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

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

Charlotte is a 5th generation farmer and mindset coach and there's a reason she's one of our first speakers on Day 1 of The Profitable Dahlia Summit. Everything starts with mindset. You can learn every strategy in the world for selling dahlias, but if you don't believe you're worth charging for them, none of it matters.

Charlotte is going to get your head right so you can take full advantage of every single session that follows. She's tackling the "broke farmer trap," the pricing guilt, the scarcity thinking, all of it. And she's replacing it with the confidence you need to actually build a business that pays you.

If you've ever thought "I just feel bad charging people for flowers"... Charlotte has something to say about that.

Charlotte is speaking on Day 1  of the summit, March 3rd  at 9:00 AM PST

Grab your summit ticket at the link in the show notes. Tickets start at $99.

https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/profitabledahiliasummit

Connect with Charlotte Smith: https://www.instagram.com/charlotte.m.smith/

Summit Speaker Series: Charlotte Smith, The Marketing & Mindset Coach for Farmers

In this bonus episode, I'm sharing my Instagram Live conversation with Heather Cain of Petal Pink Flower Farm. We talked all about selling dahlias to florists and she shared so much that I know you're going to want to hear her full session at the summit.

Have you ever thought about selling your dahlias to florists but weren't sure where to start? What do they actually expect? How do you price for wholesale? How do you even approach them?

Heather is answering all of it at the Profitable Dahlia Summit. From what florists look for when they buy dahlias, to how to scale your operation, price your blooms, and pack them like a pro.

If you're looking for a consistent, reliable revenue stream for your dahlias, selling to florists could be the game changer. And Heather is the person to learn from.

Heather is speaking at the Profitable Dahlia Summit on March 3rd at 2:15 PM PST where she's going even deeper on this topic.

The Profitable Dahlia Summit is March 3-5 with 13+ speakers covering every path to profitable dahlias. Tickets start at $99. 

Grab your ticket at the link in the show notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/theprofitabledahliaschedule

Connect with Heather of Petal Pink Flowers: https://www.instagram.com/petalpinkflowers/

Summit Speaker Series: Heather Cain on Selling Dahlias to Florists

In this bonus episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcst, I'm sharing my Instagram Live conversation with Marryn Mathis of The Farmhouse Flower Farm. We talked about getting ready for her tuber sale season, how it feels like a total rollercoaster, and some of Marryn's favorite dahlias this year. Marryn is speaking at the Profitable Dahlia Summit on March 4th and she's teaching how to host a dahlia tuber sale that sells out in a single day. 

Grab your summit ticket at the link in the show notes. Tickets start at $99.

https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/profitabledahiliasummit

Connect with Marryn of The Farmhouse Flower Farm: https://www.instagram.com/thefarmhouseflowerfarm/

Summit Speaker Series: Marryn Mathis on Selling Out Your Dahlia Tuber Sale

In this episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast, I’m joined by Melissa Stewart of Sweet Bloom Farm, a boutique dahlia farm in Battle Ground, Washington.

Melissa’s journey began the way so many of ours do, with a few mystery dahlias from a garden center and a spark she couldn’t ignore. What started as six blooming plants in her suburban backyard quickly grew into 20 varieties… then 50… then 100… and eventually into a two-acre farm growing 4,000 dahlias.

In this conversation, we talk about:

 * Scaling from 600 to 4,000 plants in one season
 * Why their second year on the farm was their hardest
 * The soil test that saved their crop
 * Farming no-till in rocky Pacific Northwest soil
 * Selling dahlia tubers online and shipping nationwide
 * Whether the dahlia market is oversaturated
 * Why local flowers matter more than ever
 * The community that flowers create beyond the blooms

Melissa shares openly about balancing a corporate job, raising two children, building a farm with her husband, and learning when to ask for help.

If you’ve ever wondered whether your backyard dahlias could become something more, this episode will inspire you.

Book: Weeds & What They Tell Us: https://amzn.to/3ZHkWQO

Connect with Melissa:

Website: www.sweetbloomfarm.com [http://www.sweetbloomfarm.com/]

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sweetbloomfarm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetbloomfarm

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

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/02/24/ep-86-sweet-bloom-farm/

Episode 86: From Backyard Dahlias to 4,000 Plants: Building Sweet Bloom Farm with Melissa Stewart

In this episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast, we’re heading south to Australia to visit Florelie, a small-scale but highly productive specialty cut flower farm near Ballarat, Victoria.

Jennifer is joined by flower farmer and dahlia breeder Lorelie Merton, who shares how a gifted bunch of homegrown peonies sparked a journey that led her from speech pathology to full-time flower farming. Today, Florelie grows flowers on just 2.5 acres of a 20-acre property, with 20,000 dahlias, a robust dahlia breeding program, and a thriving tuber business serving Australian gardeners and florists.

In this conversation, Lorelie opens up about breeding dahlias specifically for cut flower performance, scaling thoughtfully, rotating crops to protect soil health, and building a true family farm alongside her husband Ethan and their three children. She also shares behind-the-scenes insight into dahlia breeding timelines, seedling selection, tuber sales, and why dahlias are such a unique crop for agritourism and education.

Whether you’re a backyard gardener, aspiring flower farmer, or deeply obsessed with dahlias, this episode is packed with practical insight and honest perspective.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

 * How Florelie grew from a hobby into a full-time flower farm
 * Why dahlias became the farm’s primary crop
 * What it takes to manage and evaluate thousands of dahlia seedlings
 * How Lorelie breeds dahlias specifically for cut flower use
 * How crop rotation and paddock rest protect long-term soil health
 * The role Lorelie’s husband Ethan plays as farm manager and agronomist
 * How Florelie offers workshops, tuber sales, and afternoon tea events in the dahlia fields

***Just a quick note about today's episode: We had a bit of connection lag while recording from across the world, so there are just a few spots where we ended up talking at the same time as we couldn't hear one another. It’s minor, but I wanted to mention it in case you notice in this episode. The conversation is still great and I know you're going to love hearing from Lorelie!

Connect with Lorelie & Florelie

 * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/florelieseasonalflowers/
 * Website: https://florelie.com.au [https://florelie.com.au/]

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

Join Us At The Profitable Dahlia Summit

The first-ever virtual summit focused exclusively on growing dahlias for profit is here!

Join us March 3–4, 2026 to learn from experienced dahlia growers who are selling bouquets, tubers, CSA shares, event tickets, and more — and doing it profitably.

You’ll walk away with real strategies to turn your passion into income, even if you're just getting started.

Save your spot here: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/profitabledahiliasummit/  [https://thefloweringfarmhouse.mykajabi.com/profitabledahiliasummit/]

Ep. 85: Growing & Breeding Dahlias at Scale: Inside Florelie Flower Farm in Australia

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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