Growing flowers for cutting

Kaitlin · #1 03/27/14, 03:15 PM

Growing and selling cut flowers is something I've always wanted to do to go along side selling hardy perennial plants. Last year I grew Sweet William and sold loads. This year I'm going for snapdragon, sunflowers, cornflowers, penstemon, pinks and lots of other easy to grow varieties. I'm really looking forward to all the lovely colours and people always seem so happy when they are buying flowers.
Does anyone else grow flowers to sell? Any favourites/ best sellers?

Ernie · #2 03/27/14, 03:32 PM

I don't sell any, but rather give them away, but I've been learning how to propagate roses. It's just sort of an interesting thing and almost feels a little like magic to me to take a stem and make a plant from it.

I'm not real good at it yet, and I haven't devised a plan for winter, but it's a lot of fun and consuming a lot of my free time learning about how to do it the most efficiently.

**Tiempo** · #3 03/27/14, 04:23 PM

Ah, Katlin, you live in the land where flowers grow themselves!

Here, for the most part we have to really work at it. I do miss my English gardens, I strive endlessly to recreate them here

I heard a story a few years ago that amused me, an American leased a house in England. Not long after moving in he called the owner wondering where the outside tap was. He was informed that there isn't one. "How will I water the garden?!" he asked.

The owner replied, "sir, this is England, it rains".

**Tiempo** · #4 03/27/14, 04:25 PM

I must say though, I do NOT have a touch with roses, I am the kiss of death to them.

**Tiempo** · #5 03/27/14, 04:29 PM

My attempt at recreating a home away from home, still a work in progress.

The only flowers here when we bought the place were the big rose of sharons, the lilacs and lots of mature mock orange you can't see in the pic

Growing flowers for cutting - Homesteading Questions

vicki in NW OH · #6 03/27/14, 05:33 PM

Here is a blog you will enjoy: http://www.floretflowers.com/blog/

She lives in the PNW, a climate closer to that of England.

If I lived in England, I would grow lots of sweet peas, beautiful fragrant sweet peas.

light rain · #7 03/27/14, 05:34 PM

Kaitlin, I hope you are very successful in you new endeavor. Years ago I worked for a flower grower one summer and I think they did well in the business.

I do not have the background in marketing but I do have a green thumb. I plan to move a lot of bulbs into long rows and into improved soil and then consider if it would be a saleable commodity in our area. Zinnias, sunflowers, cosmos, dahlias and some kind of filler would seem like possibilities. I wonder if the inclusion of lavender in a bouquet would be a selling point?

Also some sentiment cards on those 3 prong plastic holders aimed at regional interests and age brackets included in the bouquet. With color printers your designs are limitless. Good luck and God bless.

Kaitlin · #8 03/27/14, 05:35 PM

It's true, we do gave a lot of rain! But one of my favourite books is American - about growing flowers organically - can't remember the title offhand. It must be a lot easier in some areas than others in your vast country....

**Tiempo** · #9 03/27/14, 05:36 PM

I'm from near Manchester, we invented rain

Kaitlin · #10 03/27/14, 05:37 PM

Thanks , light rain. Good luck to you too! Your plans sound good. Sunflowers go really well here. Cosmos is a bit delicate, I find? You could do a scented bouquet? Lavender, pinks, phlox? I love flowers!

Kaitlin · #11 03/27/14, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tiempo

I'm from near Manchester, we invented rain

Ah yes! Mind you, this last winter, we've all suffered - the Somerset levels most of all!

**Tiempo** · #12 03/27/14, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaitlin

Ah yes! Mind you, this last winter, we've all suffered - the Somerset levels most of all!

Yes, it was terrible down there. Not so bad where my family live though I have a friend in Whitby who was flooded out of his home.

I'd love to see pics of you flowers if you ever care to post any

Kaitlin · #13 03/28/14, 08:03 AM

Thanks for the blog link, Vicki in NW. I grow sweet peas. Love them!
The book that inspires me is 'The Organic Flower farmer' by Lynn Byczynski if anyone's interested.
Yes, I'll post pictures in the summer. I'm still sowing at the moment. Gypsophila, Oenothera Sunset Boulevard and more Cornflowers this morning; Achillea, more Cosmos, Brompton Stocks and a lovely pinky Marigold after lunch!

Patchouli · #14 03/28/14, 08:53 AM

Here we have to grow flowers that are sturdy and lack of rain tolerant. I would imagine you can grow completely different ones over there.

I have a friend who sells them at the Farmer's market and she started Tuberoses last summer. They were a big hit.

light rain · #15 03/28/14, 09:01 AM

The fragrance of tuberoses is beyond compare. Will your friend be able to get continued blooms off of the same tubers year after year, like with dahlias?

**Tiempo** · #16 03/28/14, 03:50 PM

I adore tuberose, my favorite perfume is tuberose based, but they are tough to grow here.