Becoming a Cut Flower Grower

Welcome to today's episode on Friday 21 August 2026.
Seed harvesting mini-disaster (already): all the details of this, plus a reminder to myself that as the rains are finally incoming, it's time to check gutters and downpipes for blockages and detritus, plus ensure that all taps are in the closed position, ready to capture as much water as possible. 
I'm answering a listener question about what perennials I'm focusing on in 2027 and how I'm going to grow them. I'll be growing some from seed and some from plugs, and it's really time to get cracking with the autumn sowing. 
Tonight's Plant Profile is Beech: a very useful plant which can be inexpensive to buy (I'll tell you how) and really in demand by wedding and event florists for use in displays, arches, urns and more.
I hope you enjoy the episode - please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast (it's free) so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you really enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a rating or 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. You can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
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.
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Welcome to today's episode on Tuesday 18 August 2026.
Non-stop flower news from the field in tonight's episode including my sales figures since last week (and possibly why), all the seeds I've been harvesting over the weekend (and how I'm storing them), and the plants doing really well right now (and the reasons for this).
Dahlias - I'm not doing any more disbudding for the rest of this season. I've decided to just let the plants do what they want and see what happens. I want more stems with smaller heads and buds (for more interesting stems). It's also a win because it reduces my labour costs. I'm talking about the substantial differences in sizes between my 2025 dahlia plants and the 2026 ones, and the impact of labour and materials costs of staking the dahlias on my cost of production figures this year.
I'm answering a question about what 2027 on the field is going to look like in terms of what plants I'll be growing, in light of my decision not to do spring-sown annuals. It's certainly going to be different next year but if we have another spell of heatwaves and drought then it will be a good decision, if not, then not so much...
Finally I'm offering you a top tip for growing annuals. You'll hear this advice everywhere - I completely ignored it - and I'm regretting it. So I'm talking all about this and the reasons why. I hope you enjoy the episode - please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
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. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
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.
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Welcome to today's episode on Friday 14 August 2026.
It's all happening on the field tonight: government wildfire warning alerts, teatime for the hens, and tonight's episode. The heat has been insane this week - yesterday was brutal - so I hope you've made it through the week ok.
Tonight I'm sharing news of what I've been doing this week plus my seed harvesting plans for the annuals that didn't get sold this summer. I'm also sharing the six key things that the drought has taught me this summer including choosing the right types of plants for the field, why water harvesting is crucial if you're off-grid (like me), how watering at the right stage of seedling growth is crucial, plus the importance of a healthy soil for water retention. 
My Plant Profile this week is Physostegia, a new perennial for me this year, which I've really enjoyed watching growing from a tiny plug to beautiful flowering stems. 
And finally, a fellow grower has written a brilliant open letter to the UK Prime Minister about the significant impact that the weather this summer has had on the British cut flower industry and some brilliant suggestions for national infrastructure improvements. Kelly from Wye Grow in Herefordshire has uploaded the letter to her website and is inviting other growers (and in fact, anyone who has an interest in this issue) to add their names. I've signed and I'd encourage you to check it out. Have a read of the letter and see how you feel about signing it here:
https://www.wyegrow.com/post/an-open-letter-to-the-prime-minister-andy-burnham
I hope you enjoy the episode - please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
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. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
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.
Text The Podcast Here!
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Welcome to today's episode on Tuesday 11 August 2026.
Lots going on as usual: I've been topping up the IBCs again, trying to keep my shrubs and perennials alive and mulching as much bare soil as possible to stop it overheating. 
Tonight I'm talking about what happens below the surface during a drought: what are the earthworms doing? Are the microbes dead or dormant? What's happened to the mycorrhizal network? How does all of this affect the plants? And what can be done about it?
In other news, it looks like I've been pruning my dahlias all wrong - all the details of why I think this. And finally - my rose lilies continue to cause me drama by producing stamens (they're not supposed to have any)...
I hope you enjoy the episode! Please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
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. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
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.
Text The Podcast Here!
Support the show

Welcome to today's episode on Friday 7 August 2026.
Tonight I'm answering some brilliant questions that I've been asked recently including: 
what pests I've had this year (and how I've dealt with them)
what data I'm collecting (how and why)
which natural fertilisers I'm using (and the ones I want to try)
why so many flower stems are short this year (and the science behind this)
what my pivot means for what I'm doing on the field for the rest of this year
green manures
and - my favourite - do I have a toilet on the field?!?
I hope you enjoy the episode. As you probably know by now, I love hearing from you - feel free to send me a DM on instagram or drop me an email lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk. Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.
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. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
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.
Text The Podcast Here!
Support the show