Becoming a Cut Flower Grower

It's Friday 9 May 2025 and another gorgeous evening. I've recorded this episode at home tonight, out of the wind, so the audio quality is much better than the last episode (sorry about that one).

Executive decision: the dahlias are finally moving outside this weekend! They have had enough of being inside (and I want my living room back) so they're going out to be hardened off before being planted out on the plot. I talk about the importance of data collection for my cut flowers and how I'm getting on with collecting information like the time it takes me to sow/plant out/water. I know it will be useful information when it comes to calculating stem prices and productivity later on.

I analyse what's going on with my nigella seedlings and why I don't think I'm going to grow them in 2026 (unless they sell really well). Some of my seedlings are doing brilliantly (like the cornflowers) but the nigella are not happy. There's an update on my 'lookbook' for showcasing my flowers to florists: are you doing anything similar? I'd love to know. There's a bit of a discussion about a marketing idea I have for persuading brides to ask their wedding florists for local and seasonal blooms (rather than imports) in the hope that it increases demand for British blooms.

Finally I have a bit of a rant about competition from other growers (I'm in favour), through the prism of growers who have a leg up in the setup of their business. I'm only jealous because I've been doing things the hard way. Despite my moaning, I hope that we can all lift and support each other in this crazy business and I wish everyone the very best (even if I am green with envy sometimes).

In this episode, join me for a chat about what's going on this week.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ Still no rain...

✅ My seedlings are still on the inside-outside carousel

✅ Why my dahlias are finally going outside this weekend

✅ How I'm watering my sweetpeas

✅ The importance of recording time spent sowing and planting out

✅ How my flower "lookbook" is progressing

✅ Why I want to start marketing to brides

✅ Competition from fellow growers: good or bad?

✅ Clockwise or anticlockwise: which way do your climbers want to go?

🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

If you like what you hear, please follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

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. I'm going to give 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.

The chickens are back on the podcast! It's Tuesday 29 April 2025 and it's very hot.

Join me for this episode on a really beautiful spring day, which started off well then turned out to be a bit too busy and fraught for my liking. I am in charge of the diary so that's entirely my fault. While I'm letting the hens out this morning I talk about water (again), the planting out of my nigella seedlings, and my tough-love watering policy to ensure that plants get their roots down quickly and don't become reliant on me constantly watering them.

The second part of the episode is me trying to unwind on the plot this evening after a really busy day. I spent my (brief) lunch break quickly moving my seedlings out of the heat of the greenhouse and taking panes out of the framework to cool it down. I answer a couple of questions I've received: one about my mini-digger plans and the other about my sweetpea spacings. I end with some thoughts about the importance of carving out time for yourself during this busy period of the year in order to stay calm and focused.

As always, it's just me talking directly to you on my cut flower journey. I really hope you enjoy the episode. The chickens make a few noisy interruptions too!

In this episode, join me on a hot spring day for chickens and a Q&A

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How the newly-planted out nigella seedlings are getting on

✅ My tough-love policy when watering new seedlings and perennials

✅ How I cool my greenhouse down

✅ Seedling heat tolerance: who loves it hot and who doesn't?

✅ How I reconcile using a mini-digger with my No-dig policy

✅ Problems you can get with planting too close together

✅ Why it's so important to carve out time for yourself during busy times

🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

If you like what you hear, please follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

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. I'm going to give 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 20 May 2025, it's 10pm and I'm recording this while boiling spaghetti and microwaving some bolognese sauce. Batch cooking (and reheating) is the only way I get to eat properly right now.

I have lots to share with you as I've been really busy on the plot since the last episode. Seedlings have been going out, including zinnias, orlaya, nigella and snaps (plus courgettes, broad beans, peas and sweetcorn). And I finally got to use the recycled steel 'rebar' trellis for my peas - very excited about that.

The larger of the two new growing areas needs some TLC: I've bought packets of green manure seeds, peas and a wildflower annual mix to cover the soil and (hopefully) regenerate it. I'm now dreaming of filling the whole area with beautiful roses: all I need is some money to buy them when the bare-root season opens. And my dahlia cuttings from Halls of Heddon are finally on their way and due for delivery tomorrow: I can't wait to see them!

A massive thank you for your lovely comments asking about Goose (my poorly hen) and also those about my reel on insta (@henhillcutflowers) with Nigel turf-lifting. I LOVE hearing from you, it makes me so happy. I really hope you enjoy the episode and I hope that your growing season is going well.

In this episode, join me for all the news from HenHill Cut Flowers - and there's a lot!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How April 2025 in the UK has been the warmest driest spring for 100 years

✅ Why some climbers find textured support easier to grow up

✅ How I'm prepping the new growing areas

✅ Why I'm sowing green manure on the soil

✅ How perennials give you a head start with flowers to cut early on

✅ Bark mulch: the verbena bonariensis are loving it and finally growing

🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

If you like what you hear, please follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

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. I'm going to give 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.

It's Friday 4 April 2025 and if you're a dahlia-fan then this is the episode for you. Join me as I share everything I learnt this beautifully sunny morning from my dahlia mentor, Richard Bailey, including tips and tricks for success with these beautiful plants.

Richard is a prize-winning dahlia exhibitor and a Vice President of the National Dahlia Society in the UK. He's been exhibiting for years with much success, having learnt from some of the most eminent UK dahlia exhibitors himself. Richard is very generous with his time and he loves nothing more than sharing his dahlia knowledge with enthusiasts. I'm very grateful for his expertise and delighted to share it with you in this episode.

What Richard knows is just as applicable to growing cut flowers as exhibiting: to produce the most beautiful and high value blooms you need to know the techniques that the pros use.

In this episode, join me to hear valuable hints and tips for growing dahlias.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How to wake up your dahlia tubers after their winter sleep

✅ To sieve or not to sieve compost?

✅ Why dahlias need bottom heat and darkness to wake up (not light)

✅ How to take dahlia cuttings

✅ Checking for gall on dahlia crowns: what to look for and how to deal with it

✅ Sow dahlia seeds and see what new colours appear!

🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

If you like what you hear, please follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

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. I'm going to give 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.

It's Tuesday 15 April 2025 and this week has started really badly: I left a tap running last night and managed to drain my two full water bowsers. Overnight I've lost over a thousand litres of water. The timing is awful and I'm very disappointed in myself.

I also managed to forget to close the greenhouse door last night, which is not like me. Luckily we didn't have a frost so everyone was fine but it could have been a lot worse. So this episode is a bit low-key as you'll probably be able to tell from my voice that I'm really sad about the water loss.

I have managed to successfully split many of my dahlia tubers from my dahlia mentor, Richard Bailey, and there's more to do today. I've planted out my cornflowers (there's a reel on insta @henhillcutflowers) and also my sweetpeas, which had lovely roots sticking out of the bottom of their toilet rolls. I've also sown more zinnias and cornflowers.

Other dramas this week include the difficulty of finding a 4m-long pole saw in the South of England (it's impossible) and an issue with my little dog. The episode ends on a more positive note with my plans for potting up the final few dahlia tubers and the seeds I will be succession sowing this afternoon using my new (and very clever) sowing chart.

In this episode, join me for the first of the disasters on the plot.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

✅ How I managed to lose 1,400 litres of rainwater overnight

✅ The dahlia tubers I've been splitting

✅ What to do when you don't have sulfur powder to cover cuts on tubers

✅ How grateful I am to hear from you and why your messages are so lovely

✅ Where you can see a video of my cornflower seedlings (@henhillcutflowers)

🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

If you like what you hear, please follow the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

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. I'm going to give 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.