As it happens, I worked in a nursery as a younger person and also ended up with a very weird rash on my hands. Though I cannot tell you what caused this, or why you are having this rash, you have 5 potential causes to investigate. Let me list them for you so that you can start getting to the bottom of what is giving you this rash.

1) Pesticide:
Both nurseries and the flowers that are delivered to florists are, unfortunately, contaminated with pesticides. Unless the nursery or floral supplier is organic, you could be reacting to any number of pesticides.

2) Fungicides:
Both nurseries and floral industry providers heavily use fungicides to prevent things like powdery mildew on plants and flowers. Flower bulbs are also frequently coated both with fungicide and pesticides. You could be reacting to this.

3) Herbicides:
Nurseries often spray herbicides rather than hand-pulling weeds and these can be very toxic to people.

4) Allergies:
You could simply be allergic to some of the plants you are working with. Certain plants contain sap or have substances on their leaves that cause rashes. As a florist, you are constantly in contact with the plants and it could be that one or more of them is causing a rash.

5) Water:
One of the things that I felt was a culprit in the hand rash I experienced was the fact that my hands were constantly in water as a nursery person. I was wearing gloves all day, but from watering plants, potting things up, cleaning things, water would get into the gloves which were rough inside and this began to really irritate my skin. So, that’s something to consider as well.

Unfortunately, the majority of florists and nurseries have not made a change over to organic practices because they have become dependent on using toxic substances in order to win profits. Rather than teaching patrons to expect that a perfectly good plant might have a few bug nibbles on it, they want to sell blemish-free flowers and this is a very artificial expectation.

Nurseries ought to switch over to treating their stock like parts of a diverse, poly-culture garden that is non-toxic and full of wonderful wildlife like birds that help keep pests in good balances. Failing to do this exposes workers and customers to pesticides, fungicides and herbicides that are life-threatening, in addition to causing skin irritations like you are experiencing.

I am so sorry to hear about the discomfort you are in. I definitely recommend that you see a dermatologist, but am concerned that you may have trouble finding one who understands the link between pesticides and skin irritations. What you are experiencing is serious, as the skin is an organ and if yours is in poor health, you have reason to be concerned that your internal organs may also be in trouble from things you are being exposed to.

On a happier note, Kim, if you love working with flowers, maybe the future holds something special for you. Maybe your experience with the toxic environment of commercial growing might be the beginning of you founding your own organic floral supply. I know I’d plunk my money down for a fresh-cut bouquet from an organic garden and I’d be glad to see a lady bug or two on it. There is a farm down the road for me that sells organic bouquets and charges handsomely for them. Maybe your skills, coupled with your bad experience in conventional agriculture, could be the basis for you becoming a leader in organic flower growing.

I surely wish you luck, and hope my suggestions will help you start researching why you are being harmed by your job.

I hope you’ll comment here again.
Mim

So far as I know, there is no treatment for pesticide poisoning, though in the case of respiratory failure, obviously there are asthma-type medications that would likely be given.

I keep thinking about the fact that if people inhale toxins, such as gas from a gas leak, the first thing you are supposed to do is get them outside so they can breathe clean air. Unfortunately, in this case, there will be no clean air to go outside to.

When I think of that, I feel so dreadful.

Mim

thank you for providing some crucial info that the bay area needs. i hope you are treated better than we were.