To think grass should be gone

[Fucksandflowers]

And be replaced with chamomile or thyme or pearlwort or moss or wildflowers or anything but grass!

It requires huge amounts of water, huge amounts of weedkillers, regular cutting, offers limited wildlife value and it’s responsible for over 90% of hay fever reactions (the other 10% being weed and tree pollen)

I’ve just come back from walking the dog.
My feet, legs, chest and hands are covered in an itchy red rash, my fingers have swelled up and my throat is itching. Not to mention the sneezing and pee dribbles (3 kids...)

I am already taking antihistamine every 4 hours!

Really fed up, obviously have to try and get stronger antihistamines from the doctor.

Why is grass so popular?!

I need a 3 pronged attack OP, antihistamine, beconase and eye drops. Takes care of the sneezing and itchy throat and eyes. Sunglasses also. I would go back to the GP if you're getting rashes and swelling, poor you!

Also never water grass here, it does go brown in the sun but always comes back again once the rains start.

Yes yabu

I never water mine ( it is tiny though, most of my garden is not put to lawn) . Nor have I ever used fertiliser, or mole traps.
Mine doesn’t go brown, unless we have an exceptionally long period without rain.

@Fucksandflowers

Everyone who doesn’t water it, doesn’t it go brown and yellow in the summer?!?!

Nope

We are currently unsuccessfully trying to cultivate a meadow in our garden so it only gets cut twice a year. Plus i don't water it at all so it's very low maintenance. I find my mum's lawn which is cut weekly goes brown very quickly whereas our doesn't.

I understand what you're going through though as my dd also suffers from hayfever. Do you use vaseline in your nostrils?

I’ve never watered mine in my life and it’s green as anything. We get a lot of rain though!

I think instead of whinging about grass it would be better to prepare yourself than allow youtself to get into thr mess you currently are, but also find another route to walk your dogs that isn't grassy

Because honestly it just sounds bonkers. It's like juggling with knives and then complaining they were sharp and cut you

I think you show very little understanding of pollen allergy.

Pollen is airborne, it gets breathed in, trapped in the coat of my dog and cat, it comes in on clothing, it’s not as simple as not walking in grassy areas..

I stuck to the pavements on my dog walk.
You can’t avoid the grassy verges, the grass fields next to the pavements, the grass in peoples gardens etc.

Being in contact with grass pollen, whether that is a walk outside or pollen blown into the house and breathed in will result in me coming out in a red itchy rash, swelling, sneezing, irritated eyes etc etc.

I certainly haven’t been running through fields or anything and don’t need to to get a reaction.

Everyone who doesn’t water it, doesn’t it go brown and yellow in the summer?!?!

Ours goes a bit brown sometimes, but it comes back green. Does it matter?

Everyone who doesn’t water it, doesn’t it go brown and yellow in the summer?!?!
Not really, with the exception of last year, given the usual 10 days of sun we have in this country.

Never knew that I was so trendy, there's hardly any grass on our front lawn after last year's drought!

Thanks to the paddling pool, my grass wasn't even that brown last summer - really no need to water in this country.

It would be depressing not to have grass verges, grass next to the sidewalks, trees and flowers. I bought my house because it's green everywhere.

You could move in a city centre, I don't see any grass when I go to work in London - apart from a couple of parks which are easy to avoid.

Since when did grass require water or weedkillers?

I've never done that in my life and still have grass. I can cope with bald patches in summer and some dandelions you know 🙄.

My grad had literally been taken over by daisies and moss so there's hardly any grass left. Next door keeps them at bay with weedkiller

Grass*

It would be depressing not to have grass verges, grass next to the sidewalks, trees and flowers. I bought my house because it's green everywhere

I love trees and flowers and green plants.
Just not grass.

Grass not a problem, rapeseed on the other hand...

My grass gets watered by the rain all year (west of Scotland!!), mown once a fortnight in the summer by the grass-cutting blokes who come round our estate and mow front and back for a tenner (yes, probably a rip off but I can't cut the grass, dh works very long hours, and we don't really have a place to store a lawnmower). It doesn't need cut all winter as it never gets warm enough. Never use weed killer and have loads of daisies, buttercups etc, especially on the front which gets the sun all day. Back is prone to moss as more shading but a few dog zoomies episodes gets rid of that. We get hedgehogs, squirrels and loads of bugs and butterflies, we have really varied plants and herbs in pots and hanging baskets. We don't encourage birds due to having a cat. She's really determined to catch a squirrel one day and there's no way she's ever going to manage it!

Grass is preferred by planning department, here decking, concrete, tarmac, is now frowned upon and has complicated rules with drainage being a primary consideration. Flooding doncha know.

I saw my gp the day before yesterday. She told me to take two different sorts of antihistamine. I’m taking loratadine and the Piriton that makes me drowsy but only before bed. I’ve stopped coughing and sneezing and am less bunged up. Voice is still hoarse but it’s only been 2 days.

It sounds as if your symptoms are worse than mine. But could be worth a whirl.

Everyone who doesn’t water it, doesn’t it go brown and yellow in the summer?!?!

Yes, as did next door's who did water theirs last summer. Guess whose came back quicker...?

I'm also a massive hayfever sufferer. Grass is massively important. It's so long in my garden it's gone to seed, but we're in a massive wildlife corridor and I'm leaving it on the long side for them (not because I'm lazy no no).
Brush the dogs outside to help reduce bringing it in. Change your clothes after being outside and shower if possible. Buy an air purifier, it really does help.

Sorry OP but my two dogs, gather pollen as they walk, so really you need to wash them down when you get back. Never let them into your bedroom, never dry your linen on the washing line (tumble only) they can use a chair or sofa as long as they are covered in throws which you put on a hot wash often.

It is miserable here allergy wise all the year round. In the autumn winter we have mould from rotting leaves to contend with.

Grass is the least of your worries. Tree pollen assaults you before a blade of grass even thinks to start growing.

Chamomile needs more water than established grass.
Don't water your lawn, keep it cut short so it doesn't make pollen, hand weed it. It will go brown but will recover in the autumn with the cooler weather and rain.

The world doesn't revolve around you.

We never water our lawn or feed it or put weedkiller on it. It looks green and healthy - has lots of daisies and clover and speedwell but is very pretty.

chamomile lawns need lots of sunshine and they don't stand up well to constant footfall.