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?!

The world doesn't revolve around you

No, but us hay fever sufferers do make up a significant proportion and 90% of sufferers are thought to be allergic to grass pollen specifically rather than trees and other plants.

From what I have heard, in order to keep a lawn nice and green and lush looking, copious amounts of water are required, although plenty of posters here say otherwise.

And we are always being told what a precious resource water is, not to waste it and having bans on its usage in certain areas.

I have read many times that the average lawn isn’t terribly attractive to wildlife compared to other plants.

So seems to me that the best solution for everyone would be to replace the grass with drought tolerant, wildlife friendly plants that don’t cause allergy in a significant percentage of the population.

| don't water mine. Its goes back to green again once it rains. I also don't put weedkiller on it, although to be fair im not sure what percent of my lawn is grass but its not a lot. Its this trend for people to replace it with horrible plastic stuff that gets me! Coz that's so good for the planet?!

Never put any weed killer on it, only watered it this week because I put some new seed down. Gets mowed 2 or 3 times a year to stop it going really wild. Wildlife love it. We have grasshoppers in our lawn, and a patch of wild flowers at the end of the lawn that bees and butterflies love.

and I have hayfever, and yes its bad today.

I’d say you have a GP problem not a grass problem! Lots of people get mild hayfever, IME if yours is severe you need to really drum the message home to them about how debilitating it is. Then you get the good drugs

I’ve just googled chamomile lawns - it looks so lovely and squishy!

I’d say you have a GP problem not a grass problem! Lots of people get mild hayfever, IME if yours is severe you need to really drum the message home to them about how debilitating it is

Yes I agree

Next door takes good care of his so he doesn't have the daisy problem I have

Daisies are a problem? I love them, and the clover, moss, dandelions, forget-me-nots and whatever the little pink flowers are that appeared out of nowhere.

The thistle will probably have to go.

From what I have heard, in order to keep a lawn nice and green and lush looking, copious amounts of water are required, although plenty of posters here say otherwise.

I never said mine was lush looking... It's not all grass either. We always have lots of grasshoppers though!

The OP is sidestepping the problem that her dogs are bringing in pollen , it floats in the air and lands on clothes. It really is a beastly thing. When it rains the pollen drops much lower, it drops in the evening hence closing the windows is advisable. Grass as I said before is better at absorbing rain so less flood risk. So all those pesky lawn layers, hedge growers, tree growers are keeping us all safer.

I get where you’re coming from on allergies but ‘drought tolerant’ is somewhat absurd for 90% of the UK where it’s just never an issue. I know some areas of the SE get very dry in summer but water shortages just aren’t a problem in most of the UK.

Have you tried immunotherapy? It is worth asking for a referral.

Fucksandflowers
I used to have a kenalog inhjection every spring. Best thing ever for hay fever, animal allergies.
Doctor would only give a half dose to female patients because it can interfere with menstruation.

Move to Scotland. You don't need to water it and the grass is literally greener.

If you want a lush lawn all you have to do is mow it religiously every single week and in 200yrs time it will look perfect.

Never watered a lawn here though it may get the odd paddling pool dumped over it in the summer.

I like the moss in my lawn, it keeps it soft to walk on much to my friends disgust who recently spent a good weekend or two raking the stuff out of theirs. I love daisies and flowers creeping through too.

I'm another who doesn't water or weed my grass. We get some lovely wildflowers grow in our front garden and last year we had some ground nesting bees build a nest in there. We tend not to mow it too often either to allow to flowers to grow and encourage insects.

I have not tried this myself but apparently locally sourced raw honey works well for hayfever in some people. It allows you to get used to the local pollens and brings down histamine response.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/manuka-honey-allergies-hay-fever-summer-sneeze-dietitian-expert-a8351636.html

I have never watered my dandelion, daisy and variety of wild flowers lawns, nor do I use weed killer. They gets mowed periodically by the gardener, went brown last year and at one point there was a crack in the back garden lawn big enough reach Australia . Now, no crack and it's back to being green.

I don't water or weed killer mine, but then it won't win awards as it's 50% clover

I was prescribed promethazine hydrochloride for something else. It’s also a great anti histamine, sorted my hay fever right out.

Does wearing a face mask reduce the problem? Like those worn in polluted city atmospheres?

I never water mine or put weedkiller on it. My grass is full of daisies (lovely) and clover (much loved by bees) and doesn't go brown at all (clay soil in the west). It gets mowed weekly (ish) and the cuttings make lovely compost.

Sorry you have hay fever OP but YABU to get rid of grass. You'll have the tree pollen allergy lot wanting to cut down all the trees next!

Everyone who doesn’t water it, doesn’t it go brown and yellow in the summer?!?!
It did in the heatwave last summer, but usually not. It’s back on full force again this year, so going brown didn’t do it lasting damage.

I don't do any of the above except cut the grass when it gets long 😁 plus the 10-20 birds that come and eat the worms would be very un-happy if I replace it with fake stuff!