Field and Garden with Lisa Mason Ziegler

Today I am here to share my thoughts on something that has had a big impact on my flower farming journey personally: community. A community is powerful no matter where you currently are on your flower farming journey. I created The Flower Farmer Club to be a safe place for us all to be motivated and encouraged, and to be a place for learning and exploration! I am so eager to join you on your adventure and I look forward to seeing you in the club.

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The Flower Farmer Club, presented by The Gardener's Workshop

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ The Cut Flower Handbook, Vegetables Love Flowers, and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

Today, I want to dive into the topic of cool flowers and the importance of planting them in very early spring. The basic idea is to plant these flowers in cool to cold conditions to get the best performance out of them, which can happen in fall, winter, or very early spring.

Many people have been led away from planting during these unusual times. But I assure you, this is where the magic happens! For flower farmers, planting cool flowers can significantly boost your business. 



We’re talking about flowers like:

• Bells of Ireland
• Sweet peas
• Stock
• Snapdragons
• Lisianthus
• Larkspur
• Status
• Poppies

When planted at the right time, these flowers bloom earlier, grow taller, produce more stems, and are more resistant to diseases and pests. Listen in to learn who can plant in this window, when and what to plant, and more!



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Lisa's Book, Cool Flowers 

Lisa's Book, The Cut Flower Handbook

Online Course: Cool Flowers from Seed to Harvest

The Flower Farmer Club, presented by The Gardener's Workshop

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ The Cut Flower Handbook, Vegetables Love Flowers, and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

Did you know that we have another podcast series? It’s called Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne, and it’s become really popular! This is their top podcast episode of 2024, the one with the most overall listens, and it’s about succession planting Cool Flowers.

If you like this one, please consider subscribing to Seed Talk wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch Seed Talk on our YouTube channel (see the Seed Talk playlist there), or listen to Seed Talk anytime in the podcast section on our website.

*Winner, Best of 2024* Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne

Curious about planting cool-season hardy annuals beyond very early spring? Wondering which cool flowers you should consider succession planting? Here (in episode #75), Lisa and Layne cover potential consequences of planting cool-season hardy annuals later in the season, what makes a cool flower a good candidate for succession planting, and succession-planting tips for several flowers. Listen and learn how to succession plant for an abundant cool flower garden!

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⁠⁠⁠⁠”Seed Talk” YouTube Playlist⁠⁠⁠⁠

Episode 50 – Sweet William Variety Comparison: Amazon vs. Sweet

Episode 72 – Bupleurum Germination & Succession-Planting Tips

Shop: Cool-Season Seeds

⁠“Seed Talk” Topic Suggestion Form⁠

⁠TGW YouTube Channel⁠

⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠

The ⁠“Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne”⁠ podcast is produced by ⁠The Gardener’s Workshop⁠ and co-hosted by Lisa Mason Ziegler and Layne Angelo. Lisa is the founder and owner of The Gardener’s Workshop, where Layne works as Seed Manager. Lisa is the award-winning author of ⁠Vegetables Love Flowers⁠, ⁠Cool Flowers⁠, The Cut Flower Handbook, and the publisher of ⁠Flower Farming School Online,⁠ ⁠Farmer-Florist School Online,⁠ and ⁠Florist School Online⁠. Watch ⁠Lisa’s Story⁠ and connect with her on social media. Layne is an avid gardener, seed starter, and engineer who loves learning and applying her technical knowledge to all areas of life, including gardening and growing flowers.

Our most popular episode of 2024! Here, Lisa was featured on The joegardener® Show podcast, joining host Joe Lamp’l to discuss the Cool Flowers concept and how she got started growing this fantastic group of spring stunners! They covered topics such as:

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Lisa's Book, ⁠Cool Flowers⁠

⁠The Flower Farmer⁠ by Lynn Byczynski

⁠The New Organic Grower⁠ by Eloit Coleman

⁠Bio360 Biodegradable Mulch Film⁠

⁠Row Cover Hoop Kit⁠

⁠Cool-Season Hardy Annual Seeds⁠

Full The joegardener® Show Episode #274 Podcast & Blog Post⁠ Available Here⁠⁠

Joe’s Book, ⁠The Vegetable Gardening Book⁠

Joe’s online course, ⁠Organic Vegetable Gardening⁠

Watch Growing a Greener World and connect with Joe: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠, ⁠YouTube⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠

Free Resources on our website

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ Vegetables Love Flowers, The Cut Flower Handbook, and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

Stepping Out of Your Comfort Zone in Business

Today, we're discussing stepping out of your comfort zone, a challenge many face when starting a new business.

In new ventures, like a flower farm, we often seek help from peers. While this can be comforting, it may also lead to stagnation. Spending too much time with others who are struggling can hinder our progress.

Successful individuals share key habits:

The company we keep influences our behavior. If we only seek help from those at our level or below, we risk feeling stuck.

Recently, I was encouraged to attend a small business conference. Initially, I felt overwhelmed and doubted my ability to contribute. It's normal to feel scared in new situations. But stepping out of your comfort zone—those daunting experiences can transform your business.

We all face challenges along our journeys, so let's support each other in striving for growth!

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Free Resources on our website

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ The Cut Flower Handbook, Vegetables Love Flowers, and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

This episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. It was guest-hosted by Dave Dowling of Ball/ColorLink, a former flower farmer and the instructor for our online course: ⁠⁠⁠Flower Farming School Online: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More⁠⁠⁠. Dave is always happy to share his knowledge with our listeners!

Topics Covered

Episode originally aired 9/25/24 on Instagram. Join Lisa and her guest hosts Wednesdays at 12:30PM Eastern time to get your cut flower growing questions answered by the experts!

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Dave Dowling on social: Facebook, Instagram

Dave's Online Course: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More!

Val Schirmer's Online workshop: Forcing Glorious Blooms for the Holidays & Beyond

Discover our online courses!

⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠

⁠Sign up to receive our Farm News emails!⁠

The ⁠Field and Garden Podcast⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of ⁠Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers⁠, owner of ⁠The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠ ⁠Flower Farming School Online,⁠ and the publisher of ⁠Farmer-Florist School Online⁠ and ⁠Florist School Online.⁠ Watch ⁠Lisa’s Story⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

A Golden Opportunity: The Power of Leaves

Today, I’m excited to share one of the first lessons I learned in gardening that has shaped my entire flower farming career. This episode is all about the amazing benefits of leaves, specifically how they can transform your garden into a thriving ecosystem. Especially for those of you who might see leaves as a nuisance, I want to help you understand their true potential.

Listen to learn the "Who, What, When, Where, and Why" of adding leaves to your growing space!

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Lisa's book, Vegetables Love Flowers

Blog Post, Garden Gold

Free Resources on our website

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

Hello, I'm Lenny Larkin! I run B Side Farm in Oregon and have written a book called Flower Farming for Profit. My focus is on helping flower farmers grow their businesses effectively. I also offer online courses, including a short course called Profitable Flower Farming, which helps people understand the business side of flower farming. Today I'd like to answer your questions on topics ranging from business tactics to planting schedules. Let's begin!

What Are Your Thoughts on Pricing Flowers?

Pricing can be tricky! Beginners often hesitate to charge more for fear of losing customers or worry about undercutting fellow farmers by pricing too low. A good starting point is researching local prices by visiting other farms or checking wholesaler comparisons for market insights.

When selling directly, remember that customers are aware of flower market prices. By staying updated on costs, you can competitively price your products and maintain profitability.

How Many Flower Varieties Should New Farmers Grow?

As a beginner in flower gardening, start small and simple. Focus on ten to twenty varieties instead of trying to grow everything at once. This way, you can nurture them without feeling overwhelmed.

Avoid the common mistake of growing too many types of flowers at once, which can lead to confusion. Instead, experiment with a few different flowers to see which ones thrive and are popular, allowing you to specialize effectively.

Where Can I Learn to Design Bouquets?

Learning bouquet design is best through hands-on practice, so don't hesitate to experiment! YouTube has great resources with designers like Julio from The Flower Hat and Amy Balsters, who offer tutorials to help you master bouquet design.

What About Investing in Perennials and Shrubs?

If you're tired of starting seeds and want a change in your routine, consider investing in perennials and shrubs. They add lasting beauty to your farm or garden. Start small, as they can be costly upfront.

I once invested $25k in peonies, but most farmers begin with just a hundred plants. You might also grow hydrangeas and spireas, which are both beautiful and popular.

How Do I Work on Pricing with Florists?

Pricing flowers can be challenging. It's important to discuss requirements and budget constraints with florists. If flower costs exceed their budget, ask about alternative types they might buy. This feedback can help adjust your inventory.

Final Thoughts

I love being part of this flower-farming community! We’re all in this together, and I’m here to help you navigate the challenges of running a flower farm. Please follow me on social media at the links below!


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Lennie’s Instagram: ⁠flowerfarming.forprofit⁠, ⁠B-Side Farm⁠

Lennie's online course: ⁠Profitable Flower Farming

Dave's online course: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More

Spring Meadows: flowering shrub wholesale liners & pots⁠

⁠The Gardener’s Workshop on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠ Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

Smaller is Better: My Motto for 2025

Today I discuss the concept of “smaller is better,” which is my goal for 2025. This realization hit me after facing challenges in the last two years and was reinforced by a paragraph in my book, The Cut Flower Handbook.

When I began flower farming in 1998, I had a limited space of 1.17 acres. I focused on attracting customers rather than just growing flowers. If a bed underperformed, I quickly replanted it for efficiency.

Years later, I bought an additional acre and a half, which initially felt like a dream but led to "growing pains." Despite investing in equipment, our efficiency dropped, and our income did not rise as expected.

As my operations expanded, chores became overwhelming. I struggled to keep up with planting and weeding, often playing catch-up instead of preventing weeds. Timely actions are critical in maintaining quality.

Over time, my business shifted from large-scale production to focusing on select customers and educating aspiring growers. However, I didn’t reduce flower cultivation as much as I should have, resulting in excess work and expenses.

As I head into 2025, I aim to optimize flower production by better utilizing our space. We’ve initiated a plan to dedicate specific areas for growing flowers, emphasizing quality over quantity.

Friends, behaviors matter in flower farming. In 2025, let’s embrace the idea that smaller is better!



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Lisa's book: The Cut Flower Handbook

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, owner of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!

This episode features a takeover of our popular “Ask a Flower Farmer” live Q&A session on Instagram. Daniel Schavey of Petal Pickers Flower Co. in Greenville, SC hosted this one. Daniel is an 8th-year flower farmer growing in zone 8a and an alumnus of most of The Gardener’s Workshop’s online courses.

Here, Daniel offers an update on his growing season (including a BIG problem with his Dahlias) and answers questions on topics such as Cool Flowers, his most profitable crops, and so much more!

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⁠⁠⁠Petalpickers.com⁠⁠⁠: fresh flowers shipped nationwide, dahlia tuber and fall bulb sales

Bio360 Biodegradable Mulch Film

⁠⁠Online Courses⁠⁠ from The Gardener's Workshop

⁠⁠⁠Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠

The ⁠⁠⁠Field and Garden Podcast⁠⁠⁠ is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of ⁠⁠⁠Vegetables Love Flowers and Cool Flowers⁠⁠⁠, owner of ⁠⁠⁠The Gardener’s Workshop,⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Flower Farming School Online,⁠⁠⁠ and the publisher of ⁠⁠⁠Farmer-Florist School Online⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠Florist School Online.⁠⁠⁠ Watch ⁠⁠⁠Lisa’s Story⁠⁠⁠ and connect with Lisa on social media!