Garden Guide With James Kilkelly

Bad boys of the plant world Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad Boys by Ian Lewis (1993) WE ARE at that time of the year when many a hay fever sufferer could be forgiven for humming the Bad Boys theme tune as they go about their business. Of course, itâ€â„¢s going to be hard to hum the tune with sinuses that are having an allergic reaction to pollen from plants and grasses. Why exactly would they be humming this tune, you ask? Well, itâ€â„¢s because the â€Å“bad boysâ€Â of the plant kingdom are the ones causing all those hay fever symptoms. When male plant pollen is inhaled by an individual with a highly sensitised immune system, it results in sneezing, watery eyes and swelling and inflammation of the nasal passages. The sex life of a plant It all begins with a plantâ€â„¢s drive to perpetuate its species through pollination and subsequent seed formation. Pollination is the commencement of sexual propagation, which involves the pollen (male part of a plant) and egg (female part) joining together to make seeds. Known in botany as monoecious plants, most flowering plants have both male and female flowers on a single plant. The male reproductive parts consist of an anther that makes pollen and a long, thin stalk (filament) that provides support for the anther. The anther is divided into pollen sacs and these break open once ripe, so releasing their pollen cargo. Making up the female part of the flower are the style and the stigma. The style is the upward, elongated part that connects the stigma with the ovary. It supports the stigma so that it can be pollinated. The ultimate collector of pollen grains, the stigma is located towards the top of the style, providing it with the best position for the germination of pollen grains. Certain stigma can be covered with sticky secretions to adhere to the pollen, as well as to prevent water loss and offer protection against certain diseases. Hay fever and the gardener Now, there are avid gardeners out there that suffer from hay fever and for them there is a bit of a dilemma around this time of year, what with all the flowering and associated pollen flying about. The question is whether to suffer with your sinuses and garden on regardless or to avoid the plants altogether and stay indoors with all the windows tightly closed. I know there are antihistamine drugs that can be taken to alleviate the distress, but did you know that you have option of going down the sexist route to make things a little easier on the hay fever sufferer? The sexist option is to populate your garden with dioecious plant species. These are plants that host male flowers on one version of the plant and female flowers on another. Opting for the female version of a monoecious plant results in zero pollen from that particular one. Ask at your garden centre about the female-only varieties of the following shrubs: Japanese skimmia (Skimmia japonica), spotted laurel (Aucuba japonica), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), and English holly (Ilex altaclerensis). Tree enthusiasts need not be left out either, with a whole host of monoecious, female tree varieties available to choose from. Look out for female versions of juniper (Juniperus), ginko tree (Ginko biloba), ash (Fraxinus), sumac (Rhus), yew (Taxus), willow (Salix), poplar (Populus), Podocarpus, and ashleaf maple (Acer negundo). If you donâ€â„¢t want to get into the battle of the sexes then there are plants that are noted for being low-level pollen producers. A personal favourite among these is penstemon â€Å“Garnetâ€Â, a wonderful perennial commonly known as â€Å“bearded tongueâ€Â. This is a name it has received because of the hairs that project from the inside of the flowerâ€â„¢s bottom lip. For any gardener who suffers from hay fever or asthma, penstemons are noted for being exceptionally low pollen producers. This combined with their strong tubular blooms and their ability to retain foliage over a mild winter makes them a worthy addition to any garden. Should you have any trouble tracking down penstemon â€Å“Garnetâ€Â, you may also find this plant labelled as penstemon â€Å“Andenken an Friedrich Hahnâ€Â in some garden centres. Until next week, happy gardening and remember that a weed is just a plant in the wrong place.