The Secret to Surviving Garden Season Allergies

Digging in and coaxing new life from the earth is one of spring’s most satisfying activities for any garden lover. My love for digging in the dirt and nurturing plants is inherited from my grandmother.  Unfortunately, my allergies are also likely hereditary (source)! If you suffer from allergies, the most satisfactory bliss of morning gardening can turn into sniffling, itchy, watery-eyed torment by the afternoon.  When you are stumbling around stuffed up and irritated, everything from tending to your chicken coop to watching your favorite television program becomes a challenging chore.

Gardening-related allergy symptoms may prevent you from enjoying impromptu fun or seizing more enjoyment from the day, ultimately leaving you resentful of your little green sprouts.  I know I don’t want to have to choose between cultivating delicious ripe Romas and tomatillos in the morning or spending an exciting afternoon on the lake. I want to have the best of both worlds!

In order to do so, I had to embark on an excavation journey to unearth the secrets of surviving garden season allergies.  It’s a daunting task, but in order to save my green thumb and experience all of life’s joys, I had to take on this harrowing research…

Turns out, this is a predicament an estimated 1 in 5 Americans, including myself, face each year with outdoor and indoor spring allergies. When the breeze is blowing and pollen runs rampant, there’s really no escaping the sting of allergies, but thankfully, you can find some relief.  Simple, quick solutions for lessening garden season allergies exist -Eureka!- and I didn’t have to travel to Cairo to find them.

A little reading and a trip to my local drugstore chain for a little OTC help revealed all:

8 Secret Steps to Surviving Garden Season Allergies

Remember to dust off outdoor clothing.

After your morning gardening excursion, brush your clothing off before you step inside to remove as many dirt and pollen particles as possible.  For best results, shed your clothing and place directly in the washing machine.  It’s also a good idea to keep up with washing your linens regularly including your curtains to remove trapped particles.

After gardening, rinse used tools.  

When you are done digging and raking, rinse off your tools to remove dirt and debris.  This not only helps preserve your gardening tools but removes allergens, vital if you are storing your gardening tools close to or in your home.  Also rinse off the most important garden tool: Y-O-U! Taking a shower after gardening will help to wash away allergens that may potentially bother you later on.  At the very least, wash your hands and face off after gardening.

Help keep the floors clean at home.  

Dust and vacuum floors and furniture regularly, especially if you like to keep your windows open during the day or at night. Pollen and other allergens will adhere themselves to any surface, but particularly love to accumulate on material-covered furniture and carpets.

Cover your furniture.

If you want to take things a step further, purchase dust covers and allergy-proof cases for couches, chairs, mattresses and other areas you generally spend a lot of time relaxing. This will help ward off indoor and outdoor allergens.

Use an air filter.  

You want to keep cool in your encampment, but central air simply circulates allergens throughout your home.  Consider investing in a quality air filter to help catch and filter allergens and be sure to replace them regularly on schedule.

Keep track of pollen count.

Get to know your local weather and pollen counts.  Excessive rain can increase mold spores and dry stretches may increase dust.  Pollen counts are known to be highest in the morning, so you may want to consider changing up your gardening routine a bit to garden in the late afternoon instead to avoid the prime time.

Use protection from outdoor elements.  

Gardening gloves, sunglasses, and hats are all helpful for protecting you from outdoor elements including allergens.  If your allergies are fierce, consider wearing a dust mask when gardening, too.

Find Support.  

Even when you know all the secrets and employ each one, at the end of your gardening day, you may still find yourself with a stuffy, drippy nose and itchy, watery eyes that keep you from having a joy-filled day. This is when you need to rally your team and call in the top workers like prescription or over-the-counter allergy relievers.  Of course, work with your doctor to find the best options for you.

Getting my allergy symptoms under control means I can garden to my heart’s content and still seize the day! With my allergy symptoms alleviated, an afternoon of fun at the lake is something I’m fully ready to embrace.

Do allergies interfere with your gardening enjoyment? What tips and tricks have you found useful in helping you to combat seasonal allergies?

by
Barb Webb. Founder and Editor of Rural Mom, is an the author of "Getting Laid" and "Getting Baked". A sustainable living expert nesting in Appalachian Kentucky, when she’s not chasing chickens around the farm or engaging in mock Jedi battles, she’s making tea and writing about country living and artisan culture.
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Comments

    • Whitney Bellows
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    The best combatant to allergies for my fiance has definitely been using Flonase once a day.

    • Whitney Bellows
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    I sent out a tweet:

    • Jerry Marquardt
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    Allergies do interfere with my gardening enjoyment, especially towards August. My trick to combat seasonal allergies is to take a little Flonase to help curb the effects.

    • Jerry Marquardt
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    I publicly Tweeted this giveaway:

    • slehan
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    I’m always very thankful that I don’t have allergies.
    Thanks for the contest.

    slehan at juno dot com

    • slehan
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply
    • Kristen
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    I don’t have allergies, but some family members do, so we are always sure throw our clothes in the wash after working outside. And at least one uses Flonase.

    • Birdiebee
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    Tweeted-https://twitter.com/birdiebee52/status/748668735104262144

    • Birdiebee
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    Yes, my allergies interfere with me being outdoors so I generally have to take some type of OTC to provide me relief.

    • anastasia2013
    • June 30, 2016
    Reply

    The only way I’ve found to stop them is to stay inside and avoid them! lol but I want to get out to the gardens and see all the flowers, so I just have to use an OTC remedy for my symptoms 🙂
    anastasiafalling@gmail.com

    • Adriane
    • September 21, 2016
    Reply

    Yes they do get in the way of enjoying gardening. One plant I had to throw away because of my allergic reaction.

    • Adriane
    • September 21, 2016
    Reply

    tweeted –

    • Kerry
    • September 24, 2016
    Reply

    I do have allergies – an air purifier really helps in our house!

    • traymona
    • September 30, 2016
    Reply

    I don’t have any allergies. But I vacuum daily.

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