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February 10th 2016

Making Market Bouquets

Written by
Floret

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In the beginning, pulling together bouquets was almost effortless. A quick stroll around the yard and I could gather more than enough ingredients to put together something beautiful. But as time went on and my hobby turned into a business, having a steady supply of the right kind of ingredients became tricky.

It’s one thing to be able to whip up a few centerpieces with goodies from the garden, and a whole other thing to be able to fill a twice a week mixed bouquet order for a grocery chain or bouquet subscription/flower CSA. Some weeks the stars would align and I’d have everything I needed, and some weeks I’d be missing focal flowers or key foliage.

Floret_Market Bouquets-12After seeing the amazing response our mixed bouquets received, but having to endure a season filled with stress, where I was constantly scraping for enough of the right thing, I decided to invest some time into mastering bouquet production.

Bouquets were one of the key stepping stones in growing Floret. When most stores could only take so many straight bunches of flowers, their appetite for fresh, local bouquets was insatiable and we quickly found that they made up roughly half of our wholesale business.

Floret_Market Bouquets-14Farm planning is always a lot of work. Thinking out an entire season, making best guess estimates, predicting demand, scheduling seed sowing and transplanting for dozens of weeks can leave your head spinning. And once you add bouquets into the mix, the puzzle gets even more complex.

To simplify the process, I like to look at each of the bouquet seasons in separate blocks:

Spring (May/June)

Summer (July/August)

Fall (September/early October).

Floret_Market Bouquets-10While we have flowers starting in mid-March and continuing until early November, mixed bouquets are only offered during the most abundant months of the year, May – October. Within each seasonal block I sort potential ingredients into the following categories to ensure the balanced mix necessary for bouquet making, without any production gaps. I aim for about 50% of the mix being filler, 30% being disks and the remaining 20% split between spikes, the focal bloom and airy elements.

Focal: the main flower that the bouquet will be built around, typically something large and showy.

Spikes: colorful vertical elements that really grab customer’s attention and accent the focal bloom.

Disk: these round-headed flowers are great at taking up space and filling in holes.

Filler: I rely heavily on greens to fill out each bouquet and provide textural interest.

Airy Elements: these delicate ingredients add whimsy, movement and interest to any bouquet.

A sample grocery bouquet in June might include: one Peony (focal), three stems of Snapdragons (spike), three stems of Sweet Williams (disk), five stems of apple mint (filler), three stems of Lady’s Mantle and a few Agrostemma.

Floret_Market Bouquets-9Once the seasonal ingredients are sorted into categories, I can see where the gaps might be. For instance, in spring focal and disk flowers are in abundance, but filler is often scarce. So I put extra focus on filling in that category of the mix.

After each season and category is balanced out, I go through and estimate how many plants are needed of each to fill my desired harvest. If a variety is “cut and come again” I may need to only succession plant it two or three times, whereas a “one shot wonder” like bupleurum needs to get replanted every 10 days.

Having production records from the following season comes in really handy during this process. I always review last years production records, plus my field notes, to get a sense of what needs to be adjusted going forward and how many stems I can count on from each variety. If you’re just starting, you’ll have to do a lot of guessing on this step, but don’t worry, after one season you’ll have your own records and from there the sky is the limit.

Floret_Market Bouquets-11Let’s say last season I had a 70 foot bed (roughly 500 plants) of Bells of Ireland. Each plant produces between 6-8 stems that are tall enough for bouquets, for a total of 3-4,000 stems. Bells are great bouquet filler and I like to use three stems in each one to make things go fast. So a 70 foot bed will allow me to make between a 1,000-1,200 bouquets.

We harvest off of a bed of Bells for about three weeks before plants start to slow down. We also have a standing order for 400 mixed bouquets a week with one of our favorite grocery chains. So I can figure that the one bed of bells will give me two and half to three weeks worth of bouquet filler for that account.

I do this same process for every week of the bouquet season, with each of our key crops. Once I know how many plants I need of each, and when I want them to bloom, I plug this information into my seed-sowing schedule. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but a day or two at the table planning gives me a steady seasons worth of production without too much headache.

Floret_Market Bouquets-2Spring Bouquet Favorites:

Focals: Peonies, Tulips, Ranunculus

Spikes: Stock, Snapdragons, Larkspur, Canterbury bells, Foxglove, Delphinium, Lupine

Disks: Calendula, Dianthus, Godetia, Iceland Poppies,

Filler: Apple Mint, Bells of Ireland, Bupleurum, Queen Anne’s Lace, Honeywort, Snowball Viburnum, Lady’s Mantle, Orach foliage, Raspberry foliage

Air: Love in a Mist, Bachelor Buttons, Orlaya, Chinese Forget-Me-Nots, Agrostemma

Floret_Market Bouquets-7Summer Bouquet Favorites:

Focals: Sunflowers, Lilies, Zinnias

Spikes: Snapdragons, Cockscomb (plume), Gladiolas, Salvia

Disks: Asters, Cosmos, small Zinnias, Rudbeckia, Marigolds, Ageratum, Cockscomb (crested)

Filler: Amaranth, Bells of Ireland, Orach, Basil, Scented Geraniums, Ninebark, Raspberry foliage, Chocolate Lace Flower

Air: Grasses, Scabiosa, Poppy Pods, Globe Amaranth, Rudbeckia triloba, Oregano, Love in the Mist pods, Nicotiana, Flax, Cress

Floret_Market Bouquets-4Fall Bouquet Favorites:

Focals: Sunflowers, Zinnias, Dahlias

Spikes: Cockscomb (plume), ornamental Peppers, Millet, Salvia leucantha, Broom Corn

Disk: Asters, Cosmos, Helenium, small Zinnias, Rudbeckias, Marigolds, Strawflowers, Cockscomb (brain/crested or fan), Chrysanthemums

Filler: Scented Geraniums, Amaranth, Basil, Pineapple Sage, Ninebark,

Air: Orach, Love in a Mist pods, Rose hips, Grasses, Jewels of Opar, Grains, Flax and Cress

Floret_Market Bouquets-1Favorite key bouquet making supplies:

We get pre-made brown Kraft paper sleeves from a company called A-Roo down in Texas. If you call (1-830-372-4770) and tell them I sent you, they will gladly send you free samples of the sleeve size we use for our market bouquets. They are a great company, with great customer service and super fast turn around.

The awesome folks at Grower’s Discount Labels make all of our stickers for us. Stuart, the owner, is a wealth of knowledge and is a real joy to work with. We’ve been with this company since our first year in business and I can’t recommend them or their products highly enough! If you email them ([email protected] ) they will send you a catalog and free samples. Canadians, you’re in luck, they ship also ship to you : )

*One final note on stickers, ours are in the shape of a circle because that way you can’t put them on too crooked. I always had little people doing the sticking, and that one tiny details saved us so much hassle!

If you’re venturing into the bouquet business, the first thing you need to invest in is a table mounted stem chopper. It will save your wrists and increase efficiency like you won’t believe. You can find them at your local flower wholesaler or online from Floral Supply Syndicates for about $120. Trust me, it’s money well spent!

Floret_Market Bouquets-3While I wish there were a blanket bouquet planning formula that would work for everyone, there are just so many unique variations that need to be taken into account including what grows well in your area, how many bouquets you want to produce a week and then what your personal style is.

But hopefully this little formula will help you in your planning process and highlight any seasons and categories that need extra focus.

Floret_Market Bouquets-13It took a lot of time and energy to create this post and without your feedback, the team and I are unable to know if we’re on the right track. I would really appreciate it if you would please take a minute and leave a comment. Even a few words would be great! I would love to know if this was helpful, what questions do you still have about the topic, what are you struggling with, or if you have any great resources relating to this topic that you’d be willing to share with other readers.

If you submit a comment and it doesn’t show up right away, sit tight, we have a spam filter that requires we approve most comments before they are published. Lastly, if you feel like this information is helpful, I would love it if you would share it with your friends.

492 Comments

  1. Melissa on

    This article is GOLD to those of us brand new to cut flowers. So many questions answered. THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

    Reply
  2. Janet Belton on

    Erin,
    I thank you deeply with complete gratitude for the help you offer all of us who grow. I count myself lucky that I came across your dahlia book just as I was starting my flower growing journey. A local grower, Sarah from Emerden, here in Taranaki, New Zealand has inspired me tremendously and discovering her association with you was a huge joy and confirmation I’d luckily happened upon people who also have a deep love for the natural world of all things flowers. Thank you for the books, I treasure them each, referring to them constantly. Tomorrow will be my fifth time selling at our local farmer’s market and although the volume is insignificant compared to your operation, your advice has given me the confidence to get started. Can’t thank you enough. Kia kaha! (Stay strong in te reo Maori)

    Reply
  3. Magen Autry on

    This was a great intro to information that can help someone (like me) gather a solid plan with. I think that adding in the size of bouquet you’re referring to would be awesome. I’ve been trying to figure out if I should offer one size bouquet or a few sizes such as small, medium, and large. I will be starting off with offering bouquets once a week. Your “Cut Flower Garden” book has been helpful in my planning process. Personally, I’m having trouble grasping the succession planting method in timely blooms. For cut and come again varieties, do I leave open space in the bed I’m using for the time frame I’m starting off with and then planting the rest of my seeds in the space left open to continuously harvest blooms? Same question for varieties that are not “cut and come again”. Would I leave space open on the beds I’m using for them and then utilize that space when it is time? Thank you!!!!

    Reply
  4. Charlotte on

    It was a great post! I had started to worry that all bouquets must be subtle in colour, and this was some of the most colourful work I have seen from Floret. And it was great to read about quantities too. Thank you very much for making the effort to write this. I feel better about my reds and yellows!

    Reply
  5. kara on

    Thank you for the very specific info, this is so so helpful! Thank you for all you do!

    Reply
  6. Joanna on

    Wow this is such good information! I really appreciate the break down of it all as I’m just dipping my toes into the idea of selling bouquets and it really helps with the mental load of trying to figure it all out. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  7. Bailea on

    I am planning to start my flower farm this year and this post was extremely informative and helpful. Thank you!

    Reply
  8. Rosemary on

    Thank you so much. So much great information. What varieties of basil, oregano, and mint do you use? Mine are all so puny getting them into a tall bouquet would be laughable. It would help.

    Reply
  9. Amy on

    As a rookie contender just starting out, planning and dreaming of what’s to come this year, I found this to be an exceptional wealth of information and knowledge for which, I am truly grateful!! Thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
  10. Mellissa Morgan on

    Greatly appreciate your insight and information on fillers and suggestions for market garden bouquets throughout the season! We did flower farming in addition to veggies for the first year last season and found a lot of local wildflowers to add in as fillers, but absolutely want more variety and will plant some of your suggestions at Springs Farm here in Vermont. Thanks again!

    Reply
  11. Mumma Ayurveda on

    This is great information to really get a reality check on whether or not those seeking a flower farm is right for them. Im in a process of whether to grow market vegetables or flowers on a recent property I have bought oozing for something to grow on a beautiful gentle east facing plot. Thank you for this post as Im reading non stop to try and be clear what is the best way forward xx

    Reply
  12. OGH on

    love this and always appreciate you sharing your knowledge for an enthusiast like me, thank you and your team!!

    Reply
  13. Darcie on

    Super helpful for a beginner like me. Thanks!

    Reply
  14. Anne on

    Dear Erin and Team,

    This article is very helpful for me.
    Thanks a lot, that you share your knowledge and your experiences.
    Thank you so much 😊

    Reply
  15. Zora Read on

    I am a fledgling/start up still not entirely sure I can be successful at growing and selling flowers, but your articles and this this article in particular has been helpful beyond belief. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  16. Michele on

    We were just talking about what to do next. We have two festivals we are doing but there are so many flowers and more growing. I stumbled onto this article (not sure how I missed it) and it’s so perfectly worded and timely that all my anxiety over what next faded away. Bouquets it is and we will call it a fall subscription and get our feet wet. Thank you Erin and team Floret! Could not do this without y’all.
    Michele and Mike McNelley McNelley Farms

    Reply
  17. Marion on

    I think it is amazing how generous you are with all your ideas and experience. I’m sure you’ve helped everyone learn something new. And you probably have a great team because you are a great boss! You’ve been such a blessing to my family as we’ve just started our ” pick your own flower business this year. Many, many thanks

    Reply
  18. Barb on

    I have seen this article referenced in many fb posts and finally took the time to read it. So helpful!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

    Reply
  19. Connie, JostlingC Farm+Studio on

    Love this post! Breaking down categories with suggestions then breaking down seasons is so very useful. You just saved me a ton of planning and experimentation time. Thank you!!

    Reply
  20. Kristy on

    Super helpful article—appreciate the list of seasonal elements for the bouquets. One question which you (or others) might be able to answer. We sell our bouquets at a flower market and flower cart and are wondering about an inexpensive, sustainable way to bag the flowers for customers to take home.

    Reply
  21. Shawn Vieth on

    Thank you Erin and Team for this post! This is my first year I will actually be selling my flowers at my road side stand! Last year, after taking your flower course, I basically was practicing since I was just starting out . I grew a lot of cut flowers from seed on my 1/2 acre but was just figuring out timing with starting seeds, prepping beds, and planting. I learned a lot that first year but made $0 actually selling my bouquets. I spent the time learning and gifting flowers. Now I am using your post as well as your course as an outline to make my bouquets. The flower cart, flowers, and website are all ready to go. Next week will be the first time I will have the cart in place full of flowers for sale. Wish me luck! Thanks for all you information!

    Reply
  22. Bonnie Doane on

    Thank you Erin and crew for making this blueprint on bouquet making. Right now we are living on a postage stamp compared to our acreage in
    Washington state. We now live in Charleston SC. So different, but thank goodness I can still grow flowers. Just want to make bouquets for my wonderful neighbors. Planting your seeds, and enjoy your beautiful presentations on Magnolia/Discovery plus network. Thank you for sharing with all of us

    Reply
  23. Janai on

    My young daughters and I want to start just a little side home venture selling bouquets at our local farmers market and from a roadside stand but this was still so helpful in giving me ideas of the best plants to concentrate growing and how to help them learn to create simple bouquets.

    Reply
  24. Ashley Myers on

    Hi, I was watching a video on YouTube and she had a wonderfully laid out PDF about this blog. Do you still have that PDF? I’d love to print it for a quick go to reference.

    Reply
  25. Dee Hancock on

    Thank you so much! I found this after I have planted my spring stuff. This will help me for the future. I have gone down lots of rabbit holes so far! I hope soon I will be able to take one of your courses, they will certainly be worth it! Thank you. Little Red Hen Flowers, Dee Hancock. Pilot Mtn NC

    Reply
  26. Lynne on

    Very helpful! I’m planning my first cut garden, for my own use. I was working on a list of which flowers to plant for year-round…and then found this post where it is expertly laid out. Thank you!

    Reply
  27. Jessica B on

    Wow, this is so helpful! I’m planning my first year of market bouquets and your list of spring, summer, and fall stems by category clarifies the job ahead of me.

    Reply
  28. Ashley on

    Thank you for all of your helpful content!!!

    Reply
  29. Julie D on

    Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience! I am planning my first cut flower garden and ALL of the resources you provide, including this article, are extremely helpful. I am so excited to start my flower journey and so grateful for your help along the way!

    Reply
  30. Sarah J on

    Thank you for providing so much (very) useful and easy to understand information for us beginner growers! I refer to your articles frequently!

    Reply
  31. J L Suder on

    Thank you for your detailed information. You answered and clarified many questions in three blogs read this evening by this home gardener turning into flower farmer!

    Reply
  32. Kate on

    I read this all the time I’m surprised I don’t have it memorized. Lol But it helps me see bouquets in my head and get ideas and plan. Love your resources and course they just shorten the time to success like nothing else out there! Thanks for all you share.

    Reply
  33. Jussy on

    Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge and guiding this first year flower farmer. It is so helpful to have flower ideas for each category and branch out from there.

    Reply
  34. Sara on

    Thank you for this beautifully written article with lots of helpful information. I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and experience. Sending well wishes for continued success!

    Reply
  35. Katie on

    This was so incredibly helpful. It can be so overwhelming as a beginner but this post really helped to break everything down so it isn’t so overwhelming. Thank you!

    Reply
  36. Lydia on

    Seriously this was so helpful, and just what I was looking for, I’ve been growing flowers for a few years and selling at a road side stand but this year I would like to try farmers markets, this resource was so helpful for planning. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  37. L on

    Greatly appreciate you sharing your experience and wisdom! We were just discussing today at the FM how to figure out our seed supply for next yr

    Reply
  38. Lisa Horstmann on

    This information is very helpful! Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  39. Elaine on

    I appreciate how much detail in this post. You have given me a vision on how to jump start growing flowers for bouquets. Thank you for sharing you experience and knowledge.

    Reply
  40. Heather on

    This is so amazingly wonderful! Thank you for providing such a great resource.

    Reply
  41. Christina Willison on

    I love this post so much!! Helps newbies like me! Thank you thank you!! I look forward to more courses and learning

    Reply
  42. Rebecca Richards on

    I have taken the Floret Workshop and the material included was unbelievable. I use the workbook every year. I was wondering if you could add the type of flower such as focal, disk, filler, etc to your excel spreadsheet I can’t always figure what type they are and that would be so helpful. Maybe other course attendees would find that helpful.

    Reply
  43. Janet Murphy Shope on

    Everything you post is just so helpful to me! This is a new venture for sure and I’m not sure what scares me the most, not having the right amount of flowers to fulfill orders, not being able to grasp the math and planning to make sure you have enough flowers to fill the orders, or just killing the crop right from the start!! In other words, post on!!

    Reply
  44. Linda Fraser on

    Thank you! I was taking forever to make just one bouquet. This information is invaluable and will hopefully take my stress levels down a few notches.

    Reply
  45. Laura on

    So generous with your time and expertise, thank you! so helpful in planning stages.

    Reply
  46. Leslie on

    What type of marigolds are your favorite for “disks”?

    Reply
  47. Brenda Vriezema on

    So very helpful, as always! Love Floret and your inspiration and wisdom!

    Reply
  48. ANGELA CANNON ECTOR on

    Well thought out information presented in a comprehensive format. Thanks so much. I would like to know how are unsold bouquets handled? Are they given away/donated, deconstructed and composted (& how is that noted tax-wise)?

    Reply
  49. Rachael B. on

    This was extremely helpful! I am in the planning stages of beginning to grow flowers to sell. I appreciate all the resources, suggestions and organized information you provide. Your hard work and enthusiasm is contagious and is what got me to finally figure out this is the direction for me. Thank you so much for all you do!

    Reply
  50. The Glynn on

    You are a lovely inspiration to our brand new flower farm. Thank you for your encouragement and help via video and book!

    Reply
  51. Wendy Ouellette on

    So helpful! I just bought your book, and brought it to a weekend with friends. They all perused it at one point and loved it as well! As a first year grower, I appreciate all you offer to our community.

    Reply
  52. Tami on

    This was a comprehensive post and so very helpful. I’m a visual learner so the pics also helped me.

    Reply
  53. Ali Bruenderman on

    Thank you! I definitely took notes, and plan to use your recommendations this year. I love that you provided us with resources like where to purchase specific products that have worked for you. The big wide web is many times too time consuming when searching for reliable products for a small flower stand that’s just starting up in Eastern Pennsylvania. Cheers to spring!

    Reply
  54. Cindy Everts/Floribunda Farms on

    Thank you for this extremely helpful and inspiring post, and for suggesting specific sources for the stem cutter and the Kraft paper sleeves, etc. Everything we’ve purchased that you’ve suggested in other posts and your books has been outstanding!!

    Reply
  55. farah deba on

    thank you for sharing your knowledge. I learn a lot. I have a small tropical cutting garden in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I use heliconias as my focal flowers. Great tips. tq again.

    Reply
  56. Judith Thompson on

    Thanks so much for the information and the links to suppliers!

    Reply
  57. Kate Stone on

    I need the bouquet making video back? I can’t access it anymore, but this is all really useful.

    Reply
  58. Shawn King on

    i loved your article! i am just toying with the idea of making bouquets to sell and was trying to research the types and amounts Iand also time i need to make i work. you have given a big amount of wonderful insite t your world that answers a lot of my questions and also gave me thoughts and the want to ask or find out answers to more or new questions. thank u for ur hard work!

    Reply
  59. Jillian Brunell on

    I love to read all of your advice. You are such a wealth of knowledge, and I am so grateful of your willingness to share it. One day I hope to save up and take your online course, but until then I am still learning and being inspired by your blog posts. Last summer we started a farm stand on our little dead end country road in Massachusetts. The word spread from our neighbors and soon we had people showing up from all over town just by word of mouth and a ” Farm Fresh Veggies” sign at the beginning of the street. Then I started to include some of my cut flowers in mason jars and well as some canned preserves and they all sold! I am most passionate about my future flower garden growing and I have you to thank for that! Thank you so much!

    Reply
  60. Courtney on

    Super helpful regarding percentage of filler, spikes etc.

    Reply
  61. Meagan on

    This is great! I love making bouquets and have been selling a very limited amount at a local antique store. Your resources are always so helpful.

    Reply
  62. Beverly Mouw on

    This is great! My daughter really wants to start selling flowers on the side of the road (she’s 5) I told her we’d have to plan a little better and we could set up a stand!

    Reply
  63. Georgia on

    Such an informative blog post, leaves me so inspired. Thank you Erin & team!

    Reply
  64. romane on

    so helpful!! Thank you Erin!

    Reply
  65. Marni Nelson on

    Great info ! I’m going through the scrounging while waiting for new flowers to bloom..so very helpful.
    I use a hand held pvc pipe cutter for small bouquets.. like 7.99 each.

    Reply
  66. Brenda on

    Thank you for sharing this information! I find it very helpful , as I have started my first little flower farm here in North Dakota. I must say that it is a lot of work, especially during the drought, but so rewarding! I am already planning to plant more flowers next year! I greatly appreciate all the information you share!

    Reply
  67. Judy on

    I had forgotten about jewels of opar! Want to plant some next year. Thanks for a great article. I do have trouble using Chinese forget-me-nots, they always seem to wilt no matter what I try .

    Reply
  68. Jeanni M on

    This was wonderful!! So incredibly helpful! THANK YOU!!

    Reply
  69. Kimberly Bowman on

    I stumbled on your website, and was inspired to plant two different type of Zinnia and Aster from seed, in containers. There are way more blooms than I will ever be able to use, and the Aster’s haven’t started blooming…yet.
    It started as an experiment in drying flowers for future crafts, and has turned into an obsession! Currently I am planning a small plot for next year and hope to sell bouquets in Southeast Kansas! Thank you for sharing your research and wisdom so we can share in this passion with you!

    Reply
  70. Kathy on

    Wow, what a great article! I too have started a small flower farm this year with the hopes of selling seasonal bouquets. I planted what I thought might work for this year. Nothing yet, but I work diligently every day in my farm beds and my foundation beds. Because of this wonderful article, I have a better idea of what to use and grow next year.
    Thank you

    Reply
  71. Donna Bauer on

    Lots of good solid information! Thank you.

    I ramped up my flower garden with hopes and prayer that I could sell them. I am only doing summer n fall bouquets however I have no idea on to get people to come.. also I I have no idea how many bouquets my beds will produce. Can you give me an idea of how many bouquets I may get?
    All have been planted in succession.
    I have several beds around the yard.
    1- 18’x11’ . 3 rows of forget me nots, 2 rows larkspur, 3 zinnias and one bells of Ireland
    Another bed 13’x14, 4 rows of zinnias and 4 of cosmos.
    Sunflower 22’x12’ 9 rows

    Thank you!

    Reply
  72. Jody Mallon on

    Thank you so much for this post!! Very informative and well communicated!!

    Reply
  73. Kelcie on

    I have been searching everywhere for a post like this! Just barely getting into cut flowers and have been trying to find out which flowers end up in bouquets together so I know which flowers to grow together. Finally found it here! Even having a base starting point is amazingly helpful so I don’t leave my first season of cut flower bouquets in complete disappointment. Thank you!

    Reply
  74. Sansea Sparling on

    This is a great post- and it is clear that it took a lot of time to compose carefully, referencing your plannig records as well as bouquets records. The 5 categories are really useful for any bouquet making, home or in quantities for sale. Thank you

    Reply
  75. Katy Weil on

    Super helpful and informative. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  76. Danielle Roberts Green on

    This article was extremely helpful. We are in the planning stages now for our flower market for 1st year production in 2022. Thank you for sharing your hard-earned wisdom.

    Reply
  77. Lauren on

    Wonderful information!!! Thank you!!!

    Reply
  78. Natalia on

    Thank you for sharing all your helpful tips for us beginners 💝

    Reply
  79. Claudia on

    So grateful for this! Thank you! 😊😊🙏🏻

    Reply
  80. Linda Dodson on

    Should I put some kind of floral preservative in the water?

    How do you transport flowers from home to store?

    I don’t really have the “show-stopper” flowers like dahlias, peonies, etc. in my garden, but the simpler zinnias, Canterbury bells, Shasta daisies, bachelor buttons, black-eyed Susan, sweet William, aster, hydrangeas, love in a mist, catmint, mint plant, poor man’s orchids, etc. Do I need something more “WOW” to make and sell bouquets?

    Reply
  81. Sandra on

    Thank you so much! Some very useful information!

    Reply
  82. Taylor Sweeten on

    This is fantastic information! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
  83. Elizabeth on

    Perfect! This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! I’m trying to estimate costs for the coming year so I can get a handle on how much I should plant to make a good go of a roadside stand. Thank you!

    Reply
  84. Sue Whitehead on

    This is so helpful. I am on your list to take your full course so I glean all that I can from these posts.

    I have turned my winter into collecting flower farmers to follow… turns out lots in our area… turns out it’s become “a thing” in the interior of BC… I’m sure everywhere! I have both your books, have planted the accompanying dahlia seeds and everything else you suggested. I try to buy Canadian but I just can’t help but buy your seeds… especially your interesting fillers.

    Everything is coming along well, but I too have no clue how many this will become, how to create bouquets from what I have at any given time and ya, will anything bloom at the same time to sync up into a roadside flower stand?! So fun!

    It isn’t yet my day job, as I teach, and I only want/ need things to bloom July and August with the addition of peonies in the spring and dahlias/ sunflowers in the fall.

    Thanks again and blessings!
    Sue

    Reply
  85. Rachel on

    What a wonderfully helpful post! Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into it!

    Reply
  86. Madel Brand on

    Thank you for the article I found it helpful and inspirational. I have sown my first seeds to start selling flowers and are keeping my fingers crossed to have my first flowers for beginning of May.
    I live in a warm climate so have a year round flowering season. After reading your article I will be sure to keep meticulous records of when I planted what, how many plants how long they flowered and produced usable flowers etc also what I lacked.
    I live in a rural area far from any city, but have 3 florist shops that has shown interest in buying locally grown flowers (we have no other local growers in the area except a rose farm) from me. I have no idea how to plan as it is my first year of planting flowers to sell and are flying by the seams of my pants so fingers cross.
    Thank you for your bouquet recipes as I want to supply some bouquets to a local rest stop on a major highway and grocery store. I have been a bit haphazard in planning what to grow and worry I won’t have enough foilage or fillers. I experimented with cut flowers in my garden for the past 2 years to determine what would typically thrive in our extreme heat and now plan to plant those varieties on our 2ha plot at the end of my garden. We have eight 21×8meter grow tunnels that we plan on covering with 40% shade nettjng to protect our plants from the harsh sun and the wind. Currently I only have ruscus and pennygums as foilage but will be adding dusty miller, geralton wax and some asperigus ferns to the mix. I also hope to invest in some hardwood shrubs (native fynbos) that can be harvested for foilage. I have sown catnip, basil, oregano and mint that I hope can also be used. I could use some advicd and/or recommendations on foilage
    I would like to hear your view on selling shorter stemmed posies. We have a large number of elderly residents who don’t have their own gardens any more and could afford a weekly posey rather than a bouquet. Would the flowers be the same or would you recommend different flowers? I have experimented with french marigolds, gomphrena and dianthus in my garden their stems are typically between 20 an 45cm with a vase life between 10 an 18 days not using any plant food just frequent water changes and cutting stems.
    I have sown a lot of sweetpeas (one of my personal favourites) that I hope I will be able to use in posies as I fear I may have gone overboard.
    I live in South Africa despite my ancient UK hotmail address.
    Thank you again for sharing your experience and knowledge.

    Reply
  87. Tina Henry on

    This is wonderful article that inspires budding flower farmers. I love that you are willing to share your knowledge. I am SO EXCITED TO START a flower farm.

    Reply
  88. Al on

    Great article!
    I found this site trying to find a better faster way to tie the bouquets. Do you use a tying machine?
    Thanks

    Reply
  89. Rebekah on

    Thank you SO much for sharing all of this with us! My husband and I are planting and planning now with the intention that this will be year 1 of our flower farm endeavor. There is so much to figure out and keep track of and this post really helps me to think ahead and look to see what we might be missing by way of making bouquets. Also breaking things down by season gives me a way to compartmentalize and not feel so overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you, thank you!:)

    Reply
  90. Elissa on

    Thank you! Great ideas. I wonder what the profit margin should be with chain stores verses your own market sales…

    Reply
  91. Stacy Taylor on

    Thank you so much!! This is amazing information!!!

    Reply
  92. Angie Durbin on

    Thank you! I appreciate all the detail and the hint to break out the planning into 2-month groups. You are a wealth of information and I appreciate that you are helping the rest of us.

    Reply
  93. Paula on

    This has been very helpful!

    Reply
  94. Gwen Mullin on

    Thank you for your information. I am going to check out the suppliers you use.

    Reply
  95. Anna T Catt on

    The time taken to go into detail for anyone out there who might want to know specific information does not go unnoticed. This blog, your product notes and directions, and mostly, your BOOKS have become well-worn reference guides for me over the past couple of months. As a first-season production grower, the first episode of the television show and all of your resources have lit a fire in me. We’re going to do this, and wouldn’t have had the courage or readily available inforamtion all in one place if it weren’t for you! I’m soaking this in like a sponge, we’re ready to get our hands dirty come spring, and really appreciating the hard work it will entail! So thankful to have found your Floret family as a resource and a friend! -Anna

    Reply
  96. Cait on

    This post was extremely helpful. Thank you for taking the time to go into such detail. I love how you explain different aspects of planning and/or planting. It’s so much easier to understand all of the steps when you break things down more clearly. Always a joy to read! Thank You

    Reply
  97. Taylor on

    Thank you! This is so helpful! I have been researching what to plant for the last week and this really helps me narrow it down as this is my first year of flower farming. And especially since I only have one acre!

    Reply
  98. Ashley on

    Thank you for putting this together! I love all that you to help beginners such as myself.

    Reply
  99. Lauren on

    Thank you for this and all your other posts giving guidelines and sharing knowledge. As a member of the Floret Workshop Class of 2021, I’m so excited to dig in!

    Reply
  100. Heather on

    I am so thankful I found your website. I am reading everything I can to help guide me as I start a flower & vegetable farm.
    Such helpful information!!!!!

    Reply
  101. Natasha on

    Thank you for taking the time to share this info!! I am excited to be joining the flower farming business world this year!

    Reply
  102. Kaley on

    This is super helpful! Thank you for the excellent, organized content!

    Reply
  103. Nelz on

    Can you please make lots of cut flower seed collections that include focal, spikes, disk, filler & airy plants by season? I’d love purchasing all of the seeds by just adding collections to my cart.

    Reply
  104. Daisy on

    I am thankful for your blog. This information encouraged me to slowly build my hobby into business.

    Reply
  105. sarah davis on

    This is post is so very helpful as we plan out our second year of flower farming! Our first was about 80% guess work! :)

    Reply
  106. Jessica DiLeo on

    I am starting to create a cut garden plan for the little space I have around my house. I wish I would have read this post sooner!! I have been creating my own spreadsheet with all ingredients for each season, and would ya look at that, you did it for us. :) I am also adding in some other flowers/fillers you used in your A Year in Flowers book as well as some others I like. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this up, it was extremely helpful!

    Reply
  107. Hallie Grace on

    Hey y’all! I’m just starting out growing flowers and I hope to grow many more this coming spring! This was extremely helpful!! Thank you so much Floret for all of your resources, I’ve already learned so much!

    Reply
  108. Mary Murray on

    I was so glad to find this post! I live in a zone 4 where the snow typically lasts until March and my last frost date is Memorial Day. Because of that I’ve been struggling where to start with my bouquets for next next year. This post has been a great help in narrowing it down and giving me a better starting place. Thank you!!

    Reply
  109. Ann on

    Hi Rachel! I can identify with your comments. This is our third year as a flower farm. I stumbled into this business by accident. Little do I know that my love of gardening could be valuable. Now I am dragging my reluctant family along with me for the ride. My spouse made it very clear that he wanted absolutely no debt from my adventure. I do understand his conservative approach, this will make you stick every penny back into your business. I don’t really expect to pay myself for a few more years. I personally love zinnias. The seeds are affordable and they will produce most of the season. The seeds are affordable, easy to grow and productive. There are lots of choices on the market. I use statice often in my bouquets. It is similar to zinnias, it is productive most of the season. I struggle finding a good all season foliage. I use false indigo (Baptisia) most of the spring and part of summer. I was fortunate that I had already planted two of these bushes years before I started to grow all the flowers. False indigo will also provide spike flowers in the spring. I have also found that I look at nature a little differently now. I have discovered lots of plants growing already that will last in bouquets that are beautiful: milo, wheat, wild grasses, honeysuckle, chokecherry, cattails. As far as flowers that require little care, I suggest: zinnias, ageratum, gomphrena, marigolds, statice, sunflowers, hibiscus foliage, sweet Annie, most grasses, calendula, celosia. I love this site too. There is an amazing amount of helpful information on here for flower farming!!! I hope I have helped a little. I feel like balancing family life with my flower life had become the hardest part of this business.

    Reply
  110. Diane Hernandez on

    I purchased both of your books snd read them with a highlighter as I often need to go back to refresh my memory. Ha.
    This article was really helpful! Due to COVID-19, our garden club has not been able to hold plant sales, workshops, etc. to raise revenue. So,…my husbsnd and I built a farm stand and I plan to sell flower bouquets, pumpkins, produce, gourd crafts, etc. The proceeds will go to support the garden club activities including scholarships to college students studying horticulture. Your article will help me determine what to put into my bouquets; some plants Im already growing. Whew! Thanks again for sharing your positive outlook and knowledge.

    Reply
  111. Becca on

    This was extremely informative; you gave me the right details and did not leave me with unanswered questions. Thank you!

    Reply
  112. Rachel Giampietro on

    Your post was so incredibly helpful! I do have one suggestion though. I’m a newbie to flower farming and I plan to sign up for the workshop this year. I have 3 little girls, one of them just 4 months old, so I really have to focus and balance and consider what I can really handle on my own. While this post is very helpful to someone who’s business is already blazing ahead, it’s honestly just a bit overwhelming to a new or aspiring farmer. I mean, literally after reading this post I want to go to Johnny’s and put hundreds of every single seed packet you mentioned for every season in my cart. But logically, as much as my little flower heart wants to grow everything I see, it is not in my capacity (financially or otherwise) to grow all of these things. A post for a beginner like me would be really helpful. Taking into account skill level and knowledge base and the finances of a budding dream, what could someone like me really afford (debt free) and have to time to manage? What filler, what disks, what focal, etc. should a starter focus on to keep the business profitable so that next year we can build on that good foundation? I’ve almost just decided that I should just pick one season and grow for that season because I’m so overwhelmed (but super excited in a bad way) at the sheer volume of things I could plant. Either that or just grow a lot of focal flowers and a few fillers I like. Thank you so much for everything you do Erin. You are such an inspiration and an excellent teacher. ♥️

    Reply
  113. Dana on

    Informative and excellent!

    Reply
  114. Rebecca on

    This is a great post. I was fortunate to have a mentor years ago that started my hobby but I needed a refresher. This was more thorough then I could have hoped for. Thank you.
    I like to combine my love of cut flower gardening with butterfly gardening. So my homework will be to cross reference your lists with my others.

    Reply
  115. Adrienne on

    Read this all the way through! My ADD didn’t get the best of me!

    Reply
  116. Butterworth on

    Thank you for this and all the other great info that you share so freely! I really appreciate it.

    Reply
  117. Theresa Leland on

    Wow! What a treasure trove of information. Thank you SO much!!!

    Reply
  118. Erin on

    Such great information! Thank you for always sharing your knowledge and experience!
    How do you recommend keeping the flowers fresh if selling in a flowers market where it is really hot? If the flowers stems are hydrated like you suggested in your mini course is that enough, or do they need to somehow be kept cooler?

    Reply
  119. Jondwlyn Thomas on

    Great information. I read this post and watched the summer mini course. In both you talk about cutting the bouquet ends with a table top stem chopper. In the mini course you indicate you have a preset bouquet height and a line drawn on the table so you know where to place the bouquet to achieve uniformity. What is the uniform height that you have determined is best and how did you come to that conclusion?

    Reply
  120. Crystal Rose on

    This is wonderful! Really gives me an idea of what I need to be planting in order to give a variety in my bouquets and how much I need to plant to keep a consistent season. Thank you for this!!

    Reply
  121. Margo Pownall on

    Love a plan, me. This boils no it all down into quantifiable elements. Thank you.

    Reply
  122. Olivia on

    This post was very helpful. It explained things simply, in a way I could follow. And the examples were great to get an idea of what I could start with. It’s not just abstract theory; there are practical examples. Love it!

    Reply
  123. Abby Murray on

    This is so helpful, as a (self-diagnosed and only partly joking) OCD I am all about the planning and contingencies, knowing that sometimes you just have to roll with it and make the best of what you have. I am leaning heavily toward a market bouquet business in my early retirement from nursing, and the more info, knowledge and experience of others I have, the better. So appreciative of you sharing your experience and advice.

    Reply
  124. Shannon on

    This is some of the most helpful and easy to put into play planning I have used in starting my small cut flower business from my yard. Thank you for the time it took to get this into the world!

    Reply
  125. Rhonda Malhotra on

    Thank you so much for sharing your tips for market bouquets. I have my first gig selling bouquets at local farm that has a lovely shop. This will help me get started off on the right foot.

    Reply
  126. Anita on

    This is such fantastic guidance for someone like me, branching out into a new flower farming business. Could I just ask, typically, how much would you sell a mixed bouquet to a grocery store for?
    Thank you for your generous help

    Reply
  127. Jessica on

    What is the blue flower in the first picture called? Thanks!

    Reply
  128. Jac on

    Wow! Fantastic info for someone considering a similar floral biz. Thank you for taking the time to post.

    Reply
  129. Kati Smith on

    Thanks so much for all this great info! I can’t wait to start planning my cut garden for next year!

    Reply
  130. Meagan Warren on

    Thanks Floret team. I like that fact that you use interesting perennials as filler. It gives me ideas for my own property bc I inherited 1.5 acre as of perennial gardens to get started with. So much fun!!! Hope you’re all hanging in this spring. It’s been a complete change of operating and tone!!

    Reply
  131. Kate Stone on

    Extremely helpful especially for someone just starting out.

    Reply
  132. Molly on

    Thank you! Love your organization of descriptions, makes it so easy to understand and the project feel less daunting!

    Reply
  133. Jana on

    Thank you Erin and Team! I am new to the farm/ flower business. I have been designing since 2013, on a part time basis, (weddings & events). I own an insurance agency, one of the least creative careers for a creative soul. When I turned 50, my youngest of four was a Jr. in HS, and my second son was planning his wedding-so I left my corporate job, opened my own insurance agency and started designing, (my son was my first client)! Insurance has kept me super busy, and soon another son was married and babies born. I had a goal to jump in full time this year, along with my agency regardless of “timing”. So happy I did! Mother’s Day was Fabulous! I have a flower cart on a much traveled country road, and the reception has been excellent. I am grateful! tis week will begin my first market bouquets from the cart, Covid19 and weather have not been kind, however here in Massachusetts, everyone is ready for flowers and sunshine! I am looking forward to growing my business in this unusual time. Thank you again, LOVE the tips you pass on.

    Reply
  134. Garnet Green on

    Great read! Thank you for the wonderful tips, very detailed!

    Reply
  135. Robert on

    Great article. It was sent to me by your staff when I inquired how the bouquets for the seed collections were assembled.
    I feel it would be very helpful to have a suggested list of the stems per sample bouquet with each seed collection you have presented.

    Reply
  136. Mary on

    Erin and staff,
    Thank you very much for this article. Please know, that even though it has been a number years have past since this was written, your detailed information is invaluable!!! This is an excellent re-visit article for sure!

    Reply
  137. Patricia Brazeal on

    Extremely helpful! I want to start a cut flower business and any and all advice and tips are welcomed! Loved the break down on how to assemble bundles!

    Reply
  138. Glenda on

    That was really helpful information. It gives me a starting point for planning my new subscription bouquets for this coming summer.

    Reply
  139. Hannah on

    This was the most helpful article I’ve read about planning beds around bouquets.
    I am planning for my first year planting cut flower beds. I already have a few perennial flower beds and a veg patch. My plan this year is to practice bouquets in my own home and have a farm stand with extra bouquets for sale. I am not planning on becoming a market flourist, but I am interested in a csa type subscription box or a u-pick approach. Having read this article, I can see I need to think about more airy texture plants. It definitely seems crucial to keep records of production.

    Reply
  140. K on

    This was a very thorough post. I see I have a few more things to sort out before my first season of growing-to-sell starts.

    Reply
  141. Lisa Cook on

    I am also beginning my first year flower farming. Very exciting! I check back often to see what’s new and what I can learn. Already thinking about what to add next year!

    Reply
  142. Amanda on

    Thank you SO much for all of this amazing info. We planning for our first flower season, and I am so grateful for all of the amazing information here. Thank you!

    Reply
  143. Kathleen Cart on

    Thank you for this! There’s so much valuable information here and definitely helps me to see where I need to put a little more focus in this coming year’s garden!

    Reply
  144. Kelly Young on

    Very helpful thank you so much for this wealth of knowledge! I just bought your book Cut Flower Garden. I’m exploring the world of market bouquets and flower farming ❤️ This is my first year!

    Reply
  145. Jenny on

    Thank you for the information. I’ll be starting this year.

    Reply
  146. Dianne Reganess on

    What a goldmine of information! No one likes to reinvent the wheel . . . .saves me time and gives me a roadmap!! Thank you so much!!!

    Reply
  147. Becky cook on

    Love this! You are so gracious to share all of this information!

    Reply
  148. Teresa on

    Thank you for the inspiring and hard earned information. My daughter and I will be starting our flower growing adventure and your posts will be a great help. Your beautiful generous spirit of sharing is a joy and will be passed on.

    Reply
  149. LuAnn on

    I have learned so much from your posts.Your flowers and your farm are simpy beautiful. I am just beginning. Thank you for so much information. I am wondering if you recommend putting bouquets in open-bottom sleeves and whether you put “flower food” in the buckets for market. Thank you again.

    Reply
  150. LuAnn on

    Thank you. This was was a huge help and encouragement to an “advanced age” beginner starting a new venture. It is much appreciated!
    LuAnn

    Reply
  151. Jillian Brunell on

    This post is very valuable and inspiring to me. I have been gardening since I was a child but I struggle with the marketing aspect of it all. How do you find vendors and stores to sell to? I would really like to start a flower farm but have no idea where to start besides farmer’s markets. Thank you for any advice. Jillian

    Reply
  152. Molly on

    Thank you so much for sharing this planning formula. As I will be tripling my planting area this next season, this information is extremely helpful! So excited to apply this to my planting practices!

    Reply
  153. Amanda @ sageriverfarms on

    This information was incredibly valuable to me as I start my first year as a flower farm. Thank you for taking the time to do it. I’ll definitely be using some of your company referrals and dividing my flower season into groups to help with bouquet planning!

    Reply
  154. Rachel on

    A-Roo told me I could only purchase a sample pack, no freebie to try out.

    Reply
  155. Frosti Flowers on

    Thank you for sharing this information! I am looking to try many of your suggestions.

    Reply
  156. Auntie B on

    Thank you for this. It was very helpful. I have been a stayh at home mom for nearly a decade now, and I have anywhere from three to seven years left, so I have been exploring options where I can work from home. I kinda tripped, stumbled and fell into growing things five years ago but only recently have I started growing flowers. Flower farming draws med like nothing else ever has. We will only bef in this house and this state for a couple of years, so I figure I may as well start here and get the kinks worked out before we move on to our final area. Currently there are no flower or plant sellers at any of the farmers markets in our area! I hope to change that next year.
    I did have a question though. Do you include a food packet in your bouquets?

    Reply
  157. Linda Crew on

    This is a great article, we are just starting off this year and are supplying farm shops and have recently finished a wedding. Thank you for sharing this valuable information. Can’t imagine being on such a large scale as you though!

    Reply
    • Team Floret on

      So glad it was helpful, Linda. And congrats on finishing the wedding! For many, many years we grew flowers on a very small scale–just 2 acres!

  158. Christensen @ Flowerhub on

    Are these blossoms homegrown? They look really fresh and excellent quality. Thanks for sharing a great article. I am inspired to exert extra effort in growing our flowers. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  159. jodi pears on

    What percentage did the store take on your market bouquets? I’m partnering with a local farm stand and want to know what is the appropriate percentage they should get for selling my flowers at their stand

    Reply
  160. Jenny on

    Wonderful article, thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’m just getting started this year on a small bouquet subscription (12/week) and this was very helpful to see the details. I’m still struggling a little with how to do the succession planting in a small space but hopefully will figure that out as we progress this summer.

    Reply
  161. Becky Jarvis on

    I love your bouquets and I love your little teaching classes; can’t wait for your new book! Wish you would do little classes that we can pay for, I loved to take your big class one day, I just started a little urban flower farm and have learned so much from you, I look forward to taking your class some day, thanks for all your knowledge you share,
    Becky jarvis

    Reply
  162. Beverly on

    Your post was awesome and bouquets beautiful! The seasonal groupings are great. It’s a little late, but some of our Girl Scouts are in the midst of planting to put together sunshine bouquets for sick and elderly in our community for their silver award. I was trying to figure out what might be our best bet to plant as far as fillers are concerned. We’re in Virginia and looking for something that’s a quick grower and can withstand the Virginia heat. Planting this weekend…. thanks in advance for any advice you can offer.

    Reply
  163. Julie on

    Such a great article. I love market bouquets but never know what to plant. Thank you for listing suggestions!

    Reply
  164. Vionca Mason on

    Thank you for the information – very helpful! I am slowly experimenting with the concept of eventually becoming a flower farmer. Lately I’ve seen online this concept of wrapping the bouquet stems in wet paper towels and plastic film and then covering the whole base in decorative paper. It’s beautiful to be sure but in my zone 7 , is that advisable. As an event decorator that deals with florals on a regular basis, I have witnessed the mishaps that can occur with perishables, but am I being paranoid? I noticed you don’t seem to use that method, so aside from extra labor, are there other reasons why?

    Reply
  165. Jennifer Fisher on

    Love all your posts and your willingness to share information – even having the link for the bouquet paper and stickers is extremely helpful! Thank you!

    Reply
  166. rachel graham on

    This was so helpful! Do you use flower food in your buckets when you harvest or include flower food packets in your bouquets? Thanks!

    Reply
  167. Cindy Smith on

    Thank you so much for taking the time to share this – it is very helpful in deciding if I want to add flowers or not. One thing I wonder is how you keep the flowers from wilting once you cut, bring them in from the field, arrange them, then transport to market….

    Reply
  168. Loren Atkins on

    This is SO helpful! You are my new favorite flower resource. <3 I'm planning on doing a small yard stand with flower bouquets this summer.

    Reply
  169. Dee Brewer on

    This is very helpful. I’m starting a flower farm, and will be participating in my first farmer’s Market in a little over a month. Your ideas for bouquets are great, as well as suggestions for sleeves, stickers, and the stem cutter. Would love to see a picture of your stickers. Would also love to know how you keep track if everything- the planting schedule you mentioned, etc. Is there a system you recommend? I love your daily planner, but am trying to organize and keep track of the big things now- production records, detailed plant growth and progress, sowing schedules, etc There’s a lot to keep up with! ?
    Dee

    Reply
    • Team Floret on

      Hi Dee– Congrats on starting your first season! So glad to hear the post was helpful. We share a tutorial + all of the details for creating market bouquets in the Floret Online Workshop. We run the course just once per year and registration opens in the fall. We’d love to have you join us. Wishing you all the best at your first market!

  170. Paula on

    Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge! I’m going to need a lot more greens! ?

    Reply
  171. Wen Dee on

    I found your blog post very informative. I really appreciated you adding the links to your resources, thanks.
    I am considering growing flowers to sell at the local farmer’s market. I’m in Florida.
    Curious what you sell your flowers for and what type permits you needed.
    I researched several sites and don’t see the type flowers I grow currently, not sure if that is a benefit or not.
    Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks.

    Reply
  172. Rachel on

    This is incredibly helpful. These types of posts are such a generous gift to your readers!

    Reply
  173. Lydia on

    Such a great post. Thank you for taking the time to put it together. Such great info!

    Reply
  174. Deirdre Barbeau on

    Your bouquets are beautiful but I am wondering how you keep them in water if they are in these sealed sleeves? I am starting a small florel farm in New England and found you in my research, bought your book(my bible), and ordered your seeds. Thank you for all your guidance.

    Reply
  175. Kaylah on

    Thank you so much for this great post! I have felt a little overwhelmed at times trying to figure out where to start but this post really helped me to focus my attention! If you’re looking for post ideas, a post all about your “must have” cut flower business tools would also be super! Thanks again!

    Reply
  176. Laura on

    This was extremely helpful! I was having a hard time picturing the best way to sell them directly. I appreciate all that you share.

    Reply
  177. Rachel Middleton on

    This article was very informative and professional. I’m just now getting an interest in making bouquets, so this was very helpful and encouraging for me. I’m an amateur gardener but grow lots of sunflowers in the season and would like to do more with them. Great article. Hope to read more from you.

    Reply
  178. Estelle on

    Floret is such an amazing farm! Thanks so much for this article and putting so much detail in it!

    Reply
  179. Amelda on

    Love the post! Each one I read gives me inspiration! Thank you

    Reply
  180. Naomi on

    Great article. Thanks for all the detail and explanation. Very helpful for someone just starting out (as I hope to be!)

    Reply
  181. Denise on

    I found the artical very helpful. It gave me a structure from which to evaluate what I have and what I need to add in order to produce bouquets spring, summer, fall. The thing I may need most is a larger plot:) I can dream. This was incredibly informative–thank you for putting all the info together!!!

    Reply
  182. Jacque Hubbard on

    Today is the first day I am starting to learn what bouquets are good for Spring, Summer and Fall. I found your article so extremely helpful. I am sure I will be resourcing your hard work in the future.

    Reply
  183. Dana on

    When selling a bouquet at market do you leave the stems bare upon purchase or wrap a wet paper towel/plastic bag around the stem ends or otherwise?

    Reply
  184. Sarah Bailey on

    How do you establish pricing – wholesale/retail? I realize this may vary across the country, but any guidelines would be helpful. Thanks for the great information!

    Reply
  185. Maeve on

    When cutting flowers for a bouquet, what is the length you need to cut from the garden so the bouquet is long enough?

    Reply
  186. Cath on

    Can you tell me what the tiny rudbeckia-like daisies are in the last bouquet? Love them!

    Reply
  187. Mindy on

    This was some great information. I am in the dreaming stage of starting a small business. I would like to give it a go when I retire from teaching. Thank you for the wonderful tips, especially the different types of flowers you use.

    Reply
  188. Patricia on

    Thank you for all this information. My husband and I are beginning to figure out what blooms would do best in our arid, dry and desert climate and this information was helpful for starting up costs and bouquets per season.

    Reply
  189. Nicole on

    You are an invaluable asset to us newbies, and I’m sure to veteran flower farmers alike. Thank you!

    Reply
  190. Patricia Pellegrin on

    You are consistently awesome!! I cant thank you enough for all the knowledge you share. This was a very informative post. You are a great teacher!

    Reply
  191. Patty on

    Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience!

    Reply
  192. DiAnn Cardona on

    I am in the Skagit Valley too and am in the beginning stages of wanting to start a flower farm. Thank you for writing this! ?

    Reply
  193. Lacey on

    This is one of the most helpful articles I’ve read since my fascination with cut flower gardening bloomed! Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge with new growers.

    Reply
  194. Arhea Kean on

    you totally got my creative juices going!!! with this post. and i have been in the bouquet biz for a couple years. so thanks for putting it together so comprehensively

    Reply
  195. Marissa Larson on

    This has been an extremely helpful post. I have been looking for a post just like this. I am just in the beginning planning stages to start a cut garden just for my own enjoyment. I think it’s going to take a lot of stress out of the planning. Thank you!

    Reply
  196. Brandy on

    This is article is so helpful and I am so thankful for your willingness to share. I am just getting started and trying to learn where to start. I have read your book multiple times. I am in Texas where the heat doesn’t let a lot of things survive the summer, so I want to plan with that in mind.
    Thanks so much!

    Reply
  197. christine moffatt on

    This is so helpful. It’s our first year growing on our land in upstate New York. Lots of lessons learned after a long, wet winter and spring. I’m putting this post to good use when we plan for next year. This year was a tough one, but we’re not giving up, just planting smarter (and building a hoop house:).

    Reply
  198. Harry Gaskin IV on

    This is an absolutely phenomenal resource that illustrates the depth and science of your craft, skill, and artistry. I’m a big fan of your arrangement work and willingness to share your expertise. Thank you for sharing this!

    Reply
  199. Janet on

    This is so helpful. It has been my go to. Helping me to master market bouquets. Also… I love your book.

    Reply
  200. Destini on

    Thank you so much for your words of wisdom, you are awesome! It helped me so much in my new ventures as a florist!

    Reply
  201. Rosie on

    My flower partner and I are launching our first year in the flower growing and bouquet making. I love how this is broken down so simply into easy to digest pieces. We have lots of flowers of all different kinds and this helps me think about making a tasteful and interesting bouquet! I super appreciate all of your free information!

    Reply
  202. Sally on

    WOW! This is jam packed with so much of the information I’ve been looking for. I have your book and it is also a treasure.
    I love the ideas of flowers for each season’s bouquet.

    Reply
  203. jan Kyle on

    Excellent article and very informative!

    Reply
  204. Janet on

    I just stumbled onto your blog. I will bookmark this. I have your book and have started a small flower farm following all of your advice. I am also very glad for this advice on bouquets.. I do want to find these flower sleeves.

    Reply
  205. Alayna Sechrest on

    Hello! I recently stumbled onto your blog and have spent hours on it since. So much amazing information! I am an aspiring home flower grower and I am finding all of this useful. Thank you!

    Reply
  206. Debbie on

    Hello!

    It is so pleasant to see someone who freely shares their knowledge and does it so well with others success in mind. You have truly inspired me to participate in your joy for flowers on a larger scale.

    Reply
  207. Sue on

    Thank you, so much! You are a wealth of valuable information. Starting a little road side stand – no plans to be as big as you are growing to be – but, one never knows. :) Your book is my bible, (excited for the next one) and your web is my top bookmark! Thank you again, so much! Sue/Cadillac Hippies

    Reply
  208. Norma sechrest on

    I want to thank you so much for the helpful information. I’m wanting to start my own cut flower farm next spring, and you have helped more than you can imagine .

    Reply
  209. Jan Baumann on

    You share so much helpful information so freely. I Very much appreciated..Thank you!

    Reply
  210. Deb Stoneman on

    Well-written and very much appreciated. Thanks for the fabulous article.

    Reply
  211. Susan Peters on

    Was wondering where you get your paper sleeves, came to your website, and found it easily! Thank you! This article was extremely helpful, and I will refer to it again during next season’s planning cycle.

    Reply
  212. Terry Fulginiti on

    Thank you so much for sharing your experience and expertise! The wealth of information you provide is tremendously helpful. Wishing you continued success!

    Reply
  213. Ginger Whitehead on

    Thank you so very much! As usual the information is both very helpful and inspiring. This has been a dream of mine for many years but I have never had the encouragement to give me the courage to move forward! Floret has been so encouraging that I now have my 80×80 garden ready to go!
    Thank you so much!
    Ginger

    Reply
  214. Rebekah Sampson on

    Thank you so much!! Very helpful! I am wondering- how do you keep your bouquets hydrated? I am doing my first year at our farmers market. Should I keep the bouquets in buckets of water or secure set paper towels at the bottom?

    Reply
  215. Micol on

    Thank you so much! I am just starting out, so I really appreciate the detail you provided about floral composition. I wondered what average length of stem you prefer for your summer bouquets?

    Reply
  216. Cheryl Roede on

    This is an amazing post with loads of great info. Thank you so much!!!

    Reply
  217. Olivia Terry on

    Hey Erin!
    Thank you so much for this great information! I’m grower in northern colorado, and I typically use kraft paper for my bouquets. Just a quick question about that, it seems to me that no matter how much water I put into the buckets or how high I try to put the kraft paper up from the end of the stems, the paper inevitably soaks up water and looks a little trashed by the end of market.
    Any tips or suggestions to not get your bouquet wraps soaked when going to markets? Thank you!

    Reply
  218. Chanell on

    Really enjoyed this info just for my small personal cutting garden I am growing out back. The list of flowers for bouquets was extremely helpful!

    Reply
  219. Nancy Thompson on

    I am producing flowers on 4 of 400 acres in Virginia. This is my first season at market and I have modeled my business after yours. I have veered off following advice from others but keep coming back to the foundation you all have established. Thank you for the posts and recommendations. I have used all of your vendors and ordered many seeds from you. The vendors and the seeds have been superior to others I have tried.

    Many thanks to the Floret team.

    Reply
  220. [email protected] on

    This is super helpful. Your posts are inspiring and also practical- thanks for including Canadians in your comments about shipping:) I’m in Alberta and hoping to start an end of the driveway stand to start- I’m a little sad that our season is WAY too short for may of the blossoms…

    Reply
  221. Karen on

    I just discovered your site and I am in love. I live in an apartment and it is killing me, because all I want to do is have a garden full of flowers to cut and make my home beautiful! I have a balcony, so I am trying to figure a way around that. It is so overwhelming to figure out what to grow and what combinations since I am so limited on space. I’m hoping to take flowers that you have listed and be able to make some bouquets for my home. I live in Tennessee if anyone has suggestions. Thank you for this site, and all you have shared.

    Reply
  222. Nancy Roussel on

    Lot’s of great information to get started with, thank you!

    Reply
  223. Haley on

    Erin-
    Thank you for all your advice and help with getting started. I am hoping to put my 20 acres to work and start a flower farming dream. As always you are amazing at what you do and give me hope.

    Reply
  224. Robin Kwiatek on

    Thanks,Erin and team- Getting started on my first season to try to market after growing gardens for many years. I appreciate your sharing your expertise,it helps a lot. Just got a copy of your Cut Flower Garden book and that is wonderful as well

    Reply
  225. Tami on

    I love what you’re doing! On a very small scale, I wanted to include flowers at my farmer’s market stand this year. I was wondering if you have a suggestion on how to keep them in water once the consumer buys them, just so they stay nice until they get them home and in a vase?

    Reply
    • strom on

      There are plastic sleeves that have bottoms on them that I use for markets. I put water in the bottoms and then tie a rubber band around the outside of the plastic so that it doesn’t slip. I have seen other folks use wet paper towels but that seems kind of if-fy to me.

  226. Allison on

    Thank you for the great details and break down of ” bouquet science”.
    I am taking a leap …. jumping into flower selling at farmers market this year.
    This is helpful

    Reply
  227. Leslie on

    Great post! Appreciate the time and the details you write in your posts. I even forwarded it on to a couple friends.

    Reply
  228. DeAnne on

    As a new flower farmer this detailed information is invaluable! Thank you for sharing your expertise!!

    Reply
  229. Brittany Layman on

    Your post is very helpful. This is my “pilot” year for my flower farm allll the way in Maine. Your formula for mix bouquets has given me a place to start! So inspiring and thank you!!!

    Reply
  230. Danielle on

    So Wonderful! Very beautiful and detailed.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  231. Karri on

    Erin you do such an amazing job of explaining things clearly and concisely. It’s nice to see I’m not the only one dreaming of flowers at this cold snowy time of year. My Floret seeds came today and I can’t wait to put your formulas and suggestions to work! Thank you for all you do!

    Reply
  232. Lynn Meyers on

    Your generosity is inspiring! My question is probably basic, but I’m just getting started: when you include things like Lady’s Mantle, or other stems that are much shorter than the rest of your focals, spikes, & fillers, how do you get them long enough to get the stems down into the water? I’m having a hard time visualizing how I will get my short but lovely Lady’s Mantle to be part of a bouquet with my gorgeous peonies and Siberian Iris already growing. Is every bouquet by default only as tall as the shortest element included in it? Thank you in advance for all you are doing to inspire all of us!

    Reply
  233. Raven Mozingo on

    So very helpful! You are so gracious with your experience and you seem to answer questions that I can’t find answers to in any other forum! Thank you! Happy to be part of your 2018 Workshop as well!

    Reply
  234. Nowelle on

    Thank you for sharing this information with me; it has been a tremendous blessing! I too have little ones who will be helping with our family flower farming projects this season, so I greatly appreciate your helpful tip about the sticker shape!

    Reply
  235. Jen @ Full Moon Farm on

    I always marvel at your generosity in sharing your experience and knowledge, and plan to ‘pay it forward’ in my own endeavors. Thank you for opening up the world of flowers to so many ??

    Reply
  236. Diana Miller on

    Thank you SOOO much for taking the time to write about your experience and successes in the flower business! Your photos are gorgeous and I love the way you separated out your information by season! My husband owns an organic vegetable farm here in Chattanooga, Tn and we’re going to try our hand selling flowers at market this year. Do you have any other books/websites/resources you would recommend for a beginner flower farmer? Thanks again!

    Reply
  237. Stacy Thompson on

    Such great information! Do you have advice or a formula on pricing mixed bouquets? I’ve done a lot of searching but have found very little information. Anything would be much appreciated!

    Reply
    • Team Floret on

      Hi Stacy, the price depends on a lot of factors including where you are selling them (there are vast differences in prices for mixed bouquets for groceries/wholesalers vs. roadside stands vs. farmers markets vs. CSA customers) and where you are located (there also is a lot of variation between regions of the country and rural vs. urban markets). While there are formulas for wedding bouquets, I don’t know of a formula for mixed bouquets–again, because there are so many variables.

  238. Betsy on

    Thank you for being so open about sharing what you have learned. I’m inspired to take some risks and try to grow flowers for mixed bouquets. Bring on the Iceland Poppies!

    Reply
  239. Sarah Abare on

    This is invaluable info Erin, thank you for sharing from your years of experience. I started a subscription flower delivery service in Seattle a year ago and am brainstorming ideas on streamlining and growing my business (The Stemmery) and this, along with your market bouquet mini-course have been super inspirational to me. I’ve been hand wrapping bouquets all year with craft paper, but love the idea of the sleeves you use and just called A-Roo for a sample order. Can’t wait to start using these sleeves – they will save so much time!

    Reply
  240. Anna on

    Hi Erin,

    I’m just starting out growing flowers and making market bouquets. I’m struggling to price things as I want my subscriptions and bouquets to be really affordable for people. Do you factor in your time into pricing or just the cost of the flowers? How do you price the flowers also?
    My current price structure = cost of flowers, gst, my time, cost of packaging, sales fees (eftpos), courier

    Thanks,
    Anna

    Reply
  241. Jennie on

    My goodness! This helped me to organize in a much easier way. Much work to do but I can see those gaps now. Your sharing is very appreciated! Thank you!

    Reply
  242. Sandy, Leonardtown, MD on

    Greetings from Southern Maryland, Erin! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for this very helpful, informative post. I have so much to learn, and I just want you to know how much I appreciate the time and energy you spend passing along your wisdom and experience. You are a rock star to me!

    Reply
  243. Seth Clark on

    Wow! This is amazing! We are in the planning stage right now and this has answered so many questions we had been asking! Thank you so much! There is still so much research and planning to be done but this helps a ton, thank you!

    Reply
  244. wendy campbell on

    THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GETTING BACK TO ME IT IS VERY INTERESTING HOW YOU PLAN EVERYTHING OUT FOR THE BOUQUETS YOUR INFO IS GOING TO HELP ME. HOW MUCH DO YOU SELL A BOUQUET OF FLOWERS FOR AND ARE THEY ALL PRICED THE SAME FOR SPRING SUMMER AND FALL. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR GETTING BACK TO ME SO QUICKLY!

    Reply
  245. Anna on

    It’s amazing how much you share with us. I learn so much by reading your posts. Thank you Erin!!

    Reply
  246. Miranda on

    This is such a great tool! Thank you, Erin, for all you do.

    Reply
  247. Ang on

    You are such a gift to the growing community. I can’t thank you enough for sharing and am looking forward to registering for your online course.

    Reply
  248. Rachel Courtney on

    Thank you so much for this information Floret team! This has been incredibly helpful and motivating. I can’t wait to try out these tips next growing season.

    Reply
  249. Kathleen Johnson on

    How quickly do these flowers wilt after sold at farmers market ? does any one put a baby with water at the base ? or is this not a concern ?

    Reply
  250. Mechel on

    What would you use if, instead of having bouquets in a bucket, they needed their own supply of water. I’ve played around with a lot of different approaches and haven’t found anything that works well.

    Reply
  251. L on

    This was really helpful because of the great details to help a beginner and the way you have explained things in a way that seems like a recipe to follow, which helps build confidence

    Reply
  252. Marian Wiltshire on

    I have refound this post. You are so generous with your advice. Thank you sincerely. Plenty of food for thought here for next year. The planning bit sometimes spins me out, but as you point out, if you keep notes and work out what works best in your own climate it will pay off year after year.
    Thanks again.

    Reply
  253. Krista on

    This was very informative and helpful. Thank you for taking the time and lots of thought into putting these posts together.

    Reply
  254. Hannah on

    This was so very helpful! Thank you for being so detailed and thorough. We are starting a small farmer/florist business I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this post over and over!

    Reply
  255. linda on

    You are definitely on the right track. Thank you so much for all of your detailed information. I have a small flower business all ready, and we are planning on making a bigger step next year. I already was planting wide close rows. Now I see how right I was. Thank you thank you. Vermont flower grower

    Reply
  256. lmanders4982 on

    This information is soooo helpful!! We are in our first year of flower farming, and the planning process is a little daunting, to say the least. Please keep the info coming! Anytime I have any questions, I turn to your website/blogs first. A question I have on CSA bouquets or bucket shares, how do you recommend transporting the flowers? What is the best temperature to keep then at during transport? And do you typically arrange all of the bouquets the day before the market or really early the morning of the market? Thank you so much!!

    Reply
  257. Clare on

    Wonderful! ? & very encouraging!

    Reply
  258. Maryjean Anderson on

    Wow, I am so impressed that you put this out there for us at no cost, because I know that this knowledge didn’t come free to you. I currently sell handmade soap at several local farmer’s markets and I would like to add something to this that I would enjoy as much and that would also bring in a little extra money to supplement my social security. I have irrigation available out of the creek, I have pretty decent soil, I have a greenhouse and the knowledge to use it and I am encouraged by what I have learned from you. I always consider bringing something new to a farmers market a crapshoot, but I see potential here for selling fresh bouquets to local businesses in my little town. Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge!

    Reply
  259. Ann on

    Wow….! Such an informative and great guideline of a post!

    Reply
  260. abby on

    What a wonderful post. I never read entire blog posts but I see myself coming back to this thoughtful article time and time again.

    Reply
  261. Fetching Flora on

    Thank you so much for this post! I’m a new floral designer with a small flower farm and am about to get a stand at our local farmers market (the country’s oldest, in Lancaster, PA). I’ve been feeling pretty overwhelmed and under-educated, and this is exactly the information I was looking for! I find myself coming back to your website all the time, and it’s undoubtedly my favorite resource (along with your book).

    Reply
  262. Jayne McNeny on

    This post is tremendously helpful. I’m a grower in south-central Kansas and my climate doesn’t allow me to grow some of the things that work for the Pacific NW. But, I’ll be able to find substitutes that will allow for approximations of the combinations you use. They are vibrant and beautiful! The planning is the key. This post is a wonderful description of your process. Recently bought your book on Amazon. Love it, too!

    Reply
  263. Rosalind on

    I am so thnkful to you for all that you’re sharing. My notebook is filling up with the plans for next year so that I won’t be starting with a blank page and can tweak rather than invent from scratch. Thank You

    Reply
  264. Jon Yoshimine on

    We always look forward to your show and tell that delights both our eyes and ears. We are also making bouquets in our Non Profit business aimed at providing employment for people with learning differences. We are blessed to own property which fruits and veggies are grown. We are experimenting with flower sales on the weekends and your info has been foundational for what we are doing at our flower stand… Thank you!

    Reply
  265. Sheila Hlubucek on

    I’m inspired by the structure you provide and your excellent suggestions for cuts within the seasons. It does remove some of the mystery. Thanks!

    Reply
  266. Laura Spragg on

    Thank you for this blog post, so helpful and informative!

    Reply
  267. Skye Scott on

    ?? this is a just what I needed! Thank you :) I’m too late for spring here in Oz but now I can properly plan for summer ☀️

    Reply
  268. Yvette on

    Extremely helpful, thank you.

    Reply
  269. Karen Russo on

    This post is very helpful. I have just started a flower farm in central Alabama, and I am trying to take in all the wisdom and knowledge I can to make a successful business. A local prominent health food store is allowing me to display and sell some flower arrangements in their store. However, the vase arrangements are not really selling very much and so I have just decided this week to provide bouquets instead and see how that goes. Your article on bouquets is excellent and provides great information on actual bouquets, as well as how to plan for them in the field and each growing season. You and your farm are an inspiration. Thank you!!

    Reply
  270. Brooke on

    Super helpful! Any advice on pricing cut stems and bouquets? I’m struggling with pricing in the Ohio area. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Team Floret on

      Hi Brooke–
      A great way to learn about pricing in your area is to set up an account with a local wholesaler (if you do any event work, you’ll likely need to order at least a few things from them). There’s also an Ohio Flower Farmer group that you should connect with and join their Facebook Group if you aren’t on it already. Cheers!

  271. Kristen on

    Thanks again! Wonderful advice and so very much appreciated….

    Reply
  272. vefuehrer on

    thank U for sharing this information with me. I would love to come to a workshop.. but need to wait on the flow of money. trying to figure out what i should sell flowers to the grocery store and what to the farmer’s market.
    what insite do u have on that?
    elaine

    Reply
  273. vefuehrer on

    was wondering how many flowers to a bouquet, and found this page..what is average price..thanks for the cut and care guide. im wanting to join your group of flower farmers.. but not good with a computer for setting up my web page, not even sure how to send u my fb page.
    elaine

    Reply
  274. Donna Boynton on

    Your post is most helpful to me a grower up in cooler New Brunswick, Canada. You are so generous with the information!! I also bought your book and find it my guide and inspiration! I am the generation before you and applaud you for your natural, soul touching approach to flowers. Truly they-flowers-were meant to inspire and lift us up to a higher place. And you are playing mightily in that presentation! Thank you so much! Donna

    Reply
  275. Susan on

    I love you. This is extremely helpful! Thank you

    Reply
  276. Maja on

    How do you transport the bouquets to the market? I only transport a few bouquets per week but it’s still a hassle with the car and the hot weather in Summer…

    Reply
  277. ARTURO CARRILLO on

    Very helpful, I just to have my own bouquet compañy at Texas and now I like to start again with a bouquet company in Mexico, city. Thank you

    Reply
  278. Jenny on

    Thank you very helpful!

    Reply
  279. Sam k on

    Hello, thanks for the helpful post! Seems wholesale pricing is a popular question that i too am interested in. I’d be interested in knowing the average wholesale price of a bouquet and what it’s sold at list to customer for usually. Thank you!

    Reply
  280. Gwen on

    Thanks for your article. I new at growing cut.flowers and your post REALLY helped

    Reply
  281. Stefanie Fleming on

    I would also like to know what you charge wholesale vs farmers market? I have just recently found you and you have been a huge inspiration to me! I have read your book several times and ordered seed from you this year and have started planning my cut flower farm. You have given such great information that is so helpful and informative! A HUGE thank you for everything! Now I want to come to your workshops!!

    Reply
  282. Melanie Kopjanski on

    Oh, I do have two questions! What is the wholesale price for bouquets to stores? What is the retail price to customers at farmer’s markets?

    Reply
  283. Melanie Kopjanski on

    Thank you Floret Flowers for all the wonderful information that you are sharing. I am a beginning wholesale flower grower….just now starting my second season. I am so grateful for the information you share. Keep up the excellent work….and I love all the great public relations that you are receiving for your diligent work! I hope to meet you soon.

    Reply
  284. Dena on

    I garden and grow flowers because I love it, and to make bouquets to gift family, friends and clients (I’m a hair stylist). Thanks so much for this great info. Although I’m not interested in building a business out of flower arranging, I still love the fabulous advice! I’ve ordered quite a few seeds from you this year, and the germination rate, and detailed directions are outstanding!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  285. Regan Brown on

    Oh my! Now I know why I have felt like a fish out of water lol! As a budding flower grower, I must say that this information has helped me tremendously! Planning is essential and now I realize taking days to do so is okay. This is my first season and just past our last frost date…I’m looking forward to learn alot! Thanks

    Reply
  286. jane A on

    Thank you for the help !!! i am not in the business , just a humble gardener with the need to plant some flowers for cutting, thanks so much for the suggestions !

    Reply
  287. Heather Leba on

    This is truly invaluable information for this budding floral designer! Growing flowers outdoors without a high tunnel in Alaska is challenging, so we are trialing several varieties to determine hardiness and which ones work best in arrangements. Your post is just what I have been looking for and gives me a great place to start!

    Reply
  288. Betti Calhoun on

    Holy Cow!! This information is exactly what I needed! My friend and I are in the beginning stages of starting a flower business: ordering seeds, planning the beds and seeding times…All this was making my head spin. The lists in this entry have made a clear path for my thought process and will be crucial for our meeting tomorrow. Grandma is swooping in to play with the kids (1 year old and 5 year old) while we have complete thoughts. Okay, hopefully we’ll have complete thoughts. :)

    Reply
  289. Robin Elizabeth Payton on

    Thank you a million times over. Sharing equals true abundance! We are starting an herb farm for my healing practice and your planning notes have helped. Blessings, Robin Elizabeth

    Reply
  290. Kahley Madison on

    Wow! You all are a wealth of knowledge at Floret! Thank you so much for taking the time to jam pack your blog posts with such useful information. I am starting my cut flower venture this year and have been referencing your posts a ton. I find your calculations most useful. When I first started planning I looked at my spreadsheet thinking “How the heck do I know how many snapdragons I even need to get the amount of cut stems I want.” Well, you showed me how to get my answer! Thanks much. Happy day!

    Reply
  291. Emily on

    I’ve never thought of categorizing the types of flowers in a bouquet, but it makes so much sense! This will help me plan out what to plan in my own cut flower gardens. Thank you!

    Reply
  292. Elizabeth on

    Erin,
    I cannot express to you how much I appreciate all of your inspiration. I have just recently found you and your words, guidance, and encouragement have been exactly what I needed. I have been “sitting” on the idea of a small-ish seasonal flower farm for a few years now. I have been so nervous about trying and failing that I have not taken steps to move forward. I want you to know that I have made the decision to finally put the wheels in motion and it is all thanks to you! The information in this particular post is more than helpful. You have answered so many questions of mine. I particularily like how you gave examples for each season. For someone just starting out it seems difficult to know where exactly to start. Every post of yours that I have read is super informative. I cannot thank you enough!

    Reply
  293. Gretchen Seifert on

    Thank you! I’m working on building my flower business and your blogs are always so helpful. Your writing is wonderful and generous. Thanks. I am so looking forward to your book arrival!

    Reply
  294. Michael Bains on

    Thank you for sharing. I’m about to receive my California Master Gardener certificate and I’m prepping presentations on growing cut flowers in the backyard. This will come in very handy, thank you so much.

    Reply
  295. Sunshine Meadows Farm on

    Thank you for the wonderful information! As a veggie CSA farmer, we are just getting our feet wet on the flower side. Lots of useful tips.

    Reply
  296. Sunshine Meadows Farm on

    Thank you for sharing this wonderful information! As a veggie CSA, we are adding flowers on a trial this year and appreciate the tips.

    Reply
  297. Arlene P on

    These past few posts have been so helpful! I grew a small patch of cut flowers in my veggie garden last year and am planning to add more variety this summer. I have hopes selling bouquets at the local farmers market but am not ready to take that on yet. You’re showing me so many things I need to plan for without scaring me off my dreams!

    Reply
  298. Abigai Helberg Moffitt on

    this is amazing. Thank you for this! I am wondering where you order the brown paper to package your flowers.

    Reply
  299. Gib's Farm on

    Thanks for your awesomely helpful posts!

    We love A-Roo’s kraft paper sleeves, but we’ve yet to find an efficient way to insert them into work flow. The packs of plastic sleeves come with a tear strip and can be hung from a stand and torn off individually. However, the kraft sleeves come nested in groups of ten without a tear strip, so we separate and stack them before assembling the bouquets. Is there a way to eliminate that step? And where do you place the sleeves that are ready to be used? On the table with the flowers? On a separate shelf? I’d appreciate any tips.

    Reply
  300. Charlotte Magee on

    May I please inquire where you get your seeds from and how many acres your particular enterprise requires? I found your article so helpful and informative. Thank you so much for sharing!!

    Reply
  301. Reba Fairchild on

    Just the inspiration I need to move forward. I am working on creating a pop up shop thst specializes in three sizes of mixed bouquets. I am very appreciative of your hard work and sharing your knowledge with me. Many blessings to you all.

    Reply
  302. Britin Van Brocklin on

    This was the perfect post for me!! I want to start growing and selling flowers this year and we have a few acres but I just didn’t know how to plan!!! Thank you so much for putting this together.

    Reply
  303. Mags Riordan on

    As always wonderful constructive information, even though I am a flower farmer/florist in Ireland. Many many thanks.

    Reply
  304. Tabetha on

    Hello Fran!

    I saw your post and I was just interested in your location. I too am a grower in the south west Michigan area.

    Tabetha
    Barry’s Blooms

    Reply
  305. Denise Cargill on

    Great Article! I’ve printed this one for my notebook. Thank you.

    Reply
  306. Fran jones on

    Thank you so much for this post I am a small flower grower in west Michigan and always looking for ideas

    Reply
  307. Mary Hilsinger on

    Dear Erin and Team,
    This is an amazing post ….so much helpful, organized information and guidance: Thank you!

    Reply
  308. Gwen Sayers on

    AMAZINGLY HELPFUL!!!! Just the help I needed today during my planning session for 2017! Thank you for the time and energy you put into this, it was really well done Floret!

    Reply
  309. Lisa Carkin on

    Hello, I live in Oregon and we have a small family CSA with a flower bouquet included. I cut the flowers and make the bouquets and really appreciate your information and ideas.

    Reply
  310. Noel on

    Thank you for this post. It is full of useful information. I am dreaming of beautiful bouquets:)

    Reply
  311. Carol Orth on

    I love all your blogs! Can you tell me what the thin green arching filler plants are that are in several of your pictures on this blog (including the background picture behind the “Making Market Bouquets” blog title)? Thank you!

    Reply
  312. Molly on

    You know what I love about your posts? That even if you’re not going to be a market grower it’s still full of the most straightforward and useful information. For those of us who garden part time it helps us step up our game. For those of us who don’t garden at all it gives a good idea of all the work required to have a growing operation. I’m sharing your blog with as many non growing friends as I can. That way they can appreciate and look for the locally grown flowers when they shop.

    Reply
  313. Janice Phelps on

    Thank you so much for all the work you are doing to make flower farming easier for those of us just starting out!
    This year will be my third year and I’m hoping to expand my clientele in the spring. Your bouquet ideas are extremely
    helpful. Thank you so much.

    Reply
  314. Hilary Squire on

    Thanks so much for this. I grow from my garden in the UK, so on a small scale and need a)reassurance that I am vaguely on the right track and b)inspiration and guidance. I am now going to look into good varieties of geranium, succession planting of bupleurum and go back to the small variety of zinnia (amongst other things!)
    Thanks again.
    Hilary

    PS Already on your email list.

    Reply
  315. Carmen on

    This is soooo helpful! I am just now reading this while waiting for the “shop” to officially open :) THANK YOU!

    Reply
  316. Christy on

    I have been dreaming of starting a small flower business, and I love reading your blog! Planning a whole season seems overwhelming but when you break it down like this it makes it seem so much more doable. Thanks for letting us in on your process!

    Reply
  317. Heidi @ Willow Lane Flower Farm on

    I’m not sure if I commented on this post or not, but I want to say a HUGE thank you for this post. I’m taking close notes as it’s time to order seeds again. I’m going into year 2 and I think I have done a decent job, but there are so many things that I could do to fill out bouquets better. I want to approach some grocery stores next season as I felt I didn’t have enough mix to fill orders this year. this is extremely helpful.

    Reply
  318. Blue Eye Flowers on

    Needed to read this again as I’m running low on a bit if everything. Thanks for taking the time to write this….so helpful.

    Reply
  319. Tammy Chinn on

    Just realizing I needed a square foot to bouquet converter and Voila! Thank you so much for sharing such useful knowledge! I am foliage short and over airy this week with a wedding and baby shower to do this weekend. If only I had seen this back in February but I will be prepared for next year! Thanks and thanks again and I have my fingers crossed I get to attend a workshop in 2017!

    Reply
  320. marge george on

    Erin, Thank you so much for the list of flowers for all seasons. It has been an inspiration to me. You are an angel to help so many people in your daily life.

    Reply
  321. Heidi @ Willow Lane Flower Farm on

    Somehow I missed this post back in February or maybe I glazed over as I was still in my winter hibernation. I have taken so many notes today. This could have helped me so much this spring. This is our first season and I’m learning by trial and error. It’s funny, I thought I knew so much. I mean I went to college for horticulture. But there is nothing like the lessons of hands on mistakes and successes. This year I have a field of plants that will bloom for me even if I end up planting at the wrong time or too much/not enough of another. I think for my year one its going to be just fine as I’m still building my market. I can’t thank you enough for all your hard work on writing this out.

    Reply
  322. Melissa Sowers on

    Amazing!!! Thank you for such an informative article. I am looking into creating a flower farm at our place and have not yet decided on my market. Regardless, this was extremely helpful with so much information being compacted into a very well written article. Can’t say thanks enough!!

    Reply
  323. Amy Kneller on

    Thank you so much for this inside look into your bouquet planning. I am growing a few varieties of cut flowers this year to try my band at bouquet making.

    Reply
  324. Megan Kampen on

    Great article. So helpful as I’m planning and starting my first cutting garden for the farmer’s market. I am starting small but getting overwhelmed and so excited at the same time. I am looking for specifics on what you do with the arrangement once it is made. Do you have the flowers in aqua tubes or anything to keep them in water, or are you just wrapping kraft paper around the bouquet and tying it off? I haven’t decided the best route to take on the bouquet once it’s made and until the consumer decides to buy. Thanks!

    Reply
  325. Rose Brunnelle on

    Hi. I always appreciate you and the time spent in sharing. Thank you. I have about 1/4 acre how do you determine how plants to start with and which ones to plant in succession. I am growing zinnias, chocolate queen Ann’s, sunflowers, amaranths, fountain grass, some bellsome Ireland and snaps. Thanks for your time.

    Reply
  326. Eustacia on

    Wonderful Floret! You really jump started the idea that was just germinating in my mind- how to have blooming at the same time, the right combinations of flowers needed to create steady staple bouquets. You really are a great teacher! Thank you, thank you.

    Reply
  327. Annelie on

    Thank you so much for sharing so many details about your process. It’s very helpful and information that is not easily found elsewhere.

    Reply
  328. Sally Norman on

    This is a wonderfully helpful post! Thank you for taking the time to write about this. I’m in Missouri and getting ready to start a flower business. Your website has been hugely inspirational and informative.

    Reply
  329. Allison on

    This is an amazing article. It’s full of such helpful information for organizing bouquets and ideas for what to plant. Thank you to you and your team for taking the time to share this.

    Reply
  330. Carissa on

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! You are so amazing and I can’t thank you enough for sharing so much wonderful information. While I have grown flowers before, I have never put much time into planning ahead with it. Now, in our first year owning a floral design business we are ready to plan and grow flowers as well as we can – your guides are helping us understand how to make the most of what we have to work with. Wonderful!!!

    Reply
  331. Diana Westcott on

    You are so generous to share all these insider tips! Many thanks!

    Reply
  332. Kasse Duffy on

    Thank you so much for the wealth of information. I’ve been a florist for years and a Gardner for longer. You’ve inspired me to combine the two loves for a more rounded business. It’s exciting and scary.. Kind regards!

    Reply
  333. Melissa on

    Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and heart for this business! I’m in the beginning stages of researching the industry and I can’t tell you how helpful and inspiring your posts have been! xoxo

    Reply
  334. kathy on

    This is gold. Thank you so much for helping us beginning flower farmers learn from your years of experience!

    Reply
  335. Shyla on

    Erin, This post is everything I could’ve asked for as a starting bouquet maker/farmer. I can’t say thank-you enough for these posts. Keep them coming!

    Reply
  336. Betty Comartin on

    Thank you so much for sharing all this wonderful information!! This is really helpful too me. Even tho I have been gardening for a long time and selling flowers from my little stand for years, I’m not as methodical or organized as I used to be ( getting old?) and the way you have laid everything out in seasons and type for bouquets puts me back on the right track and reminds me of things I have forgotten or let go. So you see you are even helping old gals and now just the people starting out! Love it all! You are so kind to take the time to share your knowledge and it is really appreciated. Loved getting my sweet pea seeds all the way to Vancouver Island this year as well!!! ?

    Reply
  337. Kristen L on

    Wow….just wow. Thank you so much for such amazing posts! My head is spinning, in the best way possible. I can’t wait to read these entries again and again. I’m sure I’ll take something new away each time. I’m still referring back to your growing guides for dahlias, poppies, etc. from a couple of years ago. I love reading them – again and again!

    Reply
  338. Marguerite on

    I’ve been wondering lately about average yields per plant/bed foot (like you supplied in your example for Bells of Ireland). Is there a good resource out there to help estimate, in your first year, how many stems you’ll get off of a given planting size? (Knowing of course that an estimate is just an estimate and won’t take into account all the variables specific to each location).

    Reply
  339. Monica on

    Great information! One thing I’m not clear on is your paper wraps. Are the flowers kept in water with the paper wraps on them?

    Reply
  340. Kara on

    These posts are just unbelievable! Please keep them going.

    Reply
  341. Christ on

    Enjoyed this very much. Just left full time corporate job in marketing to explore other paths. Florals are a curiosity I have. I will keep reading but if you have helpful hints on how to transition into or where to begin please let me know. Beautiful bouquets!

    Reply
  342. Monday Mantra #21 – KZJO'STUDIO on

    […] with nourishing the garden I am planning on using it as a way to get outside a little bit more.  This post from Floret Farms has me […]

    Reply
  343. Sara on

    THANK YOU! My son(14 years old) and I are venturing into the cut flower business this year in TN. Your advice is priceless!

    Reply
  344. julie jo on

    super great! very inspiring and thanks for offering such encouragment! nice tips about stickers and stem cutters too.
    stepping up my flower game, creating my pottery studio two main things currently on my vision board, and you are helping with both! (your business tips and social media tips ect can apply to hand made pottery sales and production too) <3

    Reply
  345. Pipsypop Flowers on

    Erin, I’m soaking up all your postings. I’m leery about starting up a flower business. I have a huge flower garden that I love. I just don’t want my hobby to get ruined by business. Your blog postings make it all clear. The joys and the lows. Thank you for this February blizzard. I’ve read back to 2013. I feel like I know you. Best wishes to you.

    Reply
  346. Babychaser on

    Very helpful. Thank you. I’m playing with bouquets this year for the first time on my .8 acre where we also are hoping to grow enough produce for our family of 8. Ha. We are ambitious.

    That said, I’m going to try growing giant zineas along with the sunflowers we usually grow and verbena something or other. It’s small scale for sure, but I thought I’d give or a try.

    Reply
  347. Janie Cobb on

    Thank you so much for this wealth of information! I’m soaking it up like a sponge.

    Reply
  348. Holly on

    Great post and taught me a lot about my own beginning flower arranging…question, do you use roses in the store bouquets? If so, what kinds!
    Do you still recommend the same books for learning floral arranging?
    And most importantly, do you do any organic spraying for pests and fungus?
    Thanks Erin! Love your blog, have your seeds, calendar and floral snippers!!!
    Holly

    Reply
  349. Phyllis Wells on

    What a treat to read your blog as we can only “dream” of the flowers to come. Beautiful, insightful, inspiring. In response to the lady who lost her Bells of Ireland, I have found that here in northern Michigan we have to plant them much further apart than you do for air flow. If we get two days of really warm, humid weather right as they are ripening and they don’t have enough space, the whole bed will go down. I was amazed at how close you are able to plant your Bells. Thanks for all your work and the love of flowers that you impart.

    Reply
  350. charleigh on

    Dear Erin
    I would like to thank you for so generously sharing your heard earned knowledge with aspiring flower farmers, like myself. My husband and I have started with a test plot of peonies, but because of the lead time before they become commercially viable, now I’m keen to establish a cutting garden as well. Your advice about succession planting and the components of mixed bouquets has been priceless!
    After a major battle with weeds in our test plot, we finally laid weed gunnel – a permeable and degradable weed blocking fabric – but it tears easily and the texture seems to be quite different from the fabric you use. I hope we’ve done the right thing, but concerned that the weed mat might raise the soil temperature and restrict the growth of the peonies. I noticed that you grow peonies, so I was hoping you might be able to share your experience with them – how you prepare the soil, whether you use landscape fabric and how closely you plant them? Thanks again!

    Reply
  351. Susan on

    Super helpful information and way you presented it. I’m a home gardener and want to have more cut flower bouquets for myself and to give away. This is a really useful post. I love reading everything you post- it’s all so beautiful and inspiring.

    Reply
  352. maureen on

    I am grateful for the inspiring information you have shared with us. You have saved all of us growers time and money from your wisdom and knowledge.

    Reply
  353. Rebecca on

    Thank you for this very helpful post! I am starting a flower share csa and all of your tips are extremely appreciated! I do have one question for you: I will be transporting my csa bouquets two hours into the nearest city via our farmshare delivery truck. How do you recommend I transport my bouquets? I was thinking of placing them in large square tupper ware storage bins with water, but I am not sure if this is the best option. Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
  354. Merissa on

    Loved this post…as with all the others! Your market bouquets are so beautiful and charming! I enjoyed learning the terminology for floral arranging and the assortment of flowers and foliage for each season. The photos are great. And I’m loving the kraft paper sleeves.

    Reply
  355. Suzanne on

    I much appreciate the links and names of suppliers. I’ve always loved math so doing the numbers for planting plans is natural for me, but finding the other pieces and parts can be a bit challenging!
    As far as more info, I’d love another harvesting and production numbers – how much time to harvest how many stems? Does it vary wildly by flower? Do you have techniques to make it faster? Once you have your flowers cut, how long does it take to assemble bouquets? One bouquet is not a problem for anyone, but if each bouquet includes 20 flowers/fillers which took a total of 3 minutes to cut per bouquet and bring into the assembly area, plus 2 minutes per bouquet to arrange, trim, place in a sleeve (that had to be stickered), then 50 bouquets would need 250 minutes to create, or just over 4 hours. These are just guesses on my part since I’ve not yet made a LOT of bouquets one after the other – how close are these estimates to reality? Any hints on streamlining production such as limiting a bouquet to no more than 7 types of flowers/fillers?
    Thanks so much for taking the time to educate all of us!

    Reply
  356. Katie@rosemancreekranch on

    do you find the bouquet business profitable ? Or does it get you out there for events and weddings which are the real money makers ? ?

    Like everyone else, thank you, thank you. I think I will need to grow into this organized plan. I’m good at succession plantings for color year round, but I haven’t planned the bouquets or rows. In fact I’m planning on taking out my rows this year and make it more garden like, with tons of perennials and shrubs, interplanted with annuals. It looks so pretty and is so much less maintenance. But probably less productive for large scale.

    Reply
  357. Ann Csongei on

    Thank you for generously sharing your knowledge and for serving as an inspiration to so many!

    Reply
  358. Haley on

    I have been enjoying your posts so far this month, and learning a lot. I would love to see a post about pricing–something I have always had difficulty with. How do you price wholesale bouquets? Do you ever plan beds based on dollars per square foot? I am generally not a capitalist among socialists but we do, after all, do this for a living. Pricing in the creative world is fascinating and I would be grateful for your input!

    Reply
  359. Susan on

    What a wealth of information!! I am hoping/planning on do a pop up shop for Mothet’s Day so this info is valuable to me…Thank you!

    Reply
  360. Marci on

    Thank you! This is extremely helpful in planning. The info you share is excellent and it is so kind of you to do so.

    Reply
  361. Erin on

    Thank you so much! This is pinch-myself-too-good-to-be-true kinda stuff! Exactly what I was hoping for! You are amazing!

    Reply
  362. Bibi on

    Erin, Thankyou for all the help you give to cut flower growers. Last year was our first year growing cut flowers and we relied on a lot of your articles and resources to assist us. Nobody really shares about creating bouquets, I did a lot of searching and didn’t find much! I did take flower arranging quite a few years back but your great tips sure assist in putting it all together! We appreciate the time you put into these write ups. Keep up the great work!!!

    Reply
  363. Ashley Stark on

    This information is so helpful, can you recommend any articles or websites that would have accurate information on how many flowers can be expected per flower? I’d love to set up my own spreadsheet like you have but I don’t even know where to start! The information you’ve posted about the Bells of Ireland would be AMAZING to have for more flowers! I really cant thank you enough for posting these blogs.

    Reply
  364. Michael on

    Thank you so much for this great post! This is so helpful in planning the season.

    Reply
  365. Donna on

    It’s not a “cut flower”, but it is spike-y, but I like to use flowers and leaves from the Butterfly Bush. It blooms when dahlias are blooming and comes in purples, pinks and white.

    Reply
  366. Donna on

    Wow! Thanks for the lists! So helpful!!

    Reply
  367. Sas Long on

    Erin!! These posts are BEYOND helpful! Thank you!!

    Reply
  368. Alex on

    Thanks for this. I too find the “formula” approach to wholesale bouquet making very useful. A question about the Aroo sleeves. I used this same product last year for bouquet sales to my local whole foods. I found that after some handling by the bouquet maker, delivery driver, floral dept staff, and then curious customers, these paper sleeves end up looking very wrinkled and kind of sad. While I love the look of brown paper, it just doesn’t hold up. Have you ever used a plastic “faux paper” sleeve that is brown? I hate to use plastic, but it does hold up so much better. Thanks!

    Reply
  369. Trish on

    This was great – at our flower farm we are gearing up for a bigger year with CSA bouquets and my days are filled with thinking through all that. So this hit me where I needed it! Thanks, Erin!

    Reply
  370. J. McFadyen on

    Thank you SO much for all of this information!!! So helpful…. nice to have it all laid out in order to teach flower newbies that will be helping us on the farm!!!

    Reply
  371. Ruth on

    This information is so helpful, as are so many of your posts. You are very generous with your knowledge so thank you! Doing this kind of planning doesnt come naturally to me but worth making the effort each year so I will make the effort!

    Thanks again

    Reply
  372. Rosie on

    Erin, this post was serendipitous and exactly the kind of information I have been desperately trying to find. I’m currently in the advanced planning phases of starting my own flower farm in Hawaii on a tiny 1/4acre. You are single handedly changing so many peoples lives by sharing your knowledge and I can’t thank you enough. If only I had gotten in to your workshop! Hope to see you in 2017 ;)

    Reply
  373. Callie on

    Thank you Floret! Amazing post full of inspiration. I am amazed by the amount of detail you included. This will be my first year as a novice flower gardener. My seeds are started and I am watching them closely with love. This post will help me make my first flower arrangements to share with family and friends. I have begun an amazing adventure and can’t wait for the first flower harvest! Please make a video of putting a flower arrangement together. Again, Thank You!!

    Reply
  374. Linda Sellers on

    Do you have any idea how wonderful you are ? !!! THANK YOU !!

    Reply
  375. Dennis Burkhardt on

    Wow, again
    I had never considered most of what you laid out here.
    I feel more confident going into this project with this information in hand

    Thank you for all the time you’re spending on this.
    It might be fun to see the dozens and dozens of flower fields that will be born this spring from your inspiration.

    Reply
  376. Bittersweetcountrywreaths on

    Erin and everyone there at Floret, you all are doing an amazing job. The information that you share with us is just wonderful. You have been Blessed with the gift of growing beautiful flowers and passing it on to us. You can proudly add the hat of teacher to your other titles. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful year ahead.
    Sincerely,
    Ruth Meredith
    (Bittersweet Country Wreaths)

    Reply
  377. MamaJ on

    Thank you for sharing your wisdom…we are expanding our farming operation to include flowers this season and your information has been fabulous…..much obliged!

    Reply
  378. Alicia A on

    Such beautiful photos as always! Loved how you broke down the percentages of different parts 50% filler, 30% disks and 20% for the remaining items of focal, spikes and airy elements. Then how you went on to give an example of a June bouquet and how many stems of each are typical of a bouquet is so helpful! I appreciate how you go through the whole process of planning from big picture to the small details, Thank you!

    Reply
  379. Jen Kessler on

    Hi! I don’t have any questions because I’m not a florist. I’m just a flower lover and I love following your flower/business life on IG and the blog. The photos make me happy and wowzers I never knew how much planning went into all those gorgeous bouquets in markets!

    Reply
  380. Juleianna on

    I grew up in Lynden, Washington and now live in Southern Oregon. My dad was a farmer and my mother an avid gardener. Reading your blogs makes my heart smile. Not only are they dripping in inspiration and detailed information, but I find myself nostalgic for Whatcom and Skagit county. Anyway, I am a studio florist just starting out and you encourage me to focus on my strengths and abilities. Your posts and articles have encouraged instead of discouraged me to lean on the support of others in areas that intimidate me. Rather than spending needless time stressing out over tasks, I’m learning to ask others for help. Until you once stated that “you don’t have to burden yourself with every job description” I believed I had to bare the responsibility of it all. In which I found myself overwhelmed and spinning my wheels. I’m teaching myself to focus and apply myself in areas my brain is best wired for.
    I’ve poured myself over articles from small and large business owners who really avoid giving in depth tools for real questions. They are seemingly secretive and don’t want to share their actual knowledge. But you are so very forth right and open! So thank you Erin! Thank you for sharing your heartbeat and business. Thank you for giving us readers an open window into your business, that is your farm, that is your home, and that is indeed your life :)
    Warmest regards,
    Juleianna Schilter
    (of Petali Floral)

    Reply
  381. Stephanie on

    Erin! Amazing post. Thanks for sharing again!

    Reply
  382. James on

    Another incredibly informative posting. In my opinion the insight that was given in the breakdown of the seasonal bouquets is such a key element. I don’t think any of us can Thank You enough for sharing the insight and wisdom.
    It is evident that succession planting is a MUST for longevity in the season.
    I am learning so much from your postings.
    Your willingness to see others successful makes us all so very lucky!

    Reply
  383. Momoko on

    This was extremely helpful, especially with your careful distinction of shapes and seasons. We’ve just started to do more bouquet making in addition to CSA shares so the amount of detail you’ve put in here is great. Thank you so much!! It’s another aspect of planning to think about, and your recent post on succession plantings was also uber helpful!

    Reply
  384. Jenny on

    Again FABULOUS information! Thanks so much!

    Reply
  385. Andrew on

    Ummmm, wow. I’m shocked at all of the information in this post. Team Floret has always been generous with your information and desire to see sustainable flower farms thrive, but you’ve shown that in a BIG way with posts like these.

    The only downside? My spreadsheet keeps getting more complex!!! But in the most wonderful of ways. This post answers so, so, so many questions I’ve had. I can see how you can arrange color pallets off of this. I can see how you could take the number of bouquets and then work all the way backward from stems, to plants, to spacing, to how long a row. Plug in some succession sowing, and you have a field plan!

    Now, that process is going to take me several evenings of head scratching to work it all out, but I can finally picture the process! I could never have gotten there without this post. Your blog is comprising a large part of my EverNote notebooks these days. And if the book is anything remotely like this ….. Woah. Really, really, really can’t wait for that to release.

    As always, thank you so much for your generosity, kindness, and hard work that went into this article.

    As one of the few guys who comments, when is Chris going to give us a guest appearance on the blog?

    Reply
  386. Jennifer Bingham on

    As always Erin, a wonderfully thought out and timely blog post. I so appreciate all your hard work and expertise, it really helps us newbies. I just got my vendor number for Homeland grocery stores and made my first delivery today! So this couldn’t come at a better time as I was trying to figure out what to plan in the bouquets for later on in the season. Thank you!!!

    Reply
  387. Ann on

    Amazing article- so much good information. I’m impressed by your organization and planning and your generosity for sharing your process. And, as usual, stunning photography.

    Reply
  388. Am on

    This is so, SO helpful! I’d love to have a small cutting patch in my garden some day and sell roadside bouquets for fun and a little extra cash but I’d never even considered how to plan such a thing or the logistics involved. This is beyond generous and amazing of you to share and post.

    Reply
  389. Allee on

    Thank you! This post is very informative. I’ve been growing flowers for years but only for personal use. I’m looking forward to trying flower growing for sale. I haven’t looked through all of your posts yet, but I am curious to know what you do about bugs when you grow outdoors. I know I love to grow flowers for insects & spiders so I don’t want to do any harm. However, I’m aware that people will not like spiders coming out of their bouquets. How do you handle this issue?

    Reply
  390. Ferriss on

    awesome erin, i have already ordered sleeves and sticker info from both sources. i marvel at your willingness to share all this info. thanks so much

    Reply
  391. Tracey on

    Well ,I am Breathless…….lots lots hard work ahead. Have a Smiling day today. Great reading Thankyou .

    Reply
  392. Sarah on

    Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us!

    Reply
  393. Louise on

    OK, now I can’t wait to get a stem guillotine!

    Thanks for all the golden info, Erin!

    Reply
  394. Jonathan Leiss on

    This is a wonderful post. We are considering adding a bouquet CSA to our small farm this year and seeing your formula and planning techniques are very helpful.

    Thanks,

    Jonathan

    Reply
  395. Beth S on

    I can’t even tell you how hungry I have been for this information! After struggling to build bouquets in my first season with a floral CSA, I have been paying much more attention to my crop mix and ratios of filler to foliage to blooms. Thank you so much for sharing your formulas and go-to blooms in each category! Just the best.

    Reply
  396. JENNIFER on

    Woo Hoo, I feel like I’ve just hit the jackpot again! Greatly appreciate the time that you and your team put into these generous gems of posts. As always I feel like the information and format was efficiently laid out with stellar attention to detail.
    A great many thank yous for the endless and generous knowledge you share with us all!
    Oh, and I phoned A-Roo right in the middle of reading your blog…I couldn’t wait, eeek.
    Spoke with a wonderfully delightful gentleman named, John. Fantastic service and great to connect with other lovely humans.
    Cheers, Jen

    Reply
  397. Jackie on

    Gosh, this post is absolutely stellar! Quick question………..how long do you condition before making your bouquets? I always feel that I haven’t conditioned long enough. Temperatures at our Farmers Market are quite high during the Summer and I wonder if you have any tips on keeping the bouquets looking good outside in the heat.

    Reply
  398. whitney on

    Great posts!! I’d love to know more about the water requirements too. Do you transport in water?

    Reply
  399. Josephine on

    Thank you for writing this article. My first season to grow for local florists and I am a bit nervous about the very thing you mentioned, having enough product consistently available. Very helpful wisdom in your article. I intend to absorb all the wisdom you have to share.

    Reply
  400. Kristen on

    Thank you so much! All this information is pure gold. I’m so grateful you are willing to share all this. And you have links to products! How great!

    Reply
  401. Jessica on

    Wonderful information! This is my first official growing season and I’m nervous if I’ll have all the right ingredients at the right time. You are amazing!

    Reply
  402. Jackie on

    So helpful! So much information in one post. You are wonderful!

    Reply
  403. Stephanie on

    Thank you for this blog post!! Wow, very helpful; your are awesome!

    Reply
  404. Amy on

    First off, I love your blog. I randomly found it and I love reading and seeing your work. Very inspiring and this was a great post! Now for my question. We recently bought 13.58 acres and I really want to plant flowers that I can cut, make bouquets and (hopefully) sell at our local farmers market. Any tips on getting started?

    Reply
  405. Chas B. on

    Thank you for this post, soooo helpful! My favorite & most helpful points you made was the mixed bouquet %’s. I knew u needed some of each but never thought of it as a percentage. The bells plot was helpful too, love how you broke it down. Never thought of a plot of flowers as math to figure out your goal. But now it seems obvious! Questions? – more info on how you prep them would be helpful. Do u rubber band them, keep in a cooler, do u dry the stems off b4 sleeving them? Thanks again! I have learned so much!

    Reply
  406. Kelley on

    Thank you so much! This is probably what I would consider the most helpful post for me this far. Last year was our first year at our local farmers market and was a wildly successful summer- so successful that we flew by the seat of our pants the whole time! This “formula” is very helpful. Thank you for sharing your valuable time with us to share you knowledge!

    Reply
  407. Amelia on

    Wonderful information. Thank you for the time you took to organize all of this.
    What do you tell customers when they ask how to best preserve the bouquets you give them? Most people ask me about those packets of floral preservative. Do you give customers these packets, or do you have any other tips for people aside from re-cutting stems and freshening the water?

    Reply
  408. Sam on

    Do you have a walk in fridge where you store flowers? How do you keep it all so fresh?

    Reply
  409. Ronda on

    Thank you for all the information. It’s just the thing I need as I get into this business.

    Reply
  410. Tracy on

    This post is amazing! I admire all your knowledge. Thank you so much for sharing this information and making my thoughts more organized to try and start this flower growing season. Do you grow your own peonies also? How do you price your bouquets for stores? Is it by the single bouquet or a group? I always struggle with pricing even when I do small wedding pieces. Thank you again Erin. Do you ever come to the east coast for speaking engagements? I would love to attend and meet you.

    Reply
  411. Alaina Noel on

    This is all so helpful!! Thank you for taking your time to write this post’
    Alaina

    Reply
  412. Lina on

    This is so helpful, thank you for taking the time to write it! I appreciate you listing your supply sources too – that’s been one of the hardest things for us to figure out. Thanks so much!

    Reply
  413. Shelley Yoshiwara on

    WOW!! Thanks so much for this insightful post as all your posts are. I have a little organic market that will gladly sell my flowers but not really knowing what I was doing I only had a very short window last year of having enough variety to make bouquets. This will definitely help me in my planting this year. Your generosity in sharing your information on this journey journey is just that, generous!! Again thanks so much!!!

    Reply
  414. Killoran on

    Ah! I just want to cry every time I read a post – the sharing and community spirit makes me so happy! And I am really loving all the comments – seeing the same folks commenting, learning new things (maybe a bit creepy), but it’s really great to feel like I’m learning alongside others.

    I’m so glad you answered this – it was one of my big questions. I know I can sell at the market, but I’m just so paranoid that I won’t have enough. Thank you so much, Team Floret. <3

    Reply
  415. Rachel on

    This is such generous and incredible information! Seriously, thank you for the time and effort you’ve put into sharing it!

    Reply
  416. Joy on

    As a beginner, this post was so helpful in my planning stages! Thank you

    Reply
  417. Kate on

    Erin! Thank you soo very much for sharing your wealth of information! I have no idea how you find the time – you must be cloned, right? We live on about 10 acres in Iowa and I’ve been dabbling in seasonal floral design. I can never seem to find the unique and high quality fillers that I’m looking for. Your posts are giving me the courage to start growing my own. Thank you. Seriously. Thank you.

    Reply
  418. marybeth on

    Thank you so much for sharing your bouquet guidelines! As this is my first year I was putting all my thoughts and planning efforts into the focals and a just few fillers without really thinking of the supportive elements….you definitely got me thinking in a new direction! Your info on seasonal planning and plot yields (ex: bells of Ireland) is also very helpful! I’m so happy that I happened upon the Country Living article …. Serendipidity for sure!

    Reply
  419. Kathy on

    Another terrific post, Erin. You are knocking them out of the park! I have a few questions.
    Is the paper sleeve plastic-backed? What happens to it when it goes into the buckets of water?
    Do you use a cooler at any point? Scented geraniums are so fabulous but I wonder how you get stems long enough to include. I have often wondered if growing them in a hoophouse would encourage them to stretch. Any helpful hints about scented geraniums would be great!
    Thank you for all the great information you so generously share!

    Reply
  420. Courtney on

    This is wonderful information! I am so excited to apply these planning techniques to farmers market bouquet making! I have a few questions. Do you plan product for Valentine’s Day? If so can you provide an example of what you produce? How do you couple bouquet making demand with supply for weddings (especially with focal blooms).

    Reply
  421. Amber on

    2 acres, really!!! Love the article, especially all the flowers by season and type. You must have magic dirt! How do you change out all the beds? I can’t wait to read all our posts, as if my spring fever wasn’t bad enough!!!
    And…great Valentine’s Day tip on d.s., I totally swapped to flower seeds instead of flowers this year.

    Reply
  422. Elisabeth Ontario on

    Wonderful post again! Great information and a stellar base to start for planning. I feel intimidated to try my hand at floral design, so market bouquets are such a fulfilling way to decorate for newbies. It’s nice to see some suggestions for ingredients I’ve never heard of and had to Google. You knocked it out of the park with this one!

    Reply
  423. Martha on

    great info, Erin!! Thanks for the recipe, or guide. Copying this down into my records helps me remember it even if I never read this page in my records again. I tend to make my bouquets too individual, thus spending way to much time on each. This will help me to streamline the production when necessary. I’m curious about the actual formation of the bouquets. Do you use an assembly line technique? For instance, 10 vases, 10 focals each in its own vase, then grab a bunch of spikes and insert into each vase, repeating with each type of flower, or do you create each vase or bunch before moving along to bouquet #2?
    I think we’d all love to hear more of your experiences on yield, such as you gave us in this blog entry about the bells of ireland.
    Loved your seed and dahlia offerings. I think I ordered three times!

    Reply
  424. Kari on

    So much to chew on…. My mind is kind of going all over the place right now! Like previous comments, the information you’ve been sharing here with all of us flower lovers is more helpful than ever. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. You’ve mentioned a lot of things that hadn’t even crossed my mind, as far as planning ahead goes. I’ve got a lot to think about here!!

    Reply
  425. Jennifer Flowers Logan--Whimsy Flower Farm on

    Those photos just make my heart happy! That ninebark is so pretty in the bouquets. I’d love to hear about growing lilies. LA’s? Asiatics? Crates? Fresh bulbs each year or do they save?

    Reply
    • Brother Placidus on

      I’d also love to hear what kind of lilies Floret uses for their market bouquets!

  426. Kathleen Murphy on

    Erin – this is amazingly helpful!! I launched my flower farm business last year and thought I would sell buckets of flowers on a subscription basis. Dreadful for a variety of reasons! I’ve been rethinking where to go with it this year and had already decided on mixed bouquets so this could not have been more timely or instructive. Thank you so very much!!

    Reply
  427. Melissa on

    Wonderful! I can’t wait to checkout these resources!

    Reply
  428. Christi on

    Well… I will never look at one of these bouquets quite the same again. So many hours and thought have gone into creating it. Beautiful!

    I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and am eager to read every evening!

    Christi
    (Texas)

    Reply
  429. Pipsypop Flowers on

    Thank you Erin. Your business sense is apparent. Keep the blizzard coming. I’m avidly studying your posts. My gardens are already benefiting from your experience. Thank you.

    Reply
  430. Terri G. on

    Thank you so much for all the information you are sharing with us! It truly is a blessing how wonderful you and your team are to share all this information with all of us! Each post is answering a number of questions I have as I prepare for this new life as a farmer florist. I along with an earlier post am also interested in knowing if you use all those flowers for each bouquet? For a future blog question/answer since I also live here in the beautiful PNW do you cover all or most of your crops in the field when we are scheduled to have a lot of rain for flower protection? Thank you again for everything!!!

    Reply
  431. Kirsten on

    Others have said it, but I’m just in awe of your generosity. Thank you for sharing so many details and for not protecting your “turf.” You are supplying so much winter inspiration for this Minnesotan!

    Reply
  432. Casey on

    This was extremely helpful. Thank you.

    Reply
  433. Beth Rudd-myers on

    This is really interesting – gives me ideas for what to grow in my own yard to make bouquets for my family. Thank you!

    Reply
  434. Megan on

    Erin, this was so helpful to me. I’m going into my first season at a market, and this has already given me some ideas on what I could adjust in other seasons. You have a thread of reassurance running through your posts- that even if a grower doesn’t nail everything they wanted in one season they can make the next one even better. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge. It’s really invaluable to a grower just beginning their career.

    Reply
  435. Sherry on

    I am dumbfounded at the wealth of information in this gem of an article. I am not a florist. My skill set in not in the area of creativity. But as a flower farmer wanna be I hope to not only supply blooms to local flower shops but also to help fill in the need of local farmer/florists. All of the information is extraordinarily helpful and the beautiful photos make me want to start putting together bouquets. Even though I know that is not the best use of my time lol. Many thanks also for sharing your resources. I had wondered if you used those annoying plastic sleeves on your bouquets. So glad to know there is another option. Blessings your way.

    Reply
  436. Nicole on

    You really don’t realize how many flowers are actually needed to fill orders of that size every week. I like your example of the bells of Ireland plot, it was eye opening and to think you need a plan for each variety like that. I’m not usually a planner but a successful flower farmer has to be. Thanks for the great information! I am interested in hearing more about being certified organic and how much is involved to be an organic flower farmer.

    Reply
  437. Michelle Shackelford on

    Great post once again Erin! This is very helpful info for those of us that haven’t been farming long.

    Reply
  438. Ria on

    Hi Erin! Would it be possible for you to give us a sample of a sowing schedule based on the information above? Really, really appreciate you sharing all these information to us who want to grow beautiful flowers in our backyard. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  439. lindsey0009 on

    Thank you for the plethora of information it’s always awesome! ??

    Reply
  440. April W. on

    ALL of your posts are so helpful! I can’t tell you how many times I have read and reread your flower focus posts. I’m continually amazed by your thorough and detailed instructions and notes. Amazing and very generous!

    Reply
  441. Kyler on

    Hi Erin,
    I didn’t even know that I wanted to know more about making market bouquets until I read this. This post will definitely save me a lot of headaches this year! I never thought about the guidelines in making market bouquets until I read this so I’m very glad you wrote this :) It is my life goal to go to one of your farmer intensive workshops…. one day. Thank you as always!

    Reply
  442. Prince Snow Farm on

    What great info! I have a question about transport. When taking all of those bouquets to a farmers market, do you have a certain set up, with water for travel? Thanks for the tips about what makes up a bouquet. I am getting so excited for this growing season! Your tips are so helpful!

    Reply
  443. Mary on

    Hi – awesome information! So organized, your experience shows. I am just getting started. Last summer was mostly getting things set up and reclaiming an old farm field. Now better prepared for getting things grown and trying to organize the process. Whether growing bouquets for market or organizing buckets for DIY brides – this looks at both the process of creating and planning the bloom times for that grouping – priceless. Thank you!

    Reply
  444. Linda Q on

    Can you give us a source for scented geraniums and which varieties work best in bouquets? What size elastic a do you use for the bouquets and do you include ‘flower food’ packets with your bouquets. Thanks!

    Reply
  445. Like on

    Thank you so much for your time and energy in making these posts! I had a baby in October and the year before that moved to a house with a 1/4 of bare ground, perfect for growing. I was thinking bouquets like these might be great for our local garners market and it’s be great to stay home with the child. Thanks again for your lovely website :)

    Kind Regards
    Linda

    Reply
  446. Kathy on

    When you said February blog blizzard you really meant it didn’t you?! Wow, so much information and all of it is so welcome, so relevant, and so inspiring! And I WILL share it. I’m teaching a cut flower gardening class this Saturday at our local nursery and will definitely share your info. Thank you again!

    Reply
  447. Karen on

    My “flower child” boys and I are drooling over the colorful photos while the snow flies outdoors…. Your LISTS in each post have been most helpful and I’m adding them to my flower notebook.
    I do have a question about a disease that struck my Bells last year (and I do hope one of your posts will cover diseases and pests.) They got brown spots on the leaves and gradually turned completely brown and crispy and unusable. I love Bells and was sad to loose that chartreuse brightness. I tried googling and didn’t find any answers. The brown spots happened early summer when we had unrelenting rain so I suspected the damp weather encouraged it. But it happened again with a later planting that was in a different garden and during a very dry spell. I shared some extra Bells seedlings with friends and theirs all looked fine. Any clue what the malady was and what I can do to avoid it? Do I need to stay away from that soil for several years, do I need to disinfect my landscape fabric,??? Thanks from Ohio..

    Reply
  448. Shanna on

    Wow, what a helpful post – thank you!

    Reply
  449. brenda devauld on

    Oh you are one busy person! All that knowledge that you carry around with you is amazing, thanks for sharing! Very good posts!

    Reply
  450. Jenny on

    Do you use a walk-in cooler? Or is everything harvested on demand? Incredibly helpful and informative information as always! Thank you for blazing trails and sharing your experiences!

    Reply
  451. Ashley on

    Erin,
    This information is so amazingly helpful! I love how you broke it down into the seasons! Thank you so much for writing these…very, very informative!

    Reply
  452. Amber on

    Thank you so much for these well written and detailed posts. This has got to be the most informative garden blog I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I’m constantly checking your page for new posts. I can’t thank you enough for the time and effort you are taking to make information attainable to beginners such as myself.

    Looking forward to reading upcoming articles,

    Amber

    Reply
  453. PS on

    As someone just starting out, I really appreciate your listing of your preferred focal to filler flowers. Obviously, each will depend with climate, but your organization into season and selection is so valuable. Thank you for being so generous with your wisdom! And I think your round stickers are perfect.

    Reply
  454. Lauren on

    This is fantastic. I’m a florist and just starting my cutting garden for personal use and knowing what to plant for each season is great, especially the fillers and air elements. Our wholesalers aren’t especially seasonally minded about those elements so this is super helpful. Thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  455. Jennifer on

    Hi Erin! Thanks for this amazing post! I was just starting to try and plan for the summer and this came at the perfect time! A quick question for you: do you use your sweet peas in your mixed bouquets? If not, how do you package and sell them? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mel C on

      Fantastic article! Thank you for explaining your processes and planning! So wonderful seeing all the different types of flowers you use, I will have to look up a few as I don’t think they are common in Australia.
      Thanks again for a great article!

  456. Juliana on

    Such an amazing resource! thank you for taking the time to write this up!

    Reply
  457. Amy on

    I got my first three orders for weekly bouquet subscriptions yesterday and your blog today-serendipitous timing! Thank you for all the information.

    Reply
  458. Nate on

    Great info, well presented. Thanks. All of your coaching seems to be about annuals (succession planting, etc.) but I notice you include peonies and grasses in your flower mix. Do you have a section of perennials on your two acres that you maintain, too?

    Reply
  459. Louise on

    Thank you so much! I find I underestimate how many stems I need and am bit over optimistic as to yield..as you say time spent at the table planning is time we’ll spent.

    Reply
  460. Terri on

    ERIN! I can’t even begin. The photos alone are worth their weight in gold. I am the one with four kids and one due in July w/ a standing order for 100 bouquets a week which I don’t even know how I’m going to fill. This is fantastic. I am wondering if you do all your bouquets with the same elements or if you split them up- like one cool color option and one warm color option per week. The woman that I’m dealing with at the market said “whatever you want to do” and what I want to do is get 200 market bouquets next year so my priority is pleasing the consumer. Also, this is stupid but do you wrap the bouquet in twine at the bottom (in addition to a rubber band within the sleeve) for a little flair which sounds nice and all but….

    Reply
  461. Heather on

    Thank you! I am new to this and am just being a sponge and absorbing right now. :-)

    Reply
  462. Margaret on

    I’m not in the flower production business, but I love to garden and love having fresh flowers around the house. This post was helpful for me as I plan my cutting gardens. And it was a nice window into how this business works.

    Reply
  463. Jenny Rae on

    THANK YOU!!! that was amazing. Thank you so much for sharing. Your blog is my go to and I love all your posts!!

    Reply
  464. Lel on

    Absolutely fantastic article, thanks!! Love to see how much work really goes on behind the scenes!

    Reply
  465. Steven on

    Oh my! This is like a Rosetta stone for me. The grouping of the material into the spring/summer/fall and their respective components makes everything suddenly fall into place. This is tremendously helpful as we are gearing up for the growing season here, thank you! Really appreciate the format in which this information has been presented, because it is so easy to understand.

    Reply
  466. Katie Farm 58 on

    This is incredibly helpful! I feel good growing flowers but struggle with bouquet making. It is the perfectionist that wants a formula and you gave me just that so thank you very much.

    Reply
  467. Grace on

    Wow! That information is perfectly presented. I’ve always struggled with bouquets but this really explains the process wonderfully. Thank you! Now I just need to see someone build the bouquets and I think I would finally understand!

    Reply

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