth decade, still suffering and adding more lines and puffy layers to my poor old skin. I may not be able to get the better of histamine having a full-blown party in my body but, I am determined not to let it get in the way of my life. I write this with the eyes and lips of a heavily defeated boxer, at least that is the image that looks back at me in the mirror.
QUEST FOR A CURE
Over the years, I have had every conceivable test to try to dampen down my allergies and find a solution, I have been pricked with needles and many a time I have sported endless, red bumps from small bits of allergen left on my skin to “do its thing”. I have tried acupuncture, been to a Chinese physician who prescribed what looked like animal droppings; been handed strange, foul smelling ointments to rub on my chest; had liquids pushed up my nose, which incidentally ran straight out; and ingested tablets that are “the best ones ever…”. None of which have ever worked.
To further my quest for perfect skin, I have even seen a hypnotist (that was more amusing than helpful and I felt it was a complete waste of time) along with a visit to a ‘counsellor for itching’ if you please. I sometimes wonder if I would have had more luck seeing a vet rather than all these alternative physicians.
Above: In my garden for last year's BBC Gardeners' World Live expo, photo with thanks to the 'Reckless Gardener'
HOW I MANAGE MY CONDITION
Here are a few products and techniques I use to make my life in the garden a little easier.
I am certainly not a doctor and would obviously suggest you chat with yours to make sure the following remedies – if you decide to try any – are suitable for you.
Lacri-Lube – Using a thin layer of Lacri-Lube eye ointment across the top of my eyelashes, not in the eye but smoothed along the lash to catch the pollen, particularly when the wind is blowing it around. This ‘doll sized’ tube is small but works for me.
Aveeno Cream – This oat based skin cream as a replacement for the Aqueous style products for dry and eczema prone skin, needs frequent application during the day to keep moisturized.
Fexofenadine Hydrochloride – I take antihistamines however, many of the over the counter ones have little effect. I opt for the stronger ‘horse pill’ size, Fexofenadine Hydrochloride. I believe they are available without prescription in the USA.
Eyewear – I wear glasses anyway for vision, I have a (it has to be said, less attractive) but thicker pair for when I’m working outside. I would recommend, if possible, safety glasses or at least a wraparound style sunglass, they will definitely help.
Keep Clean – I wash my hair every day to get rid of any pollen that might be nesting in my already thick mop and wash or change my clothes daily. I wear cotton whenever possible, which is gentle on the skin and helps keep perspiration to a minimum.
Eat Well – I make sure I don’t eat acid forming foods that may trigger a greater reaction when my histamine levels are high. A hard day in the garden deserves a glass of vine, sorry but try to avoid Bacchus’s favourite tipple as it contains sulphur dioxide which again increases histamine levels, however, there are some tasty sulphur free wines now available.
Stay hydrated – Drink plenty of water. It may not sound like it is anti-acidic but Cider Vinegar is very good for you and if you can use it instead of other vinegars in a salad dressing with honey, you will soon become a convert.
I have also recently come across the new ‘Hay Fever Relief’ App (see above) for your phone or tablet, which has been developed by leading allergy expert, Dr Paul Carson. This allows you to monitor pollen levels via GPS, plan your treatment and get personalised advice. How cool is that?
I am a truly an ‘Allergic Gardener’ but I will carry on dosed up, deprived of favourite foods, drinking ‘adjusted’ wine and loving every minute of it.
CLAUDIA DE YONG
The Allergic Gardener
If you have any queries or would like to share your own battle while trying to garden with allergies, please do contact me on:
Email: claudia@claudiadeyongdesigns.com
You can also find me regularly posting on Twitter: @thegardenspot
Some advice on 'Potentially harmful garden plants' by the RHS can be found by clicking the link.
