Spring through fall it's hard to find anyone who's not complaining of pollen-related allergies that cause the sniffles, headaches and itchy eyes. Many sensitive gardeners can gain partial control of allergy triggers by carefully selecting landscape additions. Plants to avoid are the big pollen producers including hickories, oaks, pines, pecans, sycamores and cedars. These are wind-pollinated plants that release large quantities of dustlike particles from the male flowers.
Trees are just one plant group that can make gardeners miserable.
Summer grasses, including common bahia and St. Augustines, weedy crab grass and Bermudas, also release pollen. During fall, members of the daisy family plus a long list of weeds including ragweed, sneezeweed and chenopodium are likely to trigger pollen-related allergies. Luckily, the colorful flowers most gardeners enjoy are good plantings for those with allergies. Many have a short blooming period, plus their pollen is heavy and less likely to become wind-borne. Still, it's best not to sniff the blossoms.