Houses of straw haven't had a very good press since a certain little piglet relied on the material.

But they actually have many advantages

IHAVE recently learnt that allergies can be linked. Those who suffer from hay fever early in the year may be allergic to birch pollen. Birch pollen protein molecules, though, have a similar make-up to those in tomatoes, kiwi-fruit and apples, so if you get a bit sniffly around April and May, then you may also get a swollen throat and heart palpitations after munching on an apple later in the year.

There is no explanation as to an allergy that can sometimes trigger an equal reaction in another produce, that seems so completely unrelated.

I remember the first time my antihistamines rebelled against me. I was sitting in the back of my godfather's pickup truck with my two brothers. We were driving back to his house along a dusty road after a day exploring the African bush after walking through knee-high grass for most of the time. As the heat of the day mingled with that of the road, I could feel my legs starting to tingle and burn. Large red welts started popping up all over them, and then I started sneezing. My eyes felt as though there was grit in them and the back of my throat needed scratching with a wire brush.

I was ten at the time, and even a move to the cooler British climate couldn't halt the yearly onset of hay fever. I was completely, and globally, allergic to grass. It's not just the pollen, but also the sap; every part of it in fact How ironic then that I chose a career in gardening and a pastime on the cricket pitch, two activities that occur outside and involve loads of contact with grass.

The past year has been interesting, though, as I have been working in a straw bale building.

Not only that, I have been gardening in raised beds made of straw and organising courses in straw bale building.

I find that once the walls have been covered in a two inch layer of lime plaster that I can quite happily sit, work and sleep in the confines of a straw bale house, but naked straw still brings me out in itchy lumps and bumps, which means that I don't don shorts and Tshirts when handling it.

Straw is an agricultural by-product, the dry stalk of a cereal plant, after the nutrient grain or seed has been removed and makes up about half of the yield of a cereal crop such as barley, oats, rice, rye or wheat. In times gone by, it was regarded as a useful by-product of the harvest, but with the advent of the combine harvester, straw became more of a burden, almost a nuisance to farmers.

However, straw is beginning to be put to many new uses, straw bale building being one of them.

Straw bale building techniques are now spreading through the UK. Many people have their doubts, however, about building their castles from the material that one of the shorter-lived of the piglets chose in the famous nursery tale.

The truth is that anything made in this fashion is far harder to destroy than conventional bricks and mortar. If the straw is well protected with a watertight roof, solid lime-based plaster and a sound damp-proof course it will, and has been proven to, last indefinitely.

It is cheaper than most other types of building because it allows for simplicity of construction (a lot of DIY), lightweight foundations and increased use of reclaimed materials.

Further savings are made on running costs due to the high insulation levels afforded by straw, up to three times more effective than anything else on the market.

It keeps the place warm in winter and cool in summer. Straw bale walls breathe, keeping the air in the house fresh and invigorating. It's also a very flexible material and absolute precision is not required.

Anyone can build with straw bales and do so creatively. Unlike in the traditional building trade, 50 per cent of existing straw bale builders are women.

The one question that everybody asks me is won't it burn down quickly?'. Actually, straw bales are very resistant to fire, especially when covered with plaster.

Tests carried out showed that the surface withstood temperatures of 1,850 degrees Fahrenheit before a small crack developed. Even without a plaster covering, straw bales tend to smoulder rather than burn due to the lack of air circulating in the compressed straw. In Canada, straw bale buildings have been given a higher fire-rating than any other form of domestic building.

I have to say that apart from the camaraderie that the erection of these buildings brings with it, I can honestly say that all the ones that I have assisted on have turned out to be very beautiful creations. They are not traditional, and they step out from most people's comfort zone, but if you fancy designing and actually building something of your very own, then it is worth exploring.

Just make sure that if you do suffer from any form of allergies that you have a good stock of antihistamines to hand JOBS THIS WEEK * Now that we have had a spot of rain, get into the border and pull up any weeds that have managed to establish themselves.

* Thin out the small developing grapes that have set on the vines. Aim for one bunch every foot or so.

* Keep cropping leafy salads as they are needed. Cut and come again lettuce is an excellent source of green leaves, and now is a good time to sow a second crop, either inside the greenhouse or out in the vegetable plot.

* Brigid presents Ask about Gardening every Sunday on BBC Radio Cleveland 95FM from 1-2pm.

Questions will be answered on the day by emailing brigidpress@bbc.co.uk anytime during the week, and texting 07786-200-995 or phoning 01642-225- 511 during the show.