Hello, welcome to Tuesday 18 November 2025.

Winter is here! The temperature has plummeted and I'm bundled up in so many layers that it's hard to even bend down sometimes. Tonight's episode gives you an update of my progress on the new course with Jenny Marks of Trademark Farmer in the US, and news of what I've done with my dahlias over the weekend.

Yesterday I visited a fellow grower's plot for a meet-up of local fellow growers which was very interesting and gave me the biggest plot envy ever! There's news about gathering holly for wreaths as well as the location of my bulb order. I've been watching videos of growing tulips in crates so I feel confident having a go at that when they (eventually) arrive.

The rest of the week is busy as usual and I do hope that you will come back and join me for the next episode.

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 a very wet Friday 14 November 2025.

I've just taken part in the first online 'welcome' meeting for the new course I've just enrolled on with Jenny Marks of Trademark Farmer and it was great. I've made a start on module 1 and there's a lot to take onboard. Today has been a wash-out in terms of heavy rain all day so I spent time this morning unblocking a gutter and getting soaked. Check your gutters before the rain comes!

Tonight I'm talking about factors to consider when choosing my roses for 2026: there are so many roses to choose from that I'm spoilt for choice (and also swamped with indecision). I'm focusing on roses that my wedding & event florists will love and really want to buy but it's hard to refine the list.

Finally, given the weather conditions today, I thought I'd share my tips for surviving a rainy November day including how not to slip over on your plot, the footwear that I swear by, maintaining gutters properly, meshing water tanks if they don't have lids, improving your knowledge levels, prepping for making wreaths, and not having insta-envy and feeling despondent that everyone else in the cut flower world is ahead of you (they're not).

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

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 11 November 2025.

There's so much to tell you about in this episode! Life in the cut flower field has been busy: my young cockerel, Lion, finally has his own enclosure and a wife (!); I've been drying more stems in the unlikely event that someone wants to buy them (or they end up in wreaths); physocarpus shrubs have been planted; achillea 'The Pearl' is being moved to a new bed; a new florist came to the plot to buy a mixed bucket this morning (very exciting) and it was great to tell her what I'll have available next year; and I've finally placed my tulip and allium order for 2026. Phew!

Big news: I've just signed up for a proper business flower farming course with the amazing Jenny Marks of Trademark Farmer in the USA. I've been dithering about doing a course for the whole year and was resigned to not being able to afford it, but finally decided that it's something I need to take the plunge and actually commit to. I have a feeling that I've made the right decision because I've already received masses of incredibly valuable information from Jenny and the course hasn't even officially started yet. I'll keep you posted!

Here are some links to the book and the course:

BOOK: The Lean Farm by Ben Hartman

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lean-Farm-Minimize-Increase-Efficiency/dp/1603585923

COURSE: Six Figure Flower Farming by Jenny Marks of Trademark Farmer

https://www.trademarkfarmer.com/enroll

I do hope that you will come back and join me for the next episode on Friday when I'll have more news.

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.