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 hinde…

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 knowledg…

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 a…

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 l…

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 attrac…

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 sea…

This episode is an interview that Lisa recently did on The Flower Podcast with host Scott Shepherd. Scott and Lisa covered a broad range of topics, including: The importance of evaluating your season & your goals regularly How perfectionism is a hindrance to success (70% is good enough!) Making every effort to start your business with cash (debt-fr…

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 knowledg…

Whether you're new or improving your farm, these insights can help. The journey can be tough, but with commitment and adaptability, the rewards are worth it. Take the time to learn and experiment—your efforts will pay off. 1. Find Your Markets Understanding your market is the first step to successful crop planning. Consider factors like demand and …

Hey, friends! It's Lisa Mason Ziegler, and today we're diving into the topic of time management in flower farming. Let’s explore how to make the most of your time while building your flower business. Key Points to Consider Everyone Has the Same 24 Hours: Remember, everyone has the same amount of time each day. It's all about how you choose to spend…

Sales & Pricing in Your First Season of Flower Farming Welcome to flower farming! If you're new to this industry, knowing about sales and pricing is crucial. This podcast covers strategies for your first season, including pricing transparency and customer loyalty. The Importance of Pricing Transparency Pricing transparency is key for your flower fa…

Marketing in Your First Season as a Flower Farmer Hello, friends! Welcome back to another episode of Field & Garden, where I help anyone, anywhere, learn how to grow cut flowers. Today, I'm excited to share some valuable tips on marketing and selling flowers, especially in your first season. This is such an important topic, and I hope to inspire yo…

Lisa shares her 2025 plan to downsize her growing space and encourages those with smaller spaces to optimize their production in the following areas: bed spacing and maintenance, soil health, weed prevention, intensive planting techniques, and succession planting. Mentions Podcast: Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne Free Phone App: The Gardener's Workshop…

Lisa lays the groundwork for you to succeed out of the gate, rather than suffering through failures to find your way to a great cut flower garden. Whether you're new to the cutting garden concept or you've been unsuccessful starting one in the past, listen in for the three key factors that will lead you down the path to gorgeous cut flowers! Mentio…

Discover essential insights into the world of flower farming, where passion meets perseverance! This episode dives deep into the heart of flower farming, unraveling the layers of determination, business acumen, and preparation needed to thrive. From the first-hand experience of someone who started their journey 25+ years ago, learn about the highs …

Today’s episode features our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram called Ask a Flower Farmer. This one was hosted by Lisa Mason Ziegler, a flower farmer with over 25 years of experience, author, online instructor, founder of The Gardener's Workshop, and self-proclaimed "head bottle washer." During this session in early May, she fielded ques…

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…

In this episode, Lisa visits Emma Mobley's flower farm in Suffolk, VA. Emma shares her journey of transitioning to flower farming and discusses her new business model, focusing on spring and fall blooms. Listen as she reveals her selling strategies, challenges, and what the future holds for End of Nowhere Flower Farm. Note: video version of this po…

Today’s episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, normally called Ask a Flower Farmer. This one, however, we called Ask a Florist, and it 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 …

I had a wonderful time visiting Torrie Anderson's place, The Flower Farm at Youngs Mill, back in June. Located just a couple of miles from my farm here in Virginia, Torrie is one of my dedicated students who has truly embraced the lessons and made remarkable progress! Now in her third year of flower farming with her husband and four children, join …

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 knowledg…

These are the top 5 mistakes I see folks making related to Cool Flowers, don't be one of them! 1. Not knowing your first & last frost dates, along with your lowest expected winter temperature 2. Not preparing your garden beds ahead of time 3. Not knowing how each seed prefers to be started (indoors or outside, direct sow vs transplants) 4. Not prov…

If you are a Southerner or a Northerner you may think the Cool Flower concept doesn't work for you, but nothing could be further from the truth! When you find your planting time sweet spot you will be the envy of all your grower friends, and your customers will think you are nothing short of a miracle worker! As a Southerner, I spent years at the f…

Stepping away and looking at the big picture, it is easy to see why and how we have been skipping over spring crops. Some of us go to extremes to get warm plants blooming sooner than they should be and others are still planting this family way too late to reap the rewards that well-established plants give. Warm-season plants are familiar, which mak…

Why Grow Annuals? I stumbled into growing annuals. I initially began planting perennials but I quickly saw the errors of my way-- I was going to run out of space, QUICK! As my business was gaining more demand than flowers I had-- I became a little crazy figuring out how to make the most of my total property of 1.17 acres that also had my home and o…

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, he answers questions on topics such as Mot…

Take control now, because if you don’t, nobody will! Resist distractions, structure your workdays to get the tasks that matter done, grow more of less, endlessly market your business, and streamline everything! Mentions Lisa's Favorite Hat to Beat the Heat! Lisa's Book, Cool Flowers ⁠Shop the TGW Online Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all your seeds and supplie…

In this episode, Lisa and our newest TGW instructor Lennie Larkin offer a look inside our online course, Profitable Flower Farming. Mentions Online Course: ⁠Profitable Flower Farming with Lennie Larkin⁠ ⁠Shop the TGW Online Store⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for all your seeds and supplies!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up to receive our weekly Farm News!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠…

In this episode, Lisa and guest Lennie Larkin discuss her journey into flower farming, her move to Oregon, and the creation of her educational business. They also delve into the challenges of profitable flower farming, the future of the domestic cut flower industry, and introduce Lennie's new online course published by The Gardener's Workshop. Ment…

This episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. Guest-hosted by Dave Dowling of Ball/ColorLink, also 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 wi…

Today’s episode features Lisa Ziegler and Layne Angelo as they introduce their new online course. It was over a year in the making and is called Cool Flowers from Seed to Harvest. Listen in as they talk about their inspiration and how the course came to be, what it includes, and answer audience questions. Mentions Cool Flowers from Seed to Harvest …

A quick little set of reminders for busy flower growers! 1) Weeds: You need a prevention plan, plus a plan to extinguish any that survive when they're small. 2) Succession planting: designate resources/time to getting those successions done, it needs to be a top priority. 3) Always be selling: be on the lookout for additional sales opportunities, p…

Today’s episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, normally called Ask a Flower Farmer. This one, however, we called Ask a Florist, and it 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 …

I don't know about you, but I am always anxious about spring. A lot is riding on it, right? Weather, seed sowing issues, never enough help, everything seems urgent, netting-netting-netting... seedling care, and then bedmaking, planting, and harvesting starts. What I have learned after decades of facing anxiousness is that constant support, encourag…

This episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. Guest-hosted by Dave Dowling of Ball/ColorLink, also 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…

Don’t allow these things to hold you back from pursuing your flower farming business dreams. No acreage, tractor, or greenhouse? No problem. I didn’t have any of those during the first decade of my flower farm. Originally aired 9/27/22 Mentions Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) Online Courses from The Gardener's Workshop Shop the …

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 7th-year flower farmer growing in zone 8a and an alumnus of most of The Gardener’s Workshop’s online courses. Here, he answers questions on topics such as high…

Join Rhonda Graves and Lisa for another episode of Bug Talk! Today, they expand into the broader topic of restoring the natural order on your farm or in your garden: the benefits, the methods, and the rewards. They share all of their favorite resources for learning more about what YOU can do to improve the natural conditions in your space. Recommen…

We are so hard on ourselves when we hit a wall or fail. I’ve found that the reality so often for me is that my expectations weren’t based on any facts or experiences, just hopes, and dreams. No wonder it didn’t work out! Stepping back and rethinking the process can change it all. Hopes + Dreams + Experience + Knowledge = a smoother and straighter r…

This episode features a takeover of our popular weekly live Q&A session on Instagram, called Ask a Flower Farmer. Guest-hosted by Dave Dowling of Ball/ColorLink, who is also a former flower farmer and the instructor for our online course: Flower Farming School Online: Bulbs, Perennials, Woodies, and More. Dave has such a wealth of knowledge to shar…

Lisa was recently featured on Growing For Market podcast, joining host Andrew Mefferd to discuss concepts from her new book, The Cut Flower Handbook. Topics covered include: The current US market demand for cut flowers Cool vs. warm season flower crops Professionalism in flower farming Succession planting concept for continuous blooms Podcast excer…

After almost a year in development, we're so excited to tell you about our new online community! Membership Features: Monthly live Q&As with Lisa Z! Exclusive training sessions Expert guidance from Lisa Commiserate with your flower-loving peers Interactive challenges keep you inspired to succeed Private club platform - no tracking or advertising Ac…

Lisa was recently featured on The joegardener® Show podcast, joining host Joe Lamp'l to discuss the foundational concepts from her new book, The Cut Flower Handbook. Topics covered include: The soil blocking method of seed starting Cool vs. warm season flower crops Natural weed & pest prevention Succession planting concept for continuous blooms Pod…

Starting and being in business is overwhelming! Yep, it's true. And the overwhelm doesn't just stop one day, you have to take control and make it happen. Only you can make that choice. Add to that the stress of flower farming, and it becomes clear why so many new growers never leave the starting gate.In this episode, I'm sharing one of the keys to …

In September '22 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 s…

Growing, giving, and receiving cut flowers is good medicine for whatever ails you. I learned this firsthand from Stevie’s mom's memorial service. The stories of Ruby sharing my flowers amongst the thousands of pound cakes she baked and shared were evidence of the power of flowers. Sharing them is an excellent ending to a flower's journey. Mentions …

Enjoy this short podcast to get relieved of the pressure to start seeds now. ~Lisa In the episode, I share the reality that this rush and pressure we feel to start seeds in early spring is a result of marketing, and it is not the only time to start seeds! In fact, many of us could start seeds all 12 months of the year. I hope this gives you the nud…

This time of year we have lots of folks reaching out because of fears they are experiencing about their Cool Flowers facing cold weather. I understand and suffer from the same thing from time to time. It’s natural, and we need to do all we can to meet their needs to maximize success. This chat I hosted includes encouragement and some steps to follo…

In this encore presentation of Lisa's very first episode of Field & Garden, she covers a couple of really big topics: 1) How NOT to freak out if you decide to peek under your row covers in mid-winter, and 2) How to use this time to harness the power of succession planting as you plan out your bed space throughout the coming year. As avid cut flower…

Tests and lessons (failures!) lead to perseverance. Perseverance is a required ingredient for a small business. We must continue despite failures, difficulties, or opposition. Don't give up or give in to fear. Facing fear in business never ends, so we must all learn to overcome it.⁠⁠⁠ Remember... "Fear is a mile wide, but only an inch deep." - Lisa…