Before reaching for antihistamine drugs to relieve the sneezing and the watery eyes, it may be worth considering so some natural options that can minimize the unpleasant symptoms as the allergy season gets underway in parts of the country.
Protective clothing, including masks and gloves, while gardening and washing hands and changing clothes afterwards can go a long way, suggests Dr Ewen Tseng, otolaryngologist at Baylor Medical Center at Frisco.
"An alternative to wearing a mask is nasal irrigation with saline (saltwater) to rinse allergens from the nose – it’s like cleaning your own air filter," he adds.
Allergic gardening enthusiasts may also create an "allergy-proof" yard by selecting plants that pollinate through insects rather than by releasing pollen.
There is also many herbal supplements and remedies to choose from.
They include quercetin, a plant-derived bioflavonoid, that helps stabilize mast cells and prevents them from releasing histamine, according to MotherEarthNews.com.
Quercentin can be found in citrus fruits, onions, apples, parsley, tea, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce and wine, but – according to the source – allergy sufferers will most likely need to use nutritional supplements to build up enough of the compound to protect against attacks.