Today I’m joined by Lance Turner from Tomato Revolution (Wiltshire) — a proper tomato obsessive — and we break down what actually matters if you want strong plants and loads of fruit (not just a leafy jungle).

In this episode we cover the 8-week sowing rule, how to avoid leggy seedlings, why you should remove heat after germination, how to pot on deeper for stronger roots, what causes trusses not to set, and the feeding mistake that creates lots of leaves and hardly any tomatoes. We also talk blight — what helps, what doesn’t, and why ventilation is everything.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• When to sow tomatoes (the simple 8-week rule)
• Heat + light basics for sturdy seedlings
• Potting on deeper to build roots (and get more trusses)
• Why flowers drop / trusses don’t set (and the quick fix)
• Feeding: avoiding too much nitrogen so you get fruit

If you enjoyed this episode, share it and tag me — and come join my Grow-Alongs and growing guides for more UK-specific, no-fluff help.

Wholesale, Markets & Weddings All Mean Different Flowers

In this episode, I’m breaking down one of the biggest mistakes I see beginner cut flower farmers make: trying to grow one crop list for wholesale, markets, and weddings.

On paper, it sounds like diversification. In reality, these are three very different businesses — with different priorities, pressures, and flower requirements.

What I Cover

-Why “a bit of everything” creates stress and waste
Wholesale, markets, and weddings aren’t just different sales outlets — they need different flowers.

- Wholesale vs markets vs weddings
Wholesale prioritises consistency, reliability, and uniform stems
Markets are about colour, impact, and abundance
Weddings require precise timing, colour palettes, and backup plans

Trying to grow for all three at once often means your flowers don’t quite fit anywhere.

Why strategy matters more than skill
If things feel hard, it’s rarely because you’re bad at growing — it’s usually because your growing doesn’t match how you’re selling.

The power of choosing a primary sales channel
Focusing on one main sales route (with a sensible backup) makes crop planning, sowing schedules, harvesting, and pricing much clearer — without locking you in forever.

Key Takeaway

Wholesale, markets, and weddings all need different flowers.
Decide how you’re selling first, then let that guide what you grow.

Mentioned in This Episode

Blog: Finding Your Flower Farming Niche
Linked in the show notes to help you decide who you want to serve.

One Simple Action

Choose the sales channel you’re focusing on this season — and let that decision shape every growing choice you make.

Happy sowing, happy growing

If you likes this episode then follow for more.

This isn’t about algorithms, dancing on Reels, or becoming someone you’re not.
It is about understanding what running a flower business actually involves.

Here’s what we unpack:

🌱 Growing flowers ≠ selling flowers
Most beginners are better growers than they think.
The problem isn’t the flowers — it’s that no one knows they exist.

Posting occasionally, quietly launching a website, or mentioning it to a neighbour isn’t a marketing strategy. That’s hope. And hope isn’t a business model.

🌱 Why the growers who sell out aren’t “better” growers
They’re better communicators.

The growers you see selling out every week talk — consistently — about:

• what they’re growing
• why they’re growing it
• when it’ll be ready
• and who it’s for

Often weeks or months before they expect anyone to buy.

🌱 Why marketing is part of the job (even if you hate it)
If you want a sustainable flower business, you’ll likely spend more time marketing than growing.

That doesn’t mean shouting, being cringe, or chasing trends.

It means showing up, talking about your flowers, and repeating yourself far more than feels comfortable.

🌱 Marketing early stops waste later
So many growers:

• grow too much
• grow without a sales plan
• end up discounting, composting, or giving flowers away

Marketing lets you grow with intention — matching supply to demand and building relationships before you need the sales.

🌱 Simple marketing that actually works for beginners
No funnels. No ads. No tech overwhelm.

Good beginner marketing is:

• picking one or two places to show up
• talking about your flowers before you have them
• saying the same thing again (and again… and again)
• making it painfully obvious how to buy

If people are DM’ing you asking “are these for sale?” — your marketing hasn’t done its job yet.

🌱 You’re not just a grower — you’re a business owner
A flower business that doesn’t sell is just a very expensive garden.

That doesn’t make you less authentic.
It makes you sustainable.

And if you truly don’t want to do the marketing? That’s not failure — it’s clarity. But selling flowers long-term won’t happen without it.

A Realistic Look at “Two Hours of Marketing”

I break down exactly what those two marketing hours can look like — from taking photos and writing a simple email, to researching local outlets and planning next week’s content.

No complexity. Just consistency. Because consistency beats complexity every single time.

Mentioned in This Episode

🌱 Episode 15 + Blog: Planning for Profit – How Many Flowers You Actually Need to Grow

In this episode of The Blooming Garden Podcast, I’m breaking down how to start tomatoes properly for an early crop — and why most failures happen before the plants ever reach the garden. If you’ve ever sown tomatoes in January, watched them stall, sulk, or turn into sad little sticks… this episode explains exactly why — and how to avoid it.

Spoiler alert:
It’s not about fancy kit.
It’s about timing, temperature, and understanding what tomato seedlings actually need.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why starting tomatoes too early is one of the most common mistakes
• The real role of heat and light (and why grow lights alone aren’t enough)
• When January sowing does make sense — and when it absolutely doesn’t
• How cold conditions lead to nutrient uptake issues and stalled growth
• Why tomatoes don’t need a greenhouse in the early stages — but do need the right setup
• How to give seedlings the conditions they need to grow strong from day one

This episode focuses on early success, not firefighting problems later.

🍅 Who This Episode Is For

• UK growers starting tomatoes indoors
• Gardeners confused by mixed advice on seed packets
• Growers who want strong plants, not leggy regrets

Whether you’re sowing your first tray or refining your timing, this episode will help you grow better tomatoes with less stress.

🔗 Helpful Links & Resources

• Tomatoes Grow-Along – step-by-step guidance on timing, equipment, and early care
• Growing Tomatoes Blog

Tomatoes aren’t difficult — but they are honest. Get the conditions wrong early on, and they’ll tell you.

Get the timing right? They’ll reward you all summer.

In this episode, I’m diving into how to grow poppies properly — from sowing method to variety choice — and explaining why poppies are one of the easiest flowers to grow when you stop fighting their nature.

If you’ve ever had poppies stall, sulk, or fail after transplanting, this episode explains exactly why. Most poppies hate root disturbance, thrive in cool conditions, and grow best when direct sown outdoors — no greenhouse required.

I also break down the different types of poppies, which ones are best for the garden, which work for cut flowers, and which are grown mainly for their decorative seed pods.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• When to sow poppies for the best results in the UK
• Why poppies are ideal for autumn, winter, and early spring sowing
• The four main types of poppies, and how to grow each one:
• Which poppies are best for Garden displays, Cut flowers and Decorative seed pods for arrangements
• Why most poppies should never be sown in trays
• The one exception where trays make sense (Icelandic poppies)
• How to sow poppies by broadcast sowing or in rows for flower farming
• Ideal temperatures for poppy germination and early growth
• Why poppies struggle in warm conditions and on heated propagators
• How flower farmers use poppy seed pods as a long-lasting, high-value crop

Links & resources mentioned in this episode

👉 Grow-Along Series

👉 Sweet Pea Grow-Along

👉 Sweet Pea Podcast Episode (Episode 7)
👉 Poppy sowing video

👉 Icelandic Poppy Grow-Along

Poppies don’t need protection, heat, or complicated systems — they need good timing, cool conditions, and minimal interference.

Choose the right type of poppy for what you want to grow, sow them where they want to be, and let them do their thing.

Happy sowing. Happy growing. 🌱

Most beginner flower farmers aren’t undercharging a little — they’re undercharging a lot, and usually without even realising it. In this episode, I break down exactly why pricing “by gut feel” is the fastest way to burn yourself out… and how to switch to real, sustainable, confidence-building pricing instead. If the numbers feel scary, don’t worry — I used to be hopeless at maths. But once you understand the formula and the four cost categories, everything clicks into place.

Here’s what we dig into:

The Real Reason Beginners Undercharge

Most growers price emotionally (“£10 feels fair”) instead of mathematically. This creates a business that looks busy but earns nothing — and leaves you quietly resenting the work.

The Four Costs Every Bouquet Must Cover

I walk you through the full breakdown so you finally know your true cost per stem:

1. COGS — seeds, compost, trays, elastic bands, sleeves… EVERYTHING that touches the product.
2. Growing Overheads — polytunnels, irrigation, grow lights, repairs, insurance.
3. Labour — weeding, watering, harvesting, conditioning, delivery, bouquet-making.
4. Margin — not greed… survival. This is what pays for tax, quiet months, growth, and your future.

As promised in the episode, here’s the exact margin formula:

Margin % = (Selling Price − Cost Price) ÷ Selling Price × 100

This formula helps you instantly see whether your price is sustainable — and why lowering a bouquet from £20 to £12 destroys your margin.

Why ‘Budget Customers’ Are Not Your Customers

I share two real conversations with callers who wanted £20 bouquets INCLUDING delivery (yep…). And why saying no is not only allowed — it’s essential.

The Trap Most Flower Farmers Fall Into

Farmer A charges £12 “to be fair.”
Farmer B charges £22 based on real maths.
Same flowers. Completely different future.

The Confidence That Comes From Knowing Your Numbers

Pricing properly gives you clarity, control, and the ability to grow your business without resentment or burnout.

The Flower Business Bootcamp

If you're dreaming of starting a flower business — or you’ve already begun but don’t have a plan, a pricing system, or a forecast — you’ll love the Flower Business Bootcamp.

Inside, we’ll cover:

• How to pick your niche and ideal customer
• How to work out exactly what to charge
• How to build a realistic business plan
• How to forecast your first year using simple, repeatable maths

Join the Bootcamp here: BUSINESS BOOTCAMP | Hampshire Seed Company

Hey flower friends — in today’s episode, I’m kicking off a brand-new mini series all about making money in your flower business… and more importantly, how to stop quietly losing it.

This episode is your friendly nudge (or loving shove!) to finally look at your numbers in a way that feels simple, empowering, and totally doable — even if maths has never been your thing.

I’m breaking down the exact break-even formula I used at a recent Christmas market — the one that told me by lunchtime on Day 1 that we wouldn’t make our money back. Not because I’m negative… but because once you know your numbers, you can make smart decisions, pivot faster, and protect your business from quietly sinking in the background.

If you’ve ever avoided your costs, guessed your margins, or hoped the sales would “work themselves out,” this episode will change the way you plan every market, every event, and every season in your flower business.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU’LL LEARN:

• Why your school maths trauma has nothing to do with running a profitable business
• The simple “back-of-a-fag-packet” formula to work out your TRUE break-even — for any event
• The difference between markup and margin (and why it matters)
• How to know, in real time, whether a market is heading toward profit or loss
• The silent danger of only counting your stand fee as a cost
• Why understanding your numbers gives you clarity, control, and confidence
• The first steps to forecasting your business properly (yes, even if spreadsheets make you sweat)
• A sneak peek at the new Flower Business Bootcamp for beginners ready to turn their idea into a real, profitable business

LINKS & RESOURCES

• Break-Even Formula Blog Post
• Join the Flower Business Bootcamp Waitlist
• Follow along on Instagram: @thehampshireseedcompany

If you’re dreaming of starting a flower business — or already growing and selling without a plan — make sure you’re signed up for the Flower Business Bootcamp. It’s beginner-friendly, jargon-free, and gives you the exact steps you need to build a profitable flower business from day one.

In this episode, I’m stripping things right back to basics — how to sow seeds successfully. Whether you’re new to gardening or just want better germination rates, this is your no-nonsense guide to getting it right from the start.

I’ll walk you through everything from timing your sowings (and why enthusiasm isn’t a planting strategy!) to choosing the right compost, containers, and watering methods. You’ll learn why some trays fail, how to avoid damping off, and the simple habits that turn seed sowing from guesswork into success.

This episode is perfect for anyone who’s ever stared at an empty seed tray wondering what went wrong — or who just wants to stop wasting time, compost, and confidence.

What You’ll Learn
-Why timing matters more than enthusiasm
-The difference between hardy annuals and tender annuals
-How to stop damping off before it starts
-Why bottom watering beats top watering every time
-The truth about seed compost (and when you actually need it)
-How to harden off your seedlings for outdoor life
-The biggest beginner mistakes — and how to fix them

Mentioned in this Episode

Episode 14 - Direct Sowing vs. Modules
Blog - Understanding Stratification
The Hampshire Seed Company Grow-Alongs

Tune In & Take Action
Start small. Sow less. Watch more. Focus on consistency over chaos — because every tray teaches you something.