Allergists, as pathologists call sufferers, also have good reason to dread the months that follow until mid-August, when the last of the serious irritants, silvery-green Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris, which was once "strenghtened" over the bonfires at Lughnasa then hung in bunches or garlands over the lintels of houses and byres to keep all badness away, has passed its pollen peak.

In between those months lie a host of other plants that most people take in their stride, but for allergists - a growing band in the modern world - they are a series of nightmares, resulting in asthma, dermatitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis and oral allergy syndrome.

Not everybody is allergic to the same plant but if you suffer badly, you really should go to your doctor, who can test you to find out which ones are bugging you.

Knowledge is power and, without chucking all those good plants known to cause problems to some people at certain times, there are ways of managing your plant allergies and still having the pleasure of a good garden. (See below for a monthly calendar of high-allergen plants, and a list of low-allergen kinds. ) The times of year when you have symptoms are a good clue to what plants are causing them. For example, tree pollens are at their highest levels in March, April and May. Grass pollens start on the air in May, are highest in June and July and start to decrease in August. Weed pollens are at their peak in July and August.

Avoiding all of these pollens completely is impossible, even if you concreted over everything, which you are not going to do if you're reading this column. If the going gets really tough there is always medication, though you should check with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter drugs of substance. As a last resort, there is immunotherapy, which aims to make the patient tolerant of the allergen.

But back to the garden and how we can make it as friendly as possible to the growing band of allergists, without confining ourselves to the limited palette of recognised low-allergen trees and other plants listed below, which would mean, for example, that we couldn't have yew or hazel or even birch.

First off, do try to use a lot of the low-allergen plants listed, or at least those you like.

Lawn grass is one of the worst culprits so if you have a lawn, don't ever allow the grass to flower. (I don't know what the status of ornamental grasses is in relation to hay fever etc? ) Also, when the lawn needs mowing, get someone else to do it, always. And (sorry about this) don't ever lie on grass, especially in parks and other open spaces.

Each day, the pollen count has two peak periods, from 711am and 4-8pm so it's best to keep the windows of the house closed then, if you can bear that. Gardening time in that case would be restricted to the dawn, the dusk and the heat of the midday sun.

If your eyes are affected, wear sunglasses outdoors, even if the sun's not shining and you feel like a dork. After gardening or other outdoor pursuits you can avoid excessive exposure by changing your clothes and washing your hair.

Pets too carry pollen on their coats, so they should be brushed every day if they live indoors, preferably by someone else, otherwise it could make things worse.

And last but least ecologically sound and only as a last resort, you shouldn't dry your clothes on an outdoor washing line but use a tumbledrier or an indoor clothesline instead.

DIARY

A typographical error in Lissadell's 2006 brochure made me laugh out loud: "Feeling stressed by the pressures of modern day life? Create your own space, that scared (sic) place where you are in control."

Otherwise, it's a harmless listing for: - Sat 22 April, 10am-4pm at Lissadell, Ballinfull, Co. Sligo: 'Be a self-sufficient hobby gardener' with Pat Curneen, who'll show you how to "provide fresh food for the family and bring that feel-good factor into your life". Cost �?�70, including homemade lunch and refreshments. Phone 071-916 3150 to book.

Wed 19 April, 6, 8pm at Wesley Hall, Leeson Park Avenue, Dublin: 'Herbaceous Perennials' by Orla Woods of Kilmurry Nurseries, Gorey, Co Wexford, who specialise in growing them. A variety of good plants from the nursery will be on sale. Organised by the RHSI. Admission for nonmembers is �?�7.