Allergens, such as pollen and molds peak in the warm weather months, allergies shouldn’t keep you away from the pleasures of allergy-free gardening. Knowing what type of plants and trees are most likely to trigger allergies and planning gardening time strategically can help reduce sneezing and wheezing caused by seasonal allergies.

Some people may be irritated by flowers that release a strong scent, but that type of reaction is not related to pollen or seasonal allergies and is caused by a reaction to the oils the blossom contains.

Not withholding details like taste preferences sentimental values, I would like to give you some pointers when selecting plants for your garden. But the biggest thing you can do to help yourself enjoy the garden is to plant wisely.

The first pointer I would suggest is to cut down on the size of your lawn. It is your biggest enemy when it comes to pollen. Consider using other options such as groundcovers, hard surfacing, or large islands of mulch and pathways that reduce the amount of turf.

My second pointer is to switch to native plants where possible. They are low maintenance plants that are used to the hard conditions of Australian weather.

If you are a really sucker for colours and flowers, choose plants with big, showy flowers; the bigger the flower, the bigger the pollen. Big pollen doesn’t passes through our nasal passages as easily as fine pollen does. Good choices include many beloved spring bulbs.

My fourth pointer is to avoid plants with homely little flowers in brown and green. In the garden, homely plain flowers are bad news. These are wind-pollinated and are the main cause of your misery. If you’ve ever gone too long without mowing the lawn you’ll see what I mean. Grass has a flower. It looks like threads and dots in brownish green, well that’s plain misery. Keep that lawn mowed if you must keep it at all. And watch for weeds that have similar blooming types.

Enough with the negatives, below is a list of plants that are good for Asthmatics, these are usually insect-pollinated, or sterile and usually propagated by cuttings or grafting:

HERBS- Basil, Chives, Dill, Fennel, Horseradish, Marjoram, Mint, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme. AVOID Chamomile and Wormwood

GROUND COVERS-Canterbury Bells, Juniper, Kidney Weed, Native Violet, Pratia, Rosemary, Rose Baeckia, Snow in Summer, Tea tree, Thyme

GRASSES- Buffalo Grass, Greenless Couch Grass, Kangaroo Grass, Rice or Weeping Grass.

FLOWERS- Alyssum, Anemone, Banksia Rose, Begonia, Climbing Rose, Coleus, Columbine, Cornflower, Floss Flowers, Foxglove, Glossy Abelia, Impatiens, Larkspur, Lobelia, Nasturtium, Nemesia, Pansy, Petunia, Phiox, Rosemary, Snapdragon, Verbena, Viola, Bulbs (daffodil). AVOID-Asteraceae family of daisies including Chrysanthemum, Calendulas, Marigolds

CLIMBERS- Applyberry, Chilean Jasmine, Dusky Coral Pea, Ivy Leaf Geranium, Kiwi Fruit, Passionfruit, Star Jasmine, Trumpet Vine, Wonga Vine, Crimson Passionflower.

SHRUBS- Azalea, Banksia, Bottlebrush, California Lilac, Callistemon, Camellia, Cistus, Dog rose, Escallonia, Flax, Gardenia, Guinea Flower, Kunzea, Lavender, Leptopspermum, Melaleuca, Myrtle, Plumbago, Rosa Species, Rhododendron, Silky Tea Tree, Twiggy heath, Weigelia, Westringia, White Correa Yucca Salvia, Bracelet Honey Myrtle, Common White heath

TREES-Bay Laurel, Cabbage Palm, Lillypilly, Citrus species, Coastal Banksia, Orchid Tree, Flowering Crab Apple, Willow Myrtle Silky Oak, Male Gingko biloba, Old Man Banksia, Paperbark, Most Prunus species, Scribbly Gum, Tupelo, Silver Princess Gum, Peppermint Gum.

PLANTS TO AVOID- Clematis, Common Ivy, English Ivy, Some Grevilleas, Poinsettia, Polyanthus, Primrose, Primula, Rhus tree, Alder, Ash, Birch, Cypress, Elm, Hazel, Liquidambar, Maple, Mulberry, Olive, Orchid Tree, Privet, Walnut, White Cedar, Willow, She-Oak (Male only)

Remember that good control of your asthma and allergies at all times will lessen the impact of any exposures. The above is only indicative and you should check with your doctor that you are receiveing optimal preventative management for your hayfever.

DCP specific aim is to provide comprehensive guidelines for different types of development in addition to the provisions of the legal planning instrument (SEPP, REP or LEP).

DCPs are important in the planning system because they provide a flexible means of identifying additional development controls and standards for addressing development issues without the need for a formal statutory plan.

However sometimes council can be difficult to deal with when it comes to compliance. So here’s a tip if you want to put a pool in your backyard but you don’t have enough land space after providing the sufficient landscape percentage requirement. I have found that some Councils*:

At DA stage, do not include the pool in your DA plans, leave it as a grassed area and make sure that the area where you want to put your pool is free from stormwater pipes or underground Stormwater tanks.

Once your DA has been approved, proceed with building as per the plan. Once your plans are certified and issues to you, put in a complying development for the swimming pool and Voìla! Because the complying development does not require any landscape plan, the construction of the pool is independently dealt with

In case you have already consulted with your pool specialist and finalised the plan, here is also a solution for you:

The area of the pool can be deducted from the total area and hence giving you a smaller land area hence a smaller landscape area compliance.

* You should make sure that your Landscape Architect checks this fact with your Council