Hello, it's Tuesday 23 December 2025.

It's a shorter episode tonight - I'm feeling a bit blue. I'm missing my regular routines and I'm not enjoying the disruption. I also have a mole on the field which I was very excited about and then realised it may well cause havoc with everything I've planted so far (and what's still to come). 

Routines are a mainstay for me: I need them to stay sane and I like to have structure in my day so I really struggle at Christmas time, and this year is no exception. So in this episode I talk about the plans I have in place to cope with the holiday period including getting on the field, doing some planting, and hanging out with my hens. 

I hope that you have a great Christmas and that you will come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome and I promise to be more cheerful!

New podcast I'm enjoying: Bloommates with Katie from Grown by Lightning Hollows and Sarah from Quayle Cottage in Australia. It's great!

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If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello, it's Friday 19 December 2025.

Phew - we've made it through another week and I've had so much rain here in the UK. My Six Figure Flower Farming course with Jenny Marks of Trademark Farmer has come to an end and I'm feeling rather sad about it: I will miss everyone. I realised in the final graduation video call just how much material we have covered in the last month (it's been a lot!) and just how many techniques and tips I've acquired. 

My list of jobs to do on the field remains exhaustive and I have so much to do over the festive period. I'm looking forward to this - it'a a great reason to get outside and stay active. My list is enormous so I hope it makes you feel better if you still have jobs to do and feel like you're behind the curve. This weekend I'll be watching videos on how to make a table centrepiece for my Christmas dinner table so I can use all the evergreen offcuts I have lurking in Kylie's room (aka my studio). 

I hope that you have a great weekend: please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello, welcome to Tuesday 16 December 2025.

I've been busy since we last spoke - lots of digging and planting on the field and most of the dahlias are now in the ground, together with my new geums, veronica, astrantia and peonies. I went on a wreath-making course with a friend over the weekend and we had the best time making mini wreaths, eating s'mores cooked on an open fire and making stars out of sticks. I also tested out the compost toilet! I've also (finally) finished my own wreaths thanks to some euphoric dance music and free evergreen off-cuts.

In tonight's episode I also share with you my thoughts on dealing with negativity without crying. If you're in the business of producing and selling a product then at some point you're likely to come across some negativity: it's how you deal with it that counts. I chat about this and provide some ways in which I deal with criticism to avoid the hot tears. 

Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello, it's Friday 12 December 2025.

Another busy week: wet gloves, wet tools, muddy clothes, and never-ending lists of things to do. I hope you've had a good week. All of my roses have now been delivered which is wonderful and now they all need planting asap. My dahlia mentor, Richard Bailey, has kindly given me more of his unwanted dahlia tubers including Weston Pirate and some incredible Kilburn Glow (which has petals which actually do seem to glow).

In tonight's episode I talk about a breakthrough I had this week on my flower farming course with Jenny Marks and it's quite brilliant. I'm suddenly feeling very different about the business and much more confident about the direction I'm taking. I also discuss the new friend I've made recently through the course and how wonderful it is to just talk about growing and selling flowers with a fellow grower (and hopefully a friend!).

There's a quick chicken update in tonight's episode too (the boys have been up to mischief again...) and I end the episode with some thoughts on what we can do in December to stay motivated (assuming we're not drowning in wreaths or Christmas planning) including reviewing progress made during the year, refining crop plans for next year and the importance of taking time for ourselves at this time of year. I do hope that you will come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello and welcome to Tuesday 9 December 2025.

What a wet and windy few days! Another named storm has rolled in and everything is very wet. The plants on the plot are fine (benefit of being on a slope) but everywhere else on the field is somewhat treacherous (downside to being on a slope). 

I've had a busy time since we last caught up and tonight I talk about having lunch with my best wholesale florist client and the useful things we discussed, including a heads-up on her wedding colour schemes for 2026 and my new roses (which have just arrived and I'll talk you through them too).

Otherwise it's a question of battling on, staying sane in the pre-xmas madness and trying not to fall over in the mud. My cockerel, Lion, also has a new house - more details in tonight's episode. 

Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello and welcome to Friday 5 December 2025.

It's been a very wet and chilly week: I've been soaked too many times to remember this week and it's not been nice! Thank you if you sent me a comment about the last few episodes - it's always good to hear what you think. I have (finally) placed my large rose order and I can't wait to get them and see the blooms next year. My course is going well and I'm just starting a module on marketing, which I hope will prove useful.

I take a deep dive into wreaths on this episode: their history, origins, and the symbolism and meaning behind the elements and foliage. I was interested to learn the reasons why certain foliages and cones or berries are used. I will be prepping the materials for my wreaths this weekend: have you started yours yet?

Lots of work to do this weekend including building a new house for my cockerel, Lion, and his wife, Kiki D, more planting and transplanting, tulip planting, and working my way through my marketing module. I hope that you have a great weekend and come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello, it's Tuesday 2 December 2025. Welcome to December!

Tonight's episode is all about buying imports vs British-grown flowers (or wherever you're growing if you're not in the UK). It's a very hot topic and this episode is based entirely on a podcast I listened to this morning between two UK florists who talk about the pressure they feel to only use British flowers, and why they actually have to use Dutch imports.

There are many reasons why florists can't rely on British flowers for 12 months a year: we just can't grow everything all year round so there's always going to be a place for imports. What growers really need is a better dialogue (and a stronger working relationship) with their local florists to understand their needs better and be able to service those needs. If we don't have this, we won't understand our clients properly and won't be able to provide stems for them. 

And let's talk about the problems associated with some imports, particularly roses. There are widespread reports of environmental pollution in areas where roses are grown in Africa but more importantly, let's talk about the health implications of a predominantly female workforce being exposed to chemicals with inadequate PPE. Do people really want to buy roses that have been produced like this? I know that I don't. 

Finally, tonight's episode ends with some thoughts about how growers could work in a better ways with florists so that we all benefit. It really would be a win-win for us. So, all in all, a hot topic indeed. I highly encourage you to check out the links below and read the articles. If you have time, the dissertation makes eye-opening (and sad) reading.

I'd love to know what you think: send me a DM on insta @henhillcutflowers. 

Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always welcome.

LINKS: 

1.   An Unrosy Affair: Europe's Flower Trade Fuels Climate Crisis in Kenya: https://www.journalismfund.eu/unrosy-affair-how-europes-love-flowers-affecting-kenya

2.   Joanne's episode about imports vs British flowers: https://thediaryofaflorist.podbean.com/e/episode-19-using-imported-vs-british-flowers-with-lindsey-from-the-white-horse-flower-company/

3.   Dissertation: THE THORNS BEHIND BLOOMING ROSES: THE IMPACT OF THE LAW ON THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF WOMEN ON FLOWER FARMS IN NAIVASHA, KENYA, a dissertation by Mr WILFRED NYAUNDI KONOSI:

https://searcwl.ac.zw/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Thorns-Behind-Blooming-Roses-The-Impact-Of-The-Law-On-The-Working-Conditions-Of-Women-On-Flower-Farms-In-Naivasha-Kenya.pdf

4.   BBC report entitled 'Toiling on a Kenyan Flower Farm to Send Fresh Roses to Europe': https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4glydv8qlgo

5.   An article by the Ethical Trade Initiative about the exploitation of women flower workers in Kenya:

https://www.ethicaltrade.org/resources/blog/dark-side-flower-sector-growing-exploitation-women-kenya

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If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a m

Hello, it's Friday 28 November 2025. 

Today's episode discusses the million-dollar dahlia question: to lift or not to lift tubers? It's a question that many growers have a dilemma about every year and I'm no exception. This year I'm leaving mine in the ground and I'll explain why here. The majority of this episode is therefore a discussion of the pros and cons of lifting - or not lifting - and the growing conditions that native dahlias thrive in. 

In other news, I've been busy measuring all of my bed space and calculating exactly how much I have to play with next year. It sounds quite good on paper (to me) but I've already filled a lot of the beds with perennials, foliage and shrubs so the annuals really are going to have to be planted very close together in 2026! I'm also sharing with you a list of all the jobs on the plot that I haven't managed to do recently, and if you're in the same boat then you're not alone!

I hope you have a great weekend and please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always welcome.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello and welcome to a chilly Tuesday 25 November 2025. 

Tonight I'm talking about the foliage that I'm growing for 2026 and beyond. I realised that I needed more foliage about mid-way through this year when I suddenly started selling buckets and buckets of beech and hazel. Then I thought that perhaps I needed to buy some more foliage plants for adding to bouquets and mixed buckets and that's what I've been doing over the past few months. So in this episode I'm sharing what I'm growing and why.

In other news, I'll update you on how I'm getting on with my online flower farming course and how lovely it is to connect with fellow growers. There is nothing better than chatting to fellow growers about everything good, bad and ugly about the business. I've said it before and I'll say it again: growing cut flowers can be a lonely business if you're doing it by yourself so connections with other growers are life-affirming and wonderful.

I hope that the rest of your week goes well and if you're in the USA, Happy Thanksgiving! Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always welcome.

And the Mint that I talk about (but couldn't remember the name of in the episode) is Apple Mint!

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then. 

Hello, it's Friday 21 November 2025. 

Welcome - I'm in a much better mood tonight! It's been a busy week, both indoors and outdoors. My course is going well: module 2 has just dropped which is all about pricing. Can't wait to start that. Pricing is such a huge topic and one that not everyone talks about. I know I've struggled with it this year. I've also just taken a free online floristry tutorial with top florist, Joseph Massie, and I'm working my way through a Lennie Larkin course. She is holding a Flower Summit at the moment with lots of very useful (and free) information.

All the news about my bulbs and planting them in crates, rather than in the ground, plus my thoughts on crate-growing tulips including the pros and cons, as I see them. I answer a great question from a listener about having a farm gate stand so I discuss this and talk about all the things I would want to consider if I were to do one. Finally I offer some tips for saving money when sourcing foliage for making wreaths and I hope this is helpful if you're planning on making your own this year.

I hope that you have a great weekend and that you will come back and join me for the next episode.

LINKS

Florist - Joseph Massie https://www.josephmassie.com/. His podcast is called 'Flowers After Hours'.

Website for Jenny Marks (whose course I'm currently doing) and the courses she has available: https://www.trademarkfarmer.com/.

Connect with me

If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 

Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.