Pollen getting you down?
Zinnias in full bloom
Allergy sufferers hear this! There are plenty of allergy-friendly flowers to plant in your Houston gardens this season. When choosing flowers, look for those that produce minimal pollen. If the flower is insect pollinated, you will likely not feel allergy symptoms. Once the insect has done its job, the heavy pollen falls to the ground. If the flower is wind pollinated, the pollen stays in the air much longer.
No time to research? Here are our favorites:
Vinca~ A spring and summer staple, they grow well in containers and raised bed kitchen gardens. Widely available in a number of colors, vinca need little care other than regular water and sunlight. We like to use vinca in our raised garden beds along the borders because they are pest resistant and spill over edges beautifully.
Cosmos~ These happy little flowers do actually produce pollen, but the pollen is not considered to be allergenic. Cosmos are quite hardy and thrive in hot temperatures. They are an excellent choice for beginning gardeners or those who want a quick pop of color in containers or garden borders.
Roses~ All hail the Peggy Martin rose. She spreads and climbs, creating a beautiful backdrop of pink blooms in both spring and fall. PM roses require very little care and thrive in our southern climate. For allergy sufferers, you can enjoy having these in your garden knowing that while they do have pollen, the particles are too large to travel by air. This is an excellent choice for adding vertical interest into your garden. PM roses grace arches, panels and can hide unsightly fences. Read more about Peggy Martin roses in THIS blog post.
Zinnia~ Another favorite color explosion. Zinnias are actually part of the Aster genus which is known to trigger hay fever. However, newer hybrid zinnias spread less pollen and do not seem to bother most gardeners. Plant by seed in zones 9-11 and enjoy cut flowers all summer long. In our raised bed gardens, we see them until temperatures drop in November!
