Today's guest is the woman I call when I have a real soil question.

Jen Aron is a regenerative farmer and soil agronomist at Blue Raven Farm in Corbett, Oregon, and she has spent the last decade quietly proving that soil is its own ecosystem with its own voice. In this episode we walk through what is actually happening beneath our feet, why compost may not be the answer you have been told it is, and the mantra she has taught me to repeat when farming feels too slow: trust and stay the course.

In this episode:

 * Why "no-till" is not the one-size-fits-all answer the internet wants it to be
 * The ball pit analogy that finally made soil structure click for me
 * Why too much compost can actually invite disease into your plants
 * The single tool Jen would buy on day one if she could start her farm over

Guest Bio

Jen Aron is the founder of Blue Raven Farm in Corbett, Oregon, where she has been farming regeneratively for ten years. She is an agroecologist, farmer, and educator. Before Blue Raven, Jen spent seven years with Oregon State University Extension, running a beginner urban farming program where she trained over a thousand new farmers. Today she consults with flower farmers, food farmers, and growers across the Pacific Northwest, helping them build soil that can actually hold a farm up.

Connect with Jen

 * Website: https://www.blueravenfarm.org [https://www.blueravenfarm.org/]
 * Instagram: @blue_raven_farm [https://www.instagram.com/blue_raven_farm/]

Related Episode With Marion Boswall:

 * Episode 52 with Marian Boswall [https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2025/03/26/ep-52-the-kindest-garden-and-regenerative-gardening/]

Sign Up For Podcast Newsletter: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.myflodesk.com/backyardbouquetpodcast

Ep.95: Soil Health for Flower Farmers with Jen Aron of Blue Raven Farm

What does it actually look like to leave one career behind and walk into the one that's been waiting for you?

In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Graeme Corbett, the grower and storyteller behind Bloom & Burn, just weeks after the release of his brand new book Life in Bloom. Graeme spent years working in television in London, casting contestants for shows like The Voice and Celebrity Big Brother, before flowers found him. He talks about the long line of side projects that almost worked, the friend who told him to go to flower school, and the ten-year journey from a £7.50 posy at a London coffee shop to a cutting garden in Kent.

What you'll hear:

 * Why he calls himself a florist first and a grower second
 * How a £99 online course turned into his most powerful funnel
 * The honest story of writing a book when you don't come from money
 * Why "people can only say no" is the line that changed everything

If you have ever felt stuck in a career that doesn't quite fit, this one is for you.

Life in Bloom by Graeme Corbett (available in the UK and US through your local bookstore or online) https://amzn.to/3QFDCPv

Guest Bio

Graeme Corbett is the founder of Bloom & Burn, a floral design studio based on a converted cow shed in Kent, England. After ten years in television casting, he pivoted to flowers in 2016 and has since built a workshop business that draws students from around the world. His first book, Life in Bloom, was released in April 2026.

 * Instagram: @bloomandburn [https://instagram.com/bloomandburn]
 * Website: bloomandburnflowers.com [https://www.bloomandburnflowers.com/]

Sign Up For Podcast Newsletter: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.myflodesk.com/backyardbouquetpodcast

Ep.94: Graeme Corbett on Life in Bloom: From TV to a Cutting Garden in Kent

I've been using AI on my flower farm for over a year, and up until recently, I've only told a handful of people. Today I'm opening a conversation I haven't heard many in our industry having. It's a conversation every farmer deserves to be part of, whether you end up using AI or not.

In this solo episode, I share what I actually use AI for in my business, what I refuse to touch, and the ethical questions I've been living with: the data centers threatening the Hood River watershed, the training data taken without consent, the job displacement that's already real. I'm not here to convince you of anything. I'm here to make sure you have enough understanding to make the choice that's actually yours.

I talk about why the plow is the perfect metaphor for this moment. Why rare is going to matter in the age of AI-generated content. Why two things can be true at the same time. And why, on May 2nd, I'm hosting a workshop for flower farmers who want to learn how I use these tools to get back in the dirt.

Key Takeaways:

 * AI isn't new. What's new is the speed and the agentic leap. AI used to answer questions. Now it takes action.
 * The farmers who care most about the earth should not be the last ones at the table. They should be the first.
 * You can't advocate for or against a tool you have never touched. Curiosity is how you earn your seat in the conversation.
 * Two things can be true at the same time. AI can give small farmers their time back, and the data centers that power it can be threatening our watersheds. Both are real.
 * Boycotting is also a form of advocacy. The farmer who chooses not to use AI is doing something meaningful, and that choice deserves respect.
 * When everything online sounds the same, the voice that sounds like a real human is going to matter more than ever. Like a unicorn dahlia. Rare. Real. One of a kind.

You're Invited to Join Us For A 2 Hour AI Workshop on May 30th:

On May 30th I'm hosting a workshop called AI That Gets You Back in the Dirt. Two hours. Five tools. Live demos on a real flower farm business. No tech jargon. No rocket ships.

It's $47 to attend live, or $97 for VIP access which includes the lifetime replay, my Flower Farmer's AI Prompt Vault with over 50 prompts written for our industry, and my Voice Profile Builder so when AI helps you with your work, it keeps you sounding like you and not like every other AI-generated post on the internet.

Whether you decide to use AI or not is your decision alone. I respect whichever option you choose. What I do believe is that this is a conversation our industry needs to have. We need a voice at this table. And to have one, we have to understand what we are talking about.

Save your seat for May 30: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/AI-That-Gets-You-Back-in-the-Dirt [https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/AI-That-Gets-You-Back-in-the-Dirt]

Connect With Jennifer

 * Website: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com [https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/]
 * Instagram: https://instagram.com/thefloweringfarmhouse
 * Newsletter: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.myflodesk.com/backyardbouquetpodcast
 * Substack: https://substack.com/@thefloweringfarmhouse

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/25/ep-93-should-flower-farmers-be-using-ai/

Ep.93: Should Flower Farmers Be Using AI?

There are some places on earth that flower people put on a bucket list and never quite cross off. Holland's flower bulb region is one of them. The fields outside Keukenhof, where tulips bloom in waves of color every spring and tourists from around the world stop their cars on the side of the road just to take a picture. For Linda and Marlies of FAM Flower Farm, that landscape is daily life.

Linda and Marlies grew up as friends in middle school, both surrounded by flowers. Linda married Henk, a tulip grower whose family has farmed the same land for 240 years. Marlies married Hubert, whose grandfather was a dahlia man and whose fields now produce millions of dahlia tubers a year. For most of their adult lives, the two friends watched their husbands grow flowers that traveled the world without ever knowing where they ended up.

Then, around a dinner table about seven years ago, an idea was born. Why not show people the beauty of the farm? Why not build a direct relationship with the gardeners who plant these bulbs? FAM Flower Farm became that bridge. A consumer brand built on top of two separate family farms, run by two women who can finish each other's sentences.

In this conversation, we talk about everything from harvesting tulips with machines that mow entire fields in a few hours, to selling complete dahlia clumps instead of dividing them, to what it means to be authentic in a world flooded with AI. We also talk about their new slogan, "Grow Your Own Happiness," and what they want every gardener to feel when they open one of their boxes.

What you'll hear in this episode:

 * How two lifelong friends built a global brand on top of two separate family farms
 * The magic of Holland's sandy soil and sea climate (and why most dahlia tubers in the world come from a few small kilometers)
 * Why FAM ships full dahlia clumps instead of cutting them apart the U.S. way
 * How AI, robots, and authenticity are reshaping flower farming in Europe

If this episode stirs something in you, share it with a friend who dreams of growing flowers, or visiting Holland someday. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Show notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/23/ep-92-fam-flower-farm-growing-tulips-and-dahlias-in-holland/

Resources & Links Mentioned

 * FAM Flower Farm Website: famflowerfarm.eu [https://www.famflowerfarm.eu/] (ships within Europe only)
 * Instagram: @famflowerfarm [https://www.instagram.com/famflowerfarm/]

Guest Bio

Linda and Marlies are the lifelong best friends behind FAM Flower Farm, a consumer flower brand rooted in two Dutch family farms in Holland's famous flower bulb region. Linda married into the Vanderslot family, where her husband Henk grows tulip bulbs and cut flowers on land the family has farmed for 240 years. Marlies married Hubert, whose family farm produces over 200 varieties of dahlias for export across Europe. Together, the two women have built a global flower community by sharing the beauty, the seasons, and the real life behind the fields most people only ever see in photos.

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter

Ep. 92: Growing Tulips & Dahlias in Holland with FAM Flower Farm

There are people who grow dahlias, and then there are people who spend two decades quietly shaping what dahlias can become. Kristine Albrecht is one of those people.

From a weed-choked quarter acre in Santa Cruz, California, Kristine has built an extraordinary breeding program, growing 1,500 seedlings a year and selecting only about 50 to carry forward. Her cultivars (all marked with the K.A. prefix) have won some of the highest honors in the dahlia world, including multiple Daryl Hart Awards and the Stanley Johnson Medal. She was the first California breeder to receive that honor.

In this conversation, Kristine walks us through how she got started (giant pumpkins played a role), what hand pollination actually looks like in the field, why she keeps organza bags on everything in August, and what traits she's breeding for right now. We also get into soil health, virus testing, the Juicy Fruit gopher trick, and why your soil test matters more than any recipe you'll find online.

Key Takeaways

 * Hybridizing is a numbers game and a patience game. Kristine starts with 1,500 seedlings and keeps about 50 by season's end.
 * Hand pollination gives you more control over traits. Open pollination from bees adds genetic diversity. Both are valuable.
 * First-year seedlings are incredibly vigorous, and most are virus-free when grown from seed.
 * About 87% of older dahlia varieties carry virus, which is why new, clean varieties matter so much.
 * There is no universal soil recipe for dahlias. Get a soil test and feed based on what YOUR soil actually needs.
 * Kristine practices no-till farming with cover crops, building soil biology over time rather than tilling each year.
 * She carries a bleach solution in a wearable pack to sanitize cutting tools between every plant.
 * Patience is everything. Some breeding goals take 4 years. Some take 15.

Resources & Links Mentioned

 * Santa Cruz Dahlias website: santacruzdahlias.com [https://santacruzdahlias.com/]
 * Kristine's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/santacruzdahlias/
 * Kristine's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kristinealbrecht3560
 * Book: Dahlia Breeding for the Farmer, Florist, and the Home Gardener https://amzn.to/4sEjn1Q
 * Book: Dahlias: Seed to Bloom https://amzn.to/4myYF25
 * Stonehouse Dahlias (licensed seller of K.A. varieties. Sales are every other Saturday from March 21 through May 16.) https://stonehousedahlias.com/

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/16/ep-91-dahlia-hybridizing-with-kristine-albrecht/

Guest Bio

Kristine Albrecht is a dahlia hybridizer and grower at Santa Cruz Dahlias in Santa Cruz, California. She's been growing dahlias since 2006 on a quarter-acre suburban plot that's home to over 2,600 dahlias. Kristine is vice president of the Monterey Bay Dahlia Society, author of two dahlia books, and a tireless advocate for excellence in dahlia cultivation. Her K.A. cultivars have earned national recognition including multiple Daryl Hart Awards, the Stanley Johnson Medal (she was the first California breeder to receive it), and the Les Connell Medal.

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter



Episode 91: Dahlia Hybridizing with Kristine Albrecht of Santa Cruz Dahlias

She left medicine to grow flowers at her kitchen table. Thirty years later, Sarah Raven has written fourteen books, built a garden empire at Perch Hill, and changed how a generation thinks about cut flowers.

In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Sarah to talk about her journey from wildflower-obsessed child to one of the most respected voices in the gardening world. They dig into the science of cutting (and why your garden actually gets better when you harvest from it), the magic of dahlia hybridizing, lessons learned from contaminated compost, and the heart behind Sarah's newest book, A Year of Cut Flowers.

What you'll hear in this episode:

 * Why "liveheading" is Sarah's secret to a more productive garden
 * The pinching rule that changed everything: "If in doubt, pinch out"
 * How the local flower movement is reshaping the industry on both sides of the Atlantic
 * What Sarah's new book offers gardeners at every level (and why her own daughter finally picked it up)

If this episode inspires you, share it with a friend who loves flowers. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Resources & Links Mentioned

 * Sarah Raven's Website: sarahraven.com [https://www.sarahraven.com/]
 * Sarah's Book: A Year of Cut Flowers https://amzn.to/4vhXc41  [https://amzn.to/4vhXc41]
 * Sarah's Podcast: Grow Cook Eat Arrange [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grow-cook-eat-arrange-with-sarah-raven-friends/id1550764907]
 * Sarah's Instagram: @sarahravenperchhill [https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/] | @sarahravensgarden [https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/]

Guest Bio

Sarah Raven is a gardener, teacher, author of fourteen books, and the founder of a gardening brand rooted at Perch Hill in East Sussex, England. Trained as a doctor, she transitioned to full-time growing after the birth of her second child. For more than thirty years, she has championed seasonal, locally grown cut flowers through her writing, teaching, and her weekly podcast, Grow Cook Eat Arrange. Her latest book, A Year of Cut Flowers, is a month-by-month guide drawing on three decades of growing, trialing, and arranging at Perch Hill.

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/08/ep-90-sarah-raven-a-year-of-cut-flowers/

https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/the-backyard-bouquet-podcast/

Ep. 90: Sarah Raven, The Woman Who Changed How We Grow Flowers

She started with zero qualifications, a personal trainer husband, and six dahlia tubers from the hardware store. Now Katie and her husband Rob run Little Lyndoch Flower Farm in Australia's Barossa Valley, growing just three crops on under an acre, and building a business that actually brings them joy.

In this episode, Katie shares how they sold everything during COVID to fund the farm, why growing fewer crops made them more profitable, and what it really looks like to build something from the ground up with your partner.

What you'll hear in today's episode:

 * Why Katie and Rob narrowed their entire farm down to just three crops, and how that one decision changed everything
 * The story of Uncle Lucky's greenhouse and how six dahlias became 3,500
 * How they figured out outsourcing when they couldn't keep wearing all the hats
 * Katie's honest take on marketing, showing up authentically, and why the quick 3-second reel always outperforms the one that took 2 hours

Resources & Links Mentioned

 * Little Lyndoch Flower Farm: littlelyndochflowerfarm.com.au [https://www.littlelyndochflowerfarm.com.au/]
 * Instagram: @littlelyndochflowerfarm [https://www.instagram.com/littlelyndochflowerfarm/]

About Katie:

Katie is the co-founder of Little Lyndoch Flower Farm, a seasonal flower farm and creative studio in the Barossa Valley, South Australia. Alongside her husband Rob, Katie has built a business that includes wholesale cut flowers, dahlia tuber and ranunculus corm sales, floral design for weddings, and a 3-day retreat called Bloom. She's currently developing the Bloom Academy for online learning. With no formal training in floristry, farming, or business, Katie and Rob are completely self-taught and share their journey openly to inspire growers and creatives around the world.

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/08/ep-89-flower-farming-in-australia-little-lyndoch-flower-farm/

If this episode resonates with you, would you share it with a flower friend? And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss a conversation.

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter

Ep. 89: Flower Farming in Australia's Barossa Valley with Katie Arena

Chelsea Willis is the kind of farmer who notices the frogs in the dahlias.

She's the owner of Sweet Delilah Farm on Sauvie Island, just 15 minutes outside Portland, Oregon. But her path to farming wasn't traditional. With a background in psychology and youth counseling, Chelsea originally wanted to find a way to get young people out on the land, because she saw how much easier it was for them to open up when their hands were busy and their feet were in the dirt.

Then a piece of land became available. And then another. The second one, a former lavender you-pick farm, she closed on in two and a half weeks. She'd never planned to buy property at that moment. But it felt right.

Today, Sweet Delilah Farm is a space where community gathers. Chelsea hosts dahlia workshops, floral design classes, plant dye days, and end-of-season u-picks. She's growing over 88 varieties of sweet peas for seed production, tending close to 250 roses, and dreaming about bringing yoga and meditation back to the farm. For Chelsea, farming isn't just about production. It's about presence, connection, and leaving space for whatever needs to come up, whether that's a pest issue in the field or a conversation that needs to happen.

If this episode stirs something in you, I'd love for you to share it with a fellow flower friend. And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss a new conversation.

Resources and Links Mentioned

 * Sweet Delilah Farm: sweetdelilahfarm.com [https://sweetdelilahfarm.com/]
 * Instagram: @sweetdelilahflowerfarm [https://instagram.com/sweetdelilahflowerfarm]
 * Wild Craft Studio (Portland, plant dyeing classes)
 * Sweet pea varieties mentioned: Piggy Sue, King's Coronation, Prince of Orange
 * Rose varieties mentioned: Dainty Bess, Coco Loco, All Dressed Up, Fun in the Sun

Guest Bio: Chelsea Willis is the owner and farmer behind Sweet Delilah Farm on Sauvie Island in Portland, Oregon. With a background in psychology, trauma work, and meditation, Chelsea brings a deeply human approach to everything she grows. Her farm is home to workshops, intimate weddings, u-pick events, plant dye classes, and a beloved flower truck. She grows over 88 varieties of sweet peas, tends close to 250 roses, and is passionate about creating space where people can connect with the land and with each other.

Show notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/03/17/ep-88-sweet-delilah-farm/

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter

Ep. 88: Farming as Meditation: What Mindfulness Taught Chelsea Willis About Growing Flowers

Some of the best flower farming stories start with a moment that changes everything. For Jenny Rae Swan, it was losing her mother at a young age and realizing that the only place she felt truly at peace was in a garden.

That grief, paired with a wild amount of courage, led her to quit a stable career in higher education, rent a small plot on a local blueberry farm, and start growing flowers with no land of her own and very little money. She told everyone she knew she was going to be a flower farmer. Most of them thought she was out of her mind.

Ten years later, Flower Well is an ever-evolving operation with multiple acres, a dedicated team of women, a thriving wholesale business, a wedding design studio, dahlia tuber sales, holiday wreath classes, and a garden-inspired design style that's earned her a reputation for movement, texture, and color. Jenny Rae is proof that you don't need to have it all figured out to start. You just need to start.

Key Takeaways

 * You don't need land, money, or a perfect plan to begin. Jenny Rae started on a rented plot with savings from selling antiques on Etsy.
 * Telling people your dream out loud builds accountability. Jenny Rae told everyone she was going to be a flower farmer before she had any idea how.
 * Farming and floristry feed different parts of the creative soul. Jenny Rae needs both to feel fulfilled.
 * Hiring help is scary but essential. Your team members will bring strengths you don't have.
 * The real cost of flower farming is far beyond what most people expect. Tractors, delivery vehicles, equipment, land preparation. It adds up fast.
 * Gardens are the greatest design teacher. Jenny Rae designs by thinking about how a garden moves, clusters, and breathes.
 * Joy is the through-line. On the hardest days, an evening walk through the flowers brings everything back.

If this episode encourages you, would you share it with a friend who needs to hear Jenny Rae's story? And if you haven't already, subscribe so you never miss a new episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast.

Guest Bio

Jenny Rae Swan is the owner and founder of Flower Well, a cut flower farm and floral design studio in the countryside of Rochester, New York. A first-generation farmer florist, Jenny Rae started Flower Well in 2015 on a rented plot at a neighboring blueberry farm. Her work is known for its garden-inspired design, focus on color and texture, heirloom varieties, and the way her arrangements move. She recently welcomed her second son and celebrated 10 years of growing flowers.

Connect with Jenny Rae at Flowerwell:

Website: https://www.flowerwellny.com [https://www.flowerwellny.com/]
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerwellny

Show notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/03/12/ep-87-jenny-rae-swan-10-years-of-flowers-failures-and-joy/

Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter



Ep. 87: Jenny Rae Swan: Ten Years of Flowers, Failures, and Finding Joy

If you've ever looked at a dahlia and wondered "what if I could create my own variety?" Kamille is the person you need to learn from.  

Her session is unlike anything else at the summit. She's taking us on the journey of a seedling from its first bloom to its official debut and showing how the art of hybridizing is so much more than science. 

It's about mentorship, community, and opening your garden to others.  What I love about Kamille's approach is that she believes the most beautiful varieties come from shared wisdom. Growing something new doesn't have to be a solo journey.  

Kamille is speaking on Day 2 AND joining our live Q&A panel that afternoon so you'll have the chance to ask her your questions directly. 

📅 Day 2 | March 4th | 1:00 PM PST 

📅  Q&A Panel | March 4th | 3:00 PM PST  

🎟️ Live Access: $99 | All Access: $199

Learn more and grab your ticket: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/profitabledahiliasummit

Connect with Kamille on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamillesflowers/

Summit Speaker Series: Kamille Scellick, Kamille's Flowers

A podcast for flower farmers, gardeners, and cut flower growers who are growing more than just flowers.

Hosted by Jennifer Gulizia of The Flowering Farmhouse, The Backyard Bouquet shares inspiring conversations and expert tips from the fields and gardens of cut flower farmers and home growers.

Whether you're planting your first backyard bed or running a thriving flower farm, each episode offers practical growing advice, heartfelt stories, and the encouragement to cultivate beauty, joy, and connection—both in your garden and in your life.

From backyard plots to blooming fields, this podcast celebrates the people behind the petals and the lessons we learn when we grow with intention. Discover how locally grown flowers can enrich your days, root you in the present, and remind you that every flower—and every season—has a purpose.

Join us on this flourishing journey—where growing flowers is just the beginning.

For Show Notes And More Podcast Details: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/the-backyard-bouquet-podcast/

Sign up for our newsletter: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.myflodesk.com/backyardbouquetpodcast

The Flowering Farmhouse: Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thefloweringfarmhouse/] | Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/thefloweringfarmhouse]   [https://www.pinterest.com/thefloweringfarmhouse/]| Website [https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/]

Jennifer Gulizia

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