💐 Struggling with flower pricing or choosing the right crops? Get real-world advice from a seasoned flower farmer and coach on how to price confidently, pick profitable perennials, and deal with pesky pests like thrips. Whether you're just starting or growing your flower biz, these tips will help you build a thriving, sustainable farm. 🌿 Learn how to: Set smart prices for retail and wholesale Use foliage like raspberry & eucalyptus to boost bouquet value Grow reliable, profitable perennial...
Jul 01, 2025•27 min
Discover the Top 3 Perennials that truly earn their keep on a cut flower farm! Join Lisa Mason Ziegler and Dave Dowling as they share expert advice on growing peonies , Baptisia , and sedum -perennials that offer high yield, low maintenance, and long-term profitability. Perfect for beginner and seasoned flower farmers alike. Mentions Dave's Course: Flower Farming School Online: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More Flower Farming School Online: Growing Cut Flower Crops in Hoop and Greenhouses...
Jun 24, 2025•55 min
Ready to take your flower farming to the next level? Join Lisa Mason Ziegler as she shares how to transition from growing annuals to incorporating perennials, bulbs, and woodies into your operation. Learn how succession planting, smart crop choices, and careful planning can create a more sustainable and profitable business. Lisa offers real-life lessons, practical tips, and the encouragement every grower needs to grow confidently and thrive. Mentions Lisa's Course: Flower Farming School Online: ...
Jun 17, 2025•29 min
💐 Want to make more money (and avoid wasting it) in your flower farm? In this episode, Lisa Mason Ziegler shares her hard-earned tips for choosing the best crops to grow for profit. From low-cost annuals to succession planting and market-smart decisions, get practical advice to help you grow a thriving flower business. Whether you're just starting out or refining your crop plan, this episode is packed with insights you can use right away! Mentions Lisa's Course: Flower Farming School Online ...
Jun 10, 2025•46 min
How Flower Farmers Can Survive (and Thrive) During Hard Times 🌻 In this heartfelt episode, Lisa Mason Ziegler shares real-world lessons from 30+ years of flower farming—through 9/11, the 2008 crash, COVID, and today’s economic uncertainty. Learn how to adapt, pivot, and stay rooted when crisis strikes. 🌱 Whether you're a new grower or a seasoned farmer, this episode offers both inspiration and actionable advice. Mentions Video: Flower Business Opportunities, A Roundtable With The Pros Sign...
Jun 03, 2025•26 min
Welcome to another episode of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, Ask a Florist, featuring guest host Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, MD. Ellen is a floral designer who creates exclusively with flowers and foliage purchased from local growers. She is also one of our course instructors here at The Gardener’s Workshop. In this episode, Ellen fields questions about: telling the story of local flowers, making bouquets, post-harvest care and handling, flower deliver...
May 27, 2025•26 min
Thinking of starting a garden? 🌿🌸 Learn the crucial difference between a garden and a landscape and why your approach matters! With the right mindset and simple steps, your garden can flourish and bring you joy. Dive in for my practical tips that make gardening rewarding and fun! Mentions Field & Garden #342: The Simplicity of a Cutting Garden Books: Cool Flowers , Vegetables Love Flowers , The Cut Flower Handbook Seeds: Flowers , Veggies , Herbs Get our free LEARN app here . Get our free ...
May 20, 2025•30 min
Today, we’re diving deep into the wonderful world of cutting gardens. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, this guide will help you create a cutting garden that brings joy and beauty to your life. Here, Lisa covers what you need to know to make your cutting garden thrive. Mentions Online Courses: The Easy Cut Flower Garden , Cool Flowers from Seed to Harvest Books: Cool Flowers , Vegetables Love Flowers , The Cut Flower Handbook Seed Collection: Cut-Flower Garden Sign up...
May 13, 2025•32 min
Today, Lisa dives into the experiences and insights of Diane Szukovathy of Jello Mold Farm. A passionate flower farmer and co-founder of the Seattle Wholesale Growers Market, through her journey, we explore the importance of standards in the floral industry, the power of collaboration amongst flower farmers, and the creation of a valuable new resource for flower farmers everywhere. Mentions Get the Book: Floral Standards About Diane and Jello Mold Farm Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!...
May 06, 2025•41 min
Today’s episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. This one featured guest host Lennie Larkin, author of Flower Farming for Profit and owner of B-Side Farm in Oregon. She is also one of our course instructors here at The Gardener’s Workshop. In this Q&A, Lennie fielded questions about time management, marketing your flowers, building an email list, and more. Mentions Lennie’s Instagram: flowerfarming.forprofit , B-Side ...
Apr 29, 2025•27 min
Let’s dive into why overplanting can be a problem. You might think, “Oh, I’ll just plant a little more!” But when you do this, you can overcrowd your garden. This makes it harder to care for your plants, leading to chaos. Mentions Open Farm Event: June 28, 2025 Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News! Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies! The Field and Garden Podcast is produced by Lisa Mason Ziegler, award-winning author of The Cut Flower Handb...
Apr 22, 2025•26 min
Join Lisa Mason Ziegler and Ellen Frost as they discuss the limitations of floral recipes and the beauty of creating unique designs with local flowers. Discover how flexibility, communication, and community relationships can empower you to confidently make unique floral arrangements without using recipes. Mentions Ellen’s newsletter signup Ellen’s YouTube Channel Follow on Instagram: Ellen Frost Flowers, Local Color Flowers Ellen Online Courses: Florist School Online , Preparing to Sell...
Apr 15, 2025•31 min
Let’s talk money—the kind that keeps your flower farm alive or quietly drains it dry. In this episode, Lisa digs into the tough truth about spending on the farm: what’s worth it, what’s not, and how to make choices that lead to long-term success instead of slow collapse. If you're ready to face your farm finances head-on, this one's for you. Mentions Free Phone App for Live Gardening Shows: Get the App Lisa's Course, Flower Farming School Online Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds a...
Apr 08, 2025•31 min
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 a 9th-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 and answers questions on topics such as growing flowers for Mother's Day, seed starting and growing tips, how to "hedge your bets" in flower fa...
Apr 01, 2025•35 min
Today’s episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. However, this one we called Ask a Florist featured guest hostess Ellen Frost of Local Color Flowers in Baltimore, MD. Ellen is a floral designer who creates exclusively with flowers and foliage purchased from local growers. She is also one of our course instructors here at The Gardener’s Workshop. In this Q&A Ellen fielded questions about: farmer-florist relationships, des...
Mar 25, 2025•27 min
Should you sell your flowers to florists? What attributes make a farmer a good match for selling to a florist? Here, Lisa chats with Ellen about her experiences working with 40+ flower farmers in her region. Learn what she thinks it takes to be successful in this popular selling channel and how you can accomplish it. Mentions Ellen’s newsletter signup Ellen’s YouTube Channel Follow on Instagram: Ellen Frost Flowers, Local Color Flowers Ellen Online Courses: Florist School Online , Prepa...
Mar 18, 2025•42 min
I’m thrilled to share an inspiring story with you today. I want to introduce you to Tricia from The Simple Sunflower, an organization that’s making a big difference in our community by repurposing flowers for those in need. In my chat with Tricia, you'll learn what they do, how they do it, and ways to apply this in your own community as well. Together, we can bring a little more joy into the world, one bouquet at a time! Mentions The Simple Sunflower: Website , Instagram Shop the TGW Online ...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min
Are you planting for success or setting yourself up for failure? Today, I’m excited to talk about something that many flower farmers, especially those just starting, often overlook. Are you a part-time flower farmer planting for a full-time flower farmer? This question is crucial to your success in the flower farming business. The bottom line is, don’t plant a full-time garden with part-time hours. Be realistic about what you can handle. And most importantly, don’t feel pressured to grow everyth...
Mar 04, 2025•35 min
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 Managing gladiolus bulbs Peony growing & maintenance Hydrangea pruning Holiday arrangements using seas...
Feb 25, 2025•23 min
Flower farming isn't just about the blooms, it's about the journey! Join Lisa Mason Ziegler as she shares her insights on facing challenges and making smart choices in the world of flower farming. Your good life awaits! Mentions Lisa's Course, Flower Farming School Online Lisa's Course, The Easy Cut Flower Garden 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 Ziegl...
Feb 18, 2025•27 min
Today, I want to dive into something really important for anyone looking to succeed in flower farming or any kind of business: grit. I believe developing grit is a choice. It’s not something you’re born with; it’s something you cultivate over time. Each time you face a fear or a challenge and choose to push through, you’re building your grit. Mentions Lisa's Course, Flower Farming School Online Shop the TGW Online Store for all your seeds and supplies! Sign up to receive our weekly F...
Feb 11, 2025•26 min
Today I’m thrilled to share some important tips for anyone dreaming of starting a flower farming business. As I look back on my journey, I wish I had these resources when I started. This is about the three key steps that can lead to failure as a flower farmer. I’ve seen many passionate people vanish from the business, and it’s often due to skipping over some basic but crucial steps. I'd love to keep YOU from failing, and I hope these tips help you navigate the challenges of flower farming and ke...
Feb 04, 2025•30 min
Today I'm diving into a topic that I've never really talked about before: collaboration versus competition. Why are we so afraid of competition? Let's explore why collaboration can actually be more beneficial. Mentions 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 ...
Jan 28, 2025•31 min
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. Mentions The Flower Farmer Club , presented by Th...
Jan 21, 2025•19 min
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...
Jan 14, 2025•30 min
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 ou...
Jan 07, 2025•30 min
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: How to determine which Cool Flowers you can grow in your region When and how to start your Cool Flowers from seed The special care requirements of flowers planted in the fall and in very early spring What you should do to prepare in the fall even...
Dec 31, 2024•1 hr
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: They make decisions based on facts, not assumptions. They recognize that time is money. They ...
Dec 24, 2024•26 min
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 Caring for dahlias in high heat Growing ranunculus, daffodils, & tulips for a spring wedding Overwinte...
Dec 17, 2024•25 min
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 growi...
Dec 10, 2024•24 min
