My favorite art form will always be the purity of nature. Whether it’s viewing a majestic horizon or looking at a fresh fallen leaf through a magnifying glass, nature is the best teacher. Surrounding yourself with plants help provide more oxygen and cleans the air of impurities. But for some, natural elements can bring about fear and anxiety. Why? It’s because of the debilitating pollen that wrecks havoc over their senses triggering asthma and allergies sometimes for days.
With much more attention towards creating healthier environments, there is now a set of standards that can help even the most sensitive allergy sufferer enjoy the benefits of plants. “OPALS” which stands for Ogen Plant Allergy Scale is the world’s first plant-allergy scale now being used by the American Lung Association and the USDA Foresters. On a scale of 1 to 10, choosing plants from 1-5 and getting rid of those ranked in the 6-10 range will help assure you will be breathing well in no time.
Another tip is to replace high pollen plants with female trees or female shrubs which have low or no pollen. Almost all ash, red maple, silver maple, box elder, yew, holly, mulberry, cedar, or juniper that produce seed, fruit or berries is a female plant. Plants that flower are also known to be very low pollen producers such as plum, apricot, peach, camellia, hawthorn, and pomegranate trees.
So stop that sniffling. Get creative bringing nature back into your homes. Breath deeper bringing oxygen into every cell of your body. Clear your head, and be ready to face a new day.
More information on OPALS, check out: http://www.allergyfree-gardening.com/opals.html