The Cut Flower Podcast

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.This week on the show, Roz is joined by a very special guest - Mike Palmer, also known as Mike The Gardener. Mike's passion for gardening led him to study RHS 1,2,3 at Horticulture College as a mature student and start his own business in gardening and garden design. Unfortunately, the lockdowns put a halt to a lot of his work, but that's where Mike's journey with podcasting began. In this episode, Mike shares his experiences and insights on gardening, as well as his journey into podcasting. Tune in to hearries and learn from a true expert in the field! fascinating stories and learn form a true expert in the field. If you are enjoying the Cutflower Podcast dont forget to like and subscribe, leave a review and get in touch if you would like to guest on the show, or are interested in becoming a sponsor. A few of the discussion topics Roz and Mike cover in todays episode:Mike’s journey and how he came to where he is today. Horticultural College at Kingston Maurward in Dorchester. Are you still gardening and garden designing as a job? What does an average day look like for you? Meeting some amazing people through podcasting. How to capture the sounds of your listeners’ gardens. Wildflowers, weeds, and weeds. How many books do you have on your bookcase? Mike’s plans for the future. What did you want to do as a child? Give something a go and see where it goes. Mike Palmer Resource Links:https://open.substack.com/pub/mikethegardener?r=27r8d3&utm_medium=ioshttps://youtube.com/channel/UCx4JHMYZyuu-V7fi-4eCdhA?sub_confirmation=1https://anchor.fm/michael-palmer07https://naturalgrower.co.uk/?ref=micthegardenerhttps://mobile.twitter.com/mikepalmer01https://m.facebook.com/mikethegardener1/?ref=bookmarkshttps://instagram.com/Mike_thegardener First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Hey everyone, welcome to the Cutflower podcast! Roz Chandler is back with another episode and this week, she's joined by Katie Colella. They're going to be talking about some really interesting topics related to flower farming and business ownership. If you're a flower farmer or business owner, this is definitely an episode you don't want to miss. Roz and Katie will be discussing business strategy, visibility, and social media - all of the things that can be a bit daunting ifhe game. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the show! you're new to tKey discussion points from today's episode:Introducing Katie ColellaThe importance of knowing who you’re talking to. The importance of having a strategy. Why you need to keep practising. Don’t overthink your content. Top 5 tips on visibility for business owners. Don’t be afraid to share your expertise. Do you listen to any other podcasts? Katie Colella Resource Links:https://www.instagram.com/katie_colella_social/https://www.instagram.com/katie_colella_social/https://katiecolellasocial.co.uk/ https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Welcome to this week's episode of the Cut Flower Podcast with your expert host, Roz Chandler. Joining Roz in the studio is Peony Farmer and Expert, Elonor Tivey. Elonor is renowned in the world of flowers as a passionate peony farmer. She specializes in growing different varieties of peonies in her two-acre field, including early, mid-season, and late varieties, which she supplies to florists and also does pop-ups. After being a teacher for some time, Elonor pivoted to commercial flower farming because of her love for flowers.Roz and Elonor will be discussing:How did you come to do what you're doing? Always transition out of a career or a job into a flower farm. What’s the first thing you do when you get back from the field? What are your top five favourite peonies? If you weren’t a peony grow, what would you do?The British Flower Movement. How many stems did you sell in the first year? Elonor Tivey Resouce Linkswebsite: www.thepeonyfarmer.co.ukInsta/FB @thepeonyfarmerukContact email thepeonyfarmer@outlook.comorders at orders@thepeonyfarmer.co.uk https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Welcome to this weeks episode of the Cutflower Podcast with your host Roz Chandler. This week Roz is joined in the studio by the incredibly inspiring Cissy Bullock from the Sustainable School of Floristry.  Roz explore's Cissy's path to floristry and cut flowers and discusses what needs to be done to improve the whole;e supply chain to get the flowers from field to vase in a much more efficient, cost effective and sustainable way. Listen in and don't forget to give the show a review, hit like and subscribe so you don't miss another episode. Don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues about the show. Today Roz and Cissy will be discussing:Cissy’s unconventional career path. How she got into the business of floral design.What inspires Cissy now? Who wouldn’t want to go and cut flowers in an 18th century walled garden?What’s happening in the food industry is mirroring the changes in other industries. What does an average day look like for you? Being a flower farmer is like renting a deck chair. How to get cut flowers in the hands of florists. What’s your genius idea for a bio-farmer hub?How do you find your ideal customer? Listening to podcasts that are interesting. Are you watering your plants enough? Cissy Bullock Resources:Instagram: @_wildstems_ and @schoolofsustainablefloristry  Facebook: wildstemsflorals and Schoolofsustainablefloristry websites: www.wild-stems.com and www.schoolofsustainablefloristry.co.uk First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Have you ever wondered about the top perennials to add to your cutting garden? Well in today's episode I'm going to be sharing with you all my top twenty cutting flowers.It's important to provide a range of cutting flowers in your patch - in colour, in texture and in season.We hope you enjoy growing them in your cutting patch.Key points from todays episode include:Top 20 perennials to have in the garden. Dazzling daisies and pincushions. Achillea, scabies, crocosmia Lucifer.Smile daisies, scabies and achillea. Crocodia lucifer, crocosmia lucifer and crocosma Lucifer. Hellebores are great for cutting from late summer onwards. Garden systems and hellebores.Pianists, a heritage plant that can last between 50 and 75 years. Delphiniums are one of my favourites.Delphiniums, vajas and penstemon. Equinox globe thistle is stunning.  Verbena Bobina. Verbena bobina, verbena and verbena roses. Aka panthers, helenium and granny's bonnets. https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Roz caught up with Tessa Dooley from Ladybird Plantcare this week.  Tessa, mum to young twins, bought Ladybird Plantcare in November 2018. Prior to owning Ladybird, Tessa worked in marketing, she has worked on lots of different brands across a long periods of time.  A definite career shift from marketing to plantcare. Listen in to this fascinating episode all about natural predators for plantcare.This weeks key discussion points included: About your business - Ladybird PlantcareWhat’s the market for biological control in the UK? What’s your best seller? Slugs and snails are already in the garden. Vine weevil and slugs. What are thrips? How do we avoid them? What to do if you’ve got a lot of whitefly. Who’s inspired you in your career? Tessa Cobley Resources:https://ladybirdplantcare.co.uk/https://facebook.com/ladybirdplantcarehttp://instagram.com/ladybirdplantcare https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Joining Roz in the studio today is Bethany Harries. Bethany was originally a personal trainer, and decided she needed a career change, suffering mental and physical burnt out and exhaustion.  She was always interested in public health and health promotion. So after doing a bit of Career Research Bethany decided that she wanted to become a health psychologist. So she enrolled on to a psychology degree with the Open University, and then after that, went and did her master's in health psychology, and now she is on to the PhD, which is the final stage to becoming a fully qualified health psychologists.Key points Roz and Bethany discuss today include: Bethany’s journey and where she is today. Therapeutic gardens in the mainstream. How do people sign up for the survey? Will you publish anything along the way? Gardening as a way to relax. What’s the future of green prescribing? Gardening can be adapted to so many different needs. What’s your ideal job? Bethany Harries Resource Links:Instagram: @sustainably_healthy_Twitter: @BethanyHarriesLinkedin: (16) Bethany Harries | LinkedInWebsite: Bethany Harries | University of Surrey https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.This week Roz is joined in the studio by Dr David Bek,  who is a reader in sustainable economics based at the Research Centre for Business in society at Coventry University, which is in the UK. David has extensive experience undertaking research into sustainability within horticultural supply chains, especially cut flowers. Key points we discuss in today's episode include:David’s journey into cut flowers. How to be open to whatever your journey takes you. Where did his interest in supply chains come from? What is the impact of our choices within the supply chain? What’s happening in the world of flowers. Florists don’t know about sustainability, they do not know any different. Why is it so hard to get the message out about sustainable products? What’s the impact of globalisation on the flower industry? What is the biggest driver of the British flower market? The buzz from people who are trying to make a difference in the flower industryThe importance of getting the word out about sustainable forestry. If you were on a desert island, who would you want with you? What’s going on in the world of agriculture. David Bek Resource Links:Twitter: DavidBek@DaveDBRSLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bek-13545b1a/Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UC42Ho1eiWS6B1thJicijUHg/content/playlistsWebsite: https://sustainableflowers.coventry.domains/ First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.This week Roz caught up with Amber Partner from Howe Farm Flowers. Amber bought her farm in 2012, and the rest as they say is history. Howe Farm Flowers is located on the Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire border, in the pretty village of Dorton. The farm is within easy reach of Thame, Bicester, Aylesbury and Waddesdon, and is a half hour’s drive from Oxford. Theylove to grow beautiful, seasonal cut flowers with a proclivity for scent and sustainability.Key discussion points in this weeks episode:What is your flower farm like? You need to attract the right audience. What are you growing on an annual basis? What challenges do flower farmers face in the main? How can we make British flowers more accessible to florists? Weeds are the bane of my life. The beacon of inspiration for the industry. Manifesting is about what you really want and how you want it to happen. Don’t give up, invest more! Howe Farm Flowers Resources:Instagram and Facebook @howefarmflowers Website- https://www.howefarmflowers.com First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection

Text Agony Aunt Roz with your Cutflower Questions.Roz is joined in the studio this week by the incredible husband and wife team Steve and Paula from Floral Media, who describe their business as 'More Than Just Flowers'.Floral Media's  heart is in horticulture, they also do events, where garden groups come on visits, and they take them on tours. They run about 15 acres in total now, so part of its garden, and part of its for growing. Included in the garden tours are workshops, and they also do lots of competitive stuff with the floral art and the floristry.Key discussion points this week are: Introducing Steve and Paula. What’s going on in the world of seeds. How they came to work with flowers and how they work together. How they got started with no plan. What is your number one recommendation for landscaping? Florist’s need to be able to work with growers. If you want to disrupt the market, come and talk to me. Paula's biggest claim to fame.What would you be doing if you weren’t growing flowers? All female, middle-aged change of careerlifers. Resource Links:www.floralmedia.co.uk First Tunnels, leaders in domestic and commercial product tunnels.  https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/newsletters The Growth Club: https://fieldgateflowers.kartra.com/page/thegrowthclub Lots of free resources on our website: https://thecutflowercollective.co.uk/cut-flower-resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fieldgateflowers Facebook Group 'Cut Flower Farming - Growth and Profit in your business' https://www.facebook.com/groups/449543639411874 Facebook Group 'The Cut Flower Collection' https://www.facebook.com/groups/cutflowercollection