Guest flower allergies

[Gregory87]

We provide fresh flowers in the rental as part of our setup/decoration.  By coincidence, the last two bookings have had guests who are allergic to them.  Luckily, they were very understanding and we were able to work out a speedy resolution.

Most guests LOVE the fact that there are fresh flowers to welcome them.  However, our goal is to make guests comfortable.  Does anyone have an idea for handling this occasional dilemma?  We don't want to cause guests discomfort, but like the presentation to be a surprise.  Also, it is an added (built-in) expense, so if we don't have to buy the flowers, we could do something else.

Any suggestions?

[Anonymous]

@Gregory87 It's happened a couple times for me as a guest, that a host's nice and thoughtful flower arrangements bothered my sinuses. I would never actually say anything about it, but I guess most people wouldn't. And in all fairness, it's hard to pin all the blame on a bouquet when it's peak hay fever season outside.

I personally prefer living plants over cut flowers, although they have their own maintenance needs. But if flower arrangements are integral to your style, I'd suggest avoiding fragrant flowers and ones that release airborne pollens. Orchids tend to be safe for allergy sufferers who don't touch them and, while hydrangeas and geraniums are the go-to for event planners who don't want a sneeze-fest since they shed little pollen in proportion to their size. 

If you're using mixed arrangements, the botany becomes more complicated. Sunflowers and chrysanthemums are known to be among the worst big flowers for allergies, but it's often the supporting players in the arrangements that are the real culprits - those seasonal sprays of little things I've never heard of. If you work with a florist, you can ask about hypoallergenic arrangements. Or check out a some obsessive caterer or wedding-planner blogs, because we've all fielded our share of Bridezillas with Big Time Allergy Drama.

[Mark116]

@Anonymous   We have bad luck w/plants in the unit because people tend to keep the shades drawn so they don't get enough sun, the one plant I had down there I ultimately removed but it was too late:(  If you have any suggestions for shade houseplants, let me know.  

[Anonymous]

@Mark116 I think even Jack the Ripper would have a hard time killing a plant in the Sansevieria genus. They endure shade with no complaint and can go weeks without watering. But it's because of these very qualities that everyone has routinely seen them in the drab waiting rooms of  their podiatrist or divorce lawyer next to the back issues of Newsweek. The thick chunky leaves don't exactly add grace or elegance to indoor decor.

Just took a list at your lovely town house listing, and I think some parlor palms (Chamaedorea elegans) would be a better fit to the style and dimensions there. Without much light or water, they stay upright and verdant without growing perceptibly - basically they behave like an artificial plant but with the added benefit of being actually alive. 

I do not have a green thumb, by the way - somehow I've even killed a cactus - but I've never even found a dead leaf on my parlor palms.

[Mark116]

@Anonymous  Thanks.  We have a Sansevieria plant upstairs but I have thought they required a fair amount of sun, they are quite hardy though.  Might try the palm.  I feel like live plants add a nice dimension to a space; was horrified when I went to an airbnb and the plants seen in the photos ALL turned out to be all artificial.  

[Sarah977]

@Mark116  Philodendrons and ivies do fine as indoor shade plants, as does cyclamen. If you buy plants at a real plant nursery, as opposed to the grocery store, Home Depot, Walmart, etc, there will be knowledgable staff who can advise you.

It always gets to me how people will say they love plants, yet don't realize they need to give them some natural light, or will walk back and forth 20 times a day in front of a plant that is dying of thirst, yet never think to give it any water.

A friend with a large property has rental cabins she leases long-term. She made beautiful little gardens in front of each cabin, the tenants commented on how nice they were, she told them she looks after the pruning and weeding, that all they had to do was keep it watered. But they'd sit there on the front porches, day after day, absorbed in their phones or computers, while the gardens expired from lack of water. Finally she thought- F**k it, if they don't care, I don't, and let it all go back to weeds.

[Mark116]

@Sarah977  I think you are either a plant person or not.  The bane of my existence is people on my block and in the city generally,  who take the trees out and cement over the sidewalk and likewise cement over their TINY front yards, I can't understand it.  I wouldn't trade my tiny front garden for anything, not even the many, many thousands it would add the value of the house if it was a parking space.   

[Debra300]

@Gregory87,

In your greeting message just ask the guest if they have any allergies that you should be aware of.  You don't need to mention anything about the floral arrangements.  If a guest says they are sensitive to pollen and/or fragrances, you may want to replace the flowers with a mini-herb garden like this: 

Mini herb garden 

[Sarah977]

@Mark116 I definitely agree that people are either plant people or not. I'll be standing talking to a neighbor in their yard and I just unconsciously pull dead leaves off their plants, it disturbs my sense of aesthetics.

Everytime I see people cementing over areas for no other reason than "it looks neater and is easier to maintain" it drives me crazy. I can hear the earth suffocating under all the concrete.

My neighbors put in a big pool and surrounded it with concrete about 4 meters across, all around it. When they were first doing it, I suggested they leave large areas open areas in it and put some palms or plants in. They didn't want to, then complain about how scorching hot it gets. .

[Helen3]

Why not include a sentence in the welcome message you send to guests before they arrive @Gregory87  and remind guests that you include fresh flowers as a welcoming present for guests and that if they are allergic to flowers or pollen to let you know and you will make sure you provide an alternative gift (could be local biscuits, chocolate or cake).

[Emilia42]

@Gregory87 I love leaving out fresh flowers and I think it makes all the difference to guests when they walk in. I contribute many 5 star reviews to the fresh flowers. I try to leave them for as many guests as I can and I've never had anyone who was allergic or at least told me/asked to remove the flowers. If they did, I wouldn't mind because they would look just as nice on my kitchen table.