Every rose has its thorns.

The air is full of the fragrance of citrus blossoms, the roses are beginning to open, and I'm enjoying fresh roasted asparagus on a regular basis. It must be springtime in Phoenix!

Unfortunately this spring we are having a particularly bad allergy season in the Phoenix area, probably because of our mild winter, and it has been interfering with my gardening enjoyment. There is a widespread misconception that citrus is allergenic, because spring allergy season is usually at its worst when citrus is blooming. However, this misconception is a prime example of  the scientific principle that correlation does not prove cause-and-effect. The culprit as far as allergies are concerned isn't usually fragrant plants, which tend to have large, heavy pollen grains that require insect pollinators. The problem is the things you can't smell. Wind-pollinated trees such as ash, juniper, and mulberry produce huge quantities of small, light pollen grains that float around in the air, just waiting to be inhaled and set off a histamine reaction. Here's a handy link where you can enter your zip code and find out what's causing your sniffles and sneezes.

The way I see it, allergies are to be expected in spring, just as I expect to find thorns on a rosebush, and I don't plan to give up either spring gardening or roses.

Orange blossoms

Queen Elizabeth rose buds

Orange blossoms

I love the sweet smell of citrus blossoms this time of year! We're still picking oranges, grapefruit, and lemons while enjoying the fragrance of the flowers that will become next year's tasty fruit.

Two common misconceptions about citrus:

1. They don't cause allergies. People assume that they do, because allergies begin to flare when citrus is in the air, but it's not the citrus that is to blame. Generally, allergies are caused by wind-born pollens, and there are lots of those spreading their allergic cheer this time of year. The pollen in citrus and other bee-pollinated flowers is too large and heavy to float around in the air where it can be inhaled and cause trouble.

2. It's not necessary to pick the old fruit in order for new fruit to set. You can leave the fruit on the tree as long as it tastes good, and it won't interfere with new fruit formation.

The snake in the garden

Here's another picture of our "lilies of the field" garden under the key lime tree. In addition to the nasturtiums, bachelor's button and larkspur are beginning to bloom.

All the citrus trees are in bloom now, and the smell is delightful. Unfortunately this week I have learned that for every gardening Eden, there is a snake determined to spoil the pleasure one can enjoy in it. The snake that is rearing its ugly head for me right now is seasonal allergies, something I'd previously thought myself immune to suffering. Ha!

Actually, allergies are not usually caused by citrus, or the other kind of things in my garden. Flowering plants like citrus and these nasturtiums are insect-pollinated rather than wind-pollinated, and usually the pollen grains produced by insect-pollinated plants are too large to be inhaled and cause trouble. It's more likely that my symptoms result from the neighbors' ash and mulberry trees, or from the current crop of spring weeds infesting every patch of ground in the Valley area.