For anyone with hay fever, a beautiful bunch of fresh flowers can be a mixed blessing: lovely on the table, miserable by the evening. The good news is that you don't have to give up flowers altogether.
Why some flowers are worse than others
Flowers that rely on the wind to carry their pollen tend to release more of it into the air, and flowers with exposed, dusty centres (lilies, chrysanthemums, daisies and sunflowers are the usual suspects) shed pollen easily. Strongly scented flowers can also irritate sensitive noses even when pollen isn't the problem.
If you want fresh flowers
- Choose blooms with enclosed centres or little pollen, such as roses, hydrangeas, tulips and orchids.
- Ask your florist to remove lily stamens before they open.
- Keep fresh flowers out of bedrooms.
- Change the water often; old stems and leaves in water can grow mould, which is its own irritant.
The simpler answer: faux
Good faux flowers have no pollen, no scent and no mould-prone vase water. They also stay looking the same for years, which matters if you're paying for flowers that you can't comfortably sit next to.
The one thing they do collect is dust. A quick pass with a hairdryer on its coolest setting every couple of weeks, or a soft make-up brush for detailed heads, keeps them fresh and keeps the dust down.
Where we'd start
- For the bedroom: the Monte Bedside Winter Mini, sized for a bedside table.
- For a hallway: the Gisela White Arrangement or the Delft Blue Bouquet in a vase you already love.
- For colour without pollen: the Provence Meadow Bouquet.
Not sure what would suit your space? Send us a photo and we'll tell you what we'd put there.
This article is general information. If your symptoms are severe, speak to your GP or pharmacist.