Allergies caused by flowers can completely change your whole outdoor living experience, turning it from serene and relaxing into one where sneezing, a runny nose, and watery eyes ruin the whole environment.
While no flower is completely hypo-allergenic, some have lower pollen counts or produce less irritating pollen.
As an allergy sufferer, it’s a good idea to think about growing the following flowers so you can enjoy all the blooms without any irritation.
WATCH NOW: How to grow and care for roses. Article continues after video.
Hydrangeas
Generally considered to be low-allergy flowers, hydrangeas come in a range of colours from white and lime green to pinks, purples, and blues.
Use lots of compost in your soil when planting and give them the morning sun and protection from wind for best results.
Roses
Roses are known for their stunning blooms but have a lower pollen count compared to other flowers. Additionally, they’re often insect-pollinated, meaning their pollen is less likely to be airborne.
If you really suffer, select a double or triple-petalled flower (the big blousy ruffled ones) as the pollen is kept inside of the petals and they work like an air filter.
Peonies
If you live in the cool regions of the country, you can grow one of my all-time favourite flowers, the peony. They have large showy flowers with a low pollen count and do really well if you add handfuls of lime to the soil to sweeten it up during planting.
Lilies
Lilies are as close to being hypoallergenic as a flower can be, as the newer varieties don’t have pollen.
Asiatic lilies come in a variety of colours and oriental lilies can have an intoxicating fragrance, so you really don’t feel like you’re missing out as an allergy sufferer.
Sunflowers
Sunflowers are great to grow for children, but they do have a lot of pollen. However, the pollen they do produce is a heavy
pollen that’s less likely to become airborne and cause allergies.
They also come in various heights so you can plant the giant ones in the back of a garden bed where the hefty pollen can drop to the ground away from sufferers.
Catch Charlie on Better Homes and Gardens Fri. 7pm on Channel 7 and in Better Homes and Gardens magazine every month.
