Episodios

  • A Fellow Grower Visits, Something Ate My Apples & Grasses, The Lavenders Are Coming Back & The Zinnias Are Kicking Off
    Jul 29 2025

    Hello and welcome. It's Tuesday 29 July 2025 and I hope you had a good weekend. It's a warm and sunny evening tonight and I'm recording on the plot.

    I've been busy clearing thistles and watching fence posts being installed to support the fence panels that will be going up around the newly-cleared area. There's also been lots of cutting, weeding, deadheading and watering going on. I've also been busy contacting local florists and inviting them to the plot so I can show them what's available.

    The big flowers of the moment are zinnias and dahlias, whilst the originals continue to flourish (it's those cornflowers again...). I welcomed a fellow grower to the plot this morning to collect some stems: it was a lovely visit and she invited me to visit her farm next week, which I can't wait to do.

    I'm just about to start planning flowers for a wedding next week, so there's lots going on. And those perky little lavender plants are coming back so they will need a home too. I hope you enjoy this episode: please come back and join me for the next episode!

    Connect with me

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers like you find the podcast.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    18 m
  • Peri-Meno-ing and Cut Flowers, Most/Least Profitable Flowers & the Potted Lavenders Saga
    Jul 25 2025

    Hello and welcome. It's Friday 25 July 2025. How is it Friday already?!?

    Today's episode is a little different: the first part is me talking frankly and honestly to you about the challenges of establishing a cut flower business with peri-menopause. It has not been easy! I discuss how my debilitating symptoms impacted on me at a time when I needed every bit of brain power to get going, and the far-reaching effects of peri-menopause on every aspect of my life and work. The podcast only happened this year because I finally sought help when I thought my life was falling into a black hole in 2024.

    The final part of the episode is my first ever proper Q&A where I answer some great questions that I've received about everything from snips to mosquito repellent to my most/least profitable cut flowers. And here are links to some of the things I talk about today and I hope they're helpful:

    Where to Find Things I Talked About

    BOOK: Menopausing by Davina McCall

    WEBSITE: https://www.letstalkmenopause.org/

    WEBSITE: https://www.drsharonmalone.com/

    PODCAST: https://www.trademarkfarmer.com/podcast

    PODCAST: https://www.thedirtonflowers.com/

    PODCAST: https://www.theflowerpodcast.com/

    PODCAST: The English Florist, Lindsey Kitchin

    SNIPS: https://www.niwaki.com/garden-snips/?sku=P00425-1

    I do hope you enjoy this episode. Massive thanks for your lovely messages on my insta @henhillcutflowers. It really does mean a lot to hear from you. Please come back and join me for the next episode.

    Connect with me

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers like you find the podcast.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    21 m
  • Dahlias: Re-Staking & Thwarting Earwigs, Blush Flowers Needed, Dynamic Pricing, and How Intention & Values Shape Growing
    Jul 22 2025

    Hello and welcome. It's Tuesday 22 July 2025 and I've had to put a jumper on this evening for the first time in months.

    So much to tell you about this evening: I've been batch cooking dinners, collecting lots of rainwater, staking dahlias (properly this time), removing dahlia leaves to discourage earwigs, and deadheading cornflowers like mad (again). I've also had to deal with an unpleasant red mite infestation in the henhouse.

    I've been doing a lot of thinking this week: how can I have more blush-coloured flowers next year as I don't have anywhere near enough, the power of intention, how your values impact the way you grow, and how to find customers who really want organically-grown seasonal blooms so that my hard work isn't wasted. Pricing continues to blow my mind and it's turned dynamic which adds a whole new dimension to the challenge of working out how on earth to price stems.

    I hope you enjoy this episode and thank you if you sent me a message this week on my insta @henhillcutflowers: I really love hearing from you. Please join me for the next episode on Friday.

    Connect with me

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more flower-lovers to find the podcast.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    32 m
  • I Have Dahlias Flowering (At Last), Lots of Cutting for Weddings, Unwelcome Earwigs, and Rain Arrives At Last (Phew)
    Jul 18 2025

    Hello and welcome to warm evening on Friday 18 July 2025.

    Tonight I'm sharing all my news about cutting and selling my flowers: this week I've been cutting and conditioning for a Thursday morning collection to my wedding florist, as well as securing a (very) last-minute order for a client that I delivered to a marina this morning. I'll also be talking about preparing my availability list for my florist for a wedding she has next weekend.

    As well as all of that, there's more good dahlia news with some buds now fully open but the arrival of an unwelcome visitor could mean problems, plus what I'm learning from cutting stems for myself and how I've become a bit obsessed with collecting random stems to make a "picky bits" bucket. In the middle of all of this I also got stuck in a faulty cinema seat: if you get the chance, I highly recommend the new F1 movie as Brad Pitt looks super hot in it and the soundtrack is brilliant.

    Thank you if you sent me a message this week on my insta @henhillcutflowers: I love hearing from you. Please come back and join me for the next episode on Tuesday,

    Connect with me

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more flower-lovers to find the podcast.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    16 m
  • Pricing: I Don't Know What I'm Doing, Oversharing (Am I?), & Challenges When Prepping For Upcoming Weddings
    Jul 15 2025

    Hello and welcome to a windy and cloudy Tuesday 15 July 2025.

    Today's episode includes a chat about the challenges of prepping for supplying the weddings that I have coming up and the problems I'm having with pricing: it's really hard. I'm not sure I'm getting it right yet, which bothers me. It's also challenging for me to ensure that all the cut flowers that I'm committing to supplying are looking fabulous when my florist comes to collect them, which is not easy in the current conditions.

    There is good news with the dahlias and some sad news with the chickens, plus how it's such a weird growing season. And I would really love your help with a problem: when do I tell people that I'm a podcaster and I might talk about an interaction? It's been bothering me that some people may not be happy about me talking so frankly about it: what happens if people don't feel able to say they don't want to be talked about and instead just ghost me? Am I right to share so much in the first place? Help! Please drop me a DM on insta @henhillcutflowers with your thoughts: I'd love to know what you think.

    I really hope you enjoy this episode and that you'll come back and join me on Friday's episode.

    Connect with me

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more flower-lovers to find the podcast.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    21 m
  • Big Problem: The Greenfly Are Back, Ridiculously Wrong Plant Spacings, Dahlia Labelling Disaster & My First Florist Plot Visit
    Jul 11 2025

    Hello and welcome! It's the evening of Friday 11 July 2025 and I'm recording from the plot so the audio quality is a little bit up and down. I hope it doesn't bother you too much. It's so much nicer talking amongst the flowers than at home.

    Today's episode is a gentle evening walk-round of the plot and a chat about what's going on with everything I have, starting from the entrance gates and ending up at the far end. I'm talking about everything that I have growing on the plot and assessing the successes and the not-so-good ones. I've got the dog with me tonight because it's too hot to leave her at home and I'll also be filling you in on my Wednesday visit from my event florist. I really hope you enjoy the episode and that you'll come back and join me next week too.

    Follow & Connect

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode and if you enjoy this episode, please could you take a minute to leave a review? It really does help more flower-lovers find the show.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers. I'm going to give you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    26 m
  • Heatwave No. 3 is Here, My Shower is Full of Annabelles, Difficult Growing Conditions Mean Difficult Choices & Why I Don't Want to Sell my Nigella
    Jul 8 2025

    Hello and welcome to this episode. It's a hot Tuesday 8 July 2025.

    I've been very busy on the field with dahlia staking (thanks to my birthday present of road pins), deadheading, staking and weeding. I really must sort the staking out earlier next year as it's a nightmare trying to do it when the plants are big and flowering. No dahlia flowers yet but any day now...

    I've also been busy on a big planting job for a couple of days which was nerve-wracking and either my hormones or my bolognese sauce conspired to make it even harder. I have an entire shower tray of Hydrangea Annabelles which I acquired quite by accident and which I'm trying to keep cool and hydrated as we enter Heatwave Number 3 of the year. It's not an easy task. And I desperately need a shower now so they have to be relocated urgently.

    Lots of challenges for growers across the UK at the moment due to the lack of rainfall and excess heat so if you're having problems, you're not alone. Finally I've been prepping for a visit to the field from my wedding florist and hopefully she likes what she sees. The rest of the week is looking busy so I'll have plenty to share with you on Friday - please come back and join me.

    What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

    ✅ Why I can't take a shower right now

    ✅ The impact of the weather on UK growers this summer

    ✅ How proud I was to see photos of my flowers in wedding photos

    ✅ Why I don't want to sell my nigella

    ✅ How the craspedia have grown but no golf balls yet...

    ✅ What I did to my statice yesterday

    ✅ Peri-menopause: you don't have to be "old" to experience it so seek help if you are struggling, regardless of your actual age

    🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers. I'm going to give you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    19 m
  • Selling Has Finally Started, Nigella Finally Flowering, Zinnias Driving Me Mad, No Rain Yet, and It's My Birthday!
    Jul 4 2025

    Hello and welcome! It's Friday 4 July 2025 and it's my birthday! And Happy American Independence Day if you're celebrating that today!

    I'm on a massive high after selling 100 stems of cut flowers to my lovely event florist, Jo, so I chat about this and how I managed to get everything delivered without breaking anything or spilling any water (a miracle). There's a photo on my insta @henhillcutflowers so you can see one of the buckets.

    It's been quite a busy week as I took a day out to go to the beach with my other half to celebrate his birthday. I hate the thought of going anywhere these days but I'm really glad I went because we had a lovely time and discovered that the dog is not a fan of the sea.

    Everything on the plot is doing fine and some things are flowering beautifully including the heleniums, cornflowers, sweetpeas and calendulas. The nigella have finally started flowering and they're stunning. My snaps are about to flower too (finally!) together with the didiscus and scabious. Lots of forward planning going on including next weekend's flowers and choosing sweetpeas for 2026. I've got a really long to-do list as well so there will be lots to tell you about next Tuesday!

    I'm really loving connecting with you on instagram @henhillcutflowers. I love hearing from you and if you have any questions then I'm always very happy to answer them. I do hope you enjoy this episode!

    What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

    ✅ I'm celebrating selling 100 stems to my florist!

    ✅ What cut flowers I sold today

    ✅ News from the plot this week

    ✅ What's flowering and what's just about to flower

    ✅ Making the plot safe for a visit from my florist next week

    ✅ Choosing sweetpeas for 2026

    ✅ What I'll be doing over the weekend on the plot

    🌻 Follow & Stay Connected!

    If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. If you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review – it really does help more flower lovers find the show.

    Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot.

    Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers. I'm going to give you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.

    Más Menos
    24 m