To see your garden full of vibrant flowers and plants is a wonderful feeling, especially after all the hard work you put in during the year.
That said, an unfortunate side effect of creating a beautiful garden, are the allergies that follow.
Hay fever or pollen allergy is one of the most common allergies around, and if you suffer from it, the sight of blossoming trees might not fill you with quite as much joy after a long winter as it does for others.
Don’t despair - you can limit your exposure to plants that make your nose run and your eyes stream, by finding out what you’re allergic to and avoiding those plants in your garden.
An allergist can perform a test to determine what specific allergies you might have.
Though there's no such thing as a completely allergy-free garden, since pollen will travel wherever the wind takes it, by knowing what you're allergic to and cutting down on exposure, you can save a whole lot of tissues and tears.
Trees
Most trees release pollen as winter ends, and spring begins. Red Maple, Magnolia, Apple and Dogwood trees are the least likely to cause you allergies, while varieties such as Oak, Ash and Jupiter are most likely to make you sneeze.
Grasses
Most grasses release their pollen from late spring to early summer. St Augustine grass is the best option for hay fever sufferers, while they would want to avoid varieties such as Bermudagrass, Johnston grass, Redtop and Timothy.
Flowers
Allergy-sufferers should plant flowers like lilies, crocuses, and hollyhocks, and avoid flowers such as purple coneflowers, and chrysanthemums.
Weeds
If you suffer from allergies, you’ll definitely want to avoid ragweed, which is found in many rural areas and fields. Most weeds release pollen in late summer, early autumn, and most will cause havoc with your allergies, but ragweed is the worst.
Image via Pinterest.
