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Ep.74: Nicole Pitt of Flower Hill Farm: Growing Through Change and Finding Strength in Every Season
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In this heartfelt conversation, Jennifer sits down with Nicole Pitt, the flower farmer and creative behind Flower Hill Farm and Boon Street Nursery in upstate New York. Nicole is also the voice and heart behind the popular Flower Hill Farm YouTube channel, where she shares her authentic journey as a farmer, creator, and community builder.
Nicole opens up about how life’s unexpected seasons have shaped her perspective, what it means to grow through change, and how the flower community has supported her through it all. From rebuilding her business with renewed purpose to manifesting hope and growth — even in challenging times — Nicole’s story is a beautiful reminder of resilience and connection.
You’ll also hear about her plans for a new hoop house, her vision for expanding Boon Street Nursery (thanks to a major grant!), and her exciting new project — a brand-new podcast launching later this month.
Connect with Nicole:
- Flower Hill Farm YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FlowerHillFarm
- Flower Hill Farm Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flowerhillfarmny/
- Flower Hill Farm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flowerhillfarmny/
- Flower Hill Farm Website: https://www.flowerhillfarmny.com/
Mentioned in this episode:
- Farmer’s Friend pre-burned landscape fabric: https://www.farmersfriend.com/p/quick-plant-fabric?rid=floweringfarmhouse
Connect with Jennifer, Host of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast:
Website: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefloweringfarmhouse/
Follow the Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/thebackyardbouquetpodcast/
Sign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter
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New episodes every week to help keep your garden blooming!
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction to Nicole Pitt
00:00:57
Jennifer Gulizia
I am so excited to welcome Nicole Pitt, the flower farmer and creative behind Flower Hill Farm, a 20 acre flower farm and nursery in upstate New York.
00:01:09
Jennifer Gulizia
Nicole owns Boone Street Nursery and runs a thriving YouTube channel where she's built a community of flower lovers from around the world. Nicole is known for her warmth, her humor, and her willingness to share the real behind the scenes of farming life.
00:01:24
Jennifer Gulizia
from the beauty of the blooms to the lessons that come from the challenges.
Nicole's Cancer Journey Begins
00:01:28
Jennifer Gulizia
In our conversation, we'll talk about life on the farm, growing a business rooted in creativity and community, and what it looks like to move through the changing seasons with grace and gratitude.
00:01:39
Jennifer Gulizia
This episode is full of heart and honesty, and I know you'll walk away feeling inspired by Nicole's perspective and her passion for flowers. So without further ado, let's welcome Nicole.
00:01:51
Jennifer Gulizia
Nicole, I'm so grateful to have you joining us today.
00:01:54
Nicole
Hi. Oh my gosh, you make me tear up because it's just been such a crazy journey, this entire thing, since I very first decided maybe I should grow flowers. But I really am excited to be here with you.
00:02:06
Jennifer Gulizia
I'm so happy to have you here. And I guess we'll just say it now. We actually recorded an episode back in March and life had other plans.
00:02:14
Nicole
We did. Yes.
00:02:16
Jennifer Gulizia
And so here we are in November. And I think we actually talked for like two hours. So maybe our listeners will be happier with a shorter episode today.
00:02:25
Nicole
I'm sure there'll be some complaints that it's not two hours, but we had such a great conversation. But what happened was we spoke and we had a really great conversation. And then within two weeks of us recording that, I ended up being diagnosed with but with breast cancer. And that kind of upended my entire season.
00:02:43
Nicole
And a lot of the stuff that we talked about in the podcast was just not going to come to fruition because Because I had laid out my plans for the farm to you in that episode. And basically the entire thing, I mean, some parts of it were not null and void.
00:02:57
Nicole
But a big chunk of it was kind of null and void because of what happened with my diagnosis. And I've ended up since then, i i've been my care has been in Boston.
00:03:09
Nicole
I've been traveling. I think we've gone to Boston 14 times. And for those of you who don't know who I am, I live in upstate New York.
00:03:12
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh my gosh.
00:03:15
Nicole
It's about a five-hour drive to my doctors in Boston, but they have absolutely provided me with the best care. I had a double mastectomy in July. And so my physical limitations for the season, i was restricted for about 10 weeks to pick up more than five pounds.
00:03:33
Nicole
So you can imagine as a flower farmer who has to harvest all the time and running a nursery, it was just not probable. And my season kind of, it was just rough.
First Public Discussion of Her Cancer
00:03:43
Nicole
It was rough. Yeah. Yeah.
00:03:46
Jennifer Gulizia
Well, Nicole, before we go any further, I just want to acknowledge that I am so sorry for all that you've been through. And I've been thinking about you and sending you so much healing energy. And i appreciate your willingness to share with us. I know it's not easy. And I know that you sharing is probably encouraging and helpful for someone out there who's listening today who might be in the same place as you are today.
00:04:13
Nicole
Thank you. Yes, you've been checking in with me, making sure I'm okay. I get a little teary-eyed because this is kind of the first time that I have talked publicly about it, other than on my own YouTube channel. But now I've never had someone ask me questions like this before about it. And it's it is not hard for me to share because I share so much of what I do on my YouTube channel.
00:04:34
Nicole
But it is emotional to talk about. I found that as I get older, I have a hard time holding my emotions in. So I apologize if I get teary, but we're still in the process. I still have. So right now there is no evidence of disease.
00:04:48
Nicole
I did not have to have chemo or radiation and I'm not on any medication. The surgery removed the cancer from my body, but I still have a couple of follow up surgeries. So I'm still kind of in the middle of it. I actually have a surgery in less than 48 hours.
00:05:00
Nicole
but and So we're fitting this podcast in while I can because I know I'll be recovering for the next several months.
00:05:01
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh, my.
00:05:06
Nicole
And hopefully we'll be in tip top shape for the 2026 season. and And I will say that I always say next year is just going to be my best year yet. And I'm not giving up that hope.
00:05:18
Nicole
I feel like next year is going to be my best year yet, no matter what is thrown my way.
00:05:23
Jennifer Gulizia
Well, first of all, the fact that you have surgery in 48 hours and you are here today with me, I mean, it means so much.
00:05:30
Nicole
Thank you.
00:05:30
Jennifer Gulizia
And I know our listeners are going to be so grateful as well to be hearing from you.
Positivity and Mental Health
00:05:36
Jennifer Gulizia
I know that you're not through this yet, so it's a little bit hard to talk about the journey, but for Our listeners today who might be in a similar situation, how have you managed to stay positive and optimistic? I mean, you continue to show up and you're truthful. And I know you've shared the heart and we've seen you emotional, but I'd say 99% of the time you are bubbly, you're cheerful.
00:06:02
Jennifer Gulizia
How do you continue to find the joy in every day?
00:06:05
Nicole
I honestly feel that I don't have another choice. I feel like if I let myself slip into a place where I have a doomsday mentality that I will struggle to get out of that.
00:06:16
Nicole
I've always been a glass, not even half full. I'm a glass three quarter full person. I'm always looking on the bright side. I always find a solution to a problem, sometimes before there's even a problem because I just refuse to have that mentality that things are going to go wrong.
00:06:31
Nicole
I like to try and manifest as much as possible. that things are going to go right because I just don't see any other outcome down the line. There was no way that I can envision myself, you know, being less than hundred percent committing, committed to all of the things that I have on my checklist because my bucket list is got a long list on it.
00:06:53
Nicole
And I refuse to do anything other than fill that bucket. So it really is, A scary thought because I did not have chemo or radiation and they tell me that I don't have cancer anymore, but there's still that that thought in the back of my mind, like, are we sure?
00:07:10
Nicole
Are we sure? i think that once you're diagnosed with something like this, it's always tapping you on the shoulder. It really is. So i I'll never be fully comfortable and I will never say that I am a healed person.
00:07:22
Nicole
But for for right now, I'm okay. and And as long as I'm okay, then I'm going to continue to push forward. And I actually, i had a procedure the other day, just a scope because I have other issues as well. But I had a scope and I apparently woke up from the scope and I told the nurse who is caring for me that while I was under, i was manifesting growth for my business.
00:07:46
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh, that's amazing.
00:07:47
Nicole
I have no memory. i You know, when you wake up from anesthesia, you don't remember say like what you're saying. She told me that after I started to wake up and i I just couldn't stop giggling because even when I'm unconscious, I am manifesting growth
Connection to Home and Community
00:08:02
Nicole
for my business. So I guess that's just my personality and I don't think I'll ever change.
00:08:09
Jennifer Gulizia
I think that's probably why you and I hit it off so well in March is because we both have a similar mentality.
00:08:13
Nicole
its
00:08:15
Jennifer Gulizia
You were talking about the glass being half full. For me, recently, I heard that there's always two sides of a coin and you get to choose. Do you want to be on the positive side or the negative side?
00:08:26
Jennifer Gulizia
And so every time I catch myself slipping, I'm like, okay, I need to flip that coin. Like, what's my attitude going to be today?
00:08:30
Nicole
Yes.
00:08:33
Jennifer Gulizia
And you are someone that always lives on that positive side of that coin. And I really admire that about you.
00:08:38
Nicole
I love that. T-shirt idea. Coin half in the air. Flip it. Love it.
00:08:45
Jennifer Gulizia
That's great. You can come out with that on your YouTube channel.
00:08:48
Nicole
Okay.
00:08:49
Jennifer Gulizia
So I just realized some people who are probably listening might not know who you are.
00:08:52
Nicole
Yeah. Who is this girl? Yeah.
00:08:55
Jennifer Gulizia
So let's go back a little bit and talk about your flower farm and your YouTube channel and your nursery.
00:08:56
Nicole
yeah
00:09:01
Jennifer Gulizia
So let's start quickly at the beginning. You are a flower farmer in New York.
00:09:04
Nicole
Yeah.
00:09:07
Nicole
Born and raised. Yes. So I'm in upstate New York, zone four, from a little village called Boonville. And this is where I grew up. It's where my dad is from.
00:09:17
Nicole
And I actually had the amazing privilege of buying back my childhood home in 2018, 22 years after it was sold out of the family And that's something I manifested as well. I drove by it every day from the age of 15 when my parents had to sell it in a divorce.
00:09:37
Nicole
I drove by it every single day. I pointed at it and I said, someday, someday, someday, because that was my home. That is where I fell in love with growing. That is where I saw my very first Dame's Rocket, which is one of my favorite flowers.
00:09:51
Nicole
And that is where I grew my very first carrots because I am team flower, but also team veggie. I grow i grow them all. But I just knew that someday that was home. It always has been home for me.
00:10:03
Nicole
So when I was amazingly privileged to move back to the property six years ago, or gosh, seven years ago now, geez Louise, I just knew that the property was so beautiful. It was meant for something bigger than me.
00:10:19
Nicole
And I really was staring at the rolling hills. And like you said, it's 20 acres. And I just envisioned fields of flowers. And this is before I discovered flower farming. This was before I knew who florette was or who anyone in the industry was.
00:10:37
Nicole
And I just took a catalog and showed my husband. I said, I think this is what I'm supposed to do here. And he said, okay, because he's 100% supportive. And I will say that I would not be where I am right now in my business without the support of
Building a Global Flower Community
00:10:52
Nicole
my husband. He is 110% behind me in all things.
00:10:55
Nicole
It doesn't mean that we don't you know have to talk things through, but he will always support me. And I feel like that is crucial to my success. I could not do this alone. It's way too big of an undertaking.
00:11:05
Jennifer Gulizia
having Having a partner like that is amazing.
00:11:07
Nicole
And I know, yeah, yeah.
00:11:10
Jennifer Gulizia
like you You can't do 20 acres alone or, mean, maybe a smaller parcel, but it truly does require someone supporting you.
00:11:20
Nicole
It's backbreaking work. It really is. So it was 2018 when we moved back in. That's when I started to grow. I think I put 50 dahlias in the ground and maybe a couple of hundred gladiolas. And I grew some cosmos from seed.
00:11:32
Nicole
And I used kale for filler because that's all I had. I didn't know about filler at the time, but I knew, hey, this green thing looks good in here. I have no... floral like floral training history at all.
00:11:43
Nicole
I just knew what was pleasing to my eye. And I'm a photographer. I graduated with a degree in broadcasting. So I have a journalism history. And I worked in television news for more than a decade. And I was the local news anchor.
00:11:57
Nicole
So I said, you know what, let me go on YouTube and see if I can grow flowers. And I just ended up not finding a lot of content about growing just cut flowers on the internet.
00:12:08
Nicole
There were maybe a couple of YouTube channels that were making videos, but you didn't see any faces. They were just zoomed in on dahlias as they were snipping them. So it wasn't a lot of content. And I said, I think I need to marry my two passions.
00:12:20
Nicole
I need to grow flowers and vegetables, but then I need to make videos about them because that's what I was trained to do as my years of television news is tell stories. Really.
00:12:32
Nicole
That's what I did as a journalist. I'm a storyteller. So that was kind of where my focus shifted. i was like, okay, Let's see if I can make this happen. let's I know I can grow. I've been growing gardens my entire life.
00:12:43
Nicole
Let's see if I can grow cut flowers and then sell those cut flowers and at the same time, share my journey with everyone else. At that time, i didn't...
00:12:53
Nicole
I kind of made videos for my community. You know, like, hey, i'm going to sell these flowers to you. I'm starting them from seed now. You can watch them as they grow up and then you can buy the bouquets.
00:13:06
Nicole
But what I didn't expect was the people around the world watching my content. And it was a slow trickle at first. But then within a year, there were tens of thousands of people watching my videos. And I was like, oh, OK, well, this isn't just for my community.
00:13:22
Nicole
Or maybe my community just got a lot bigger. So my community expanded in more ways than one. And I will tell you, I know that you have similar experiences where the gardening and flower community is just full of beautiful, supportive people.
00:13:37
Nicole
Some of my followers since day one have become my best friends. And they're who I talk to on a daily basis now. Not my best friend from high school. Sorry, Lauren. We talked you know we talk once a week.
00:13:49
Nicole
But my flower friends, I talk to every day.
Community Support During Cancer
00:13:52
Nicole
And it's just a beautiful community of people in the world of flowers.
00:13:56
Jennifer Gulizia
It really is an amazing community. As your last six or seven months have really changed, how has that floral community supported you?
00:14:06
Nicole
Oh, it's been overwhelming is an understatement because my my first, I believe I announced it probably maybe two weeks after I was diagnosed. I had the courage to to tell my community because I knew that I could have kept it to myself, but my content would have changed quite a bit because I was unable to Take care of my flowers. I couldn't weed. I couldn't pick up a hose.
00:14:33
Nicole
A double mastectomy is a major surgery. It's often referred to as double amputation because that's what it is. Whole chunks of your body are removed and your body has to recover from that.
00:14:45
Nicole
I wasn't allowed to pick up more than five pounds for, like I said, two and a half months. So that was the entirety of my harvest season. And it was really rough because my daughter was graduating. And so I almost, I was really nervous that I wasn't going make it to her high school graduation.
00:15:01
Nicole
I told my surgeon, listen, I don't care when you schedule it. I can't do it on this day. because my daughter is graduating high school. And so fortunately, I was able to be there for her high school graduation, but her graduation party, which was already booked and invitations were already out, was 10 days after my surgery.
00:15:18
Jennifer Gulizia
Mm-hmm.
00:15:19
Nicole
And the way that the community online poured into me, heart and soul, and then my neighbor here on Boone Street, I'm in the Boone Street nursery right now, and Three houses down, my neighbor Kelly surprised me by creating a t-shirt fundraiser because I had people asking me, we should do a benefit. Let's do a benefit. And I said, no, nope, I don't need that. I don't need a party thrown. I don't need money raised.
00:15:44
Nicole
But The reality of the situation was I had to cut my season short and we did miss out in tens of thousands of dollars in sales. And the medical bills add up ridiculously quickly. I was so overwhelmed with the emails, with the bills here, bills there. And it was just kind of overwhelming.
00:16:01
Nicole
So Kelly came up with this beautiful design and they did a local teacher like a t-shirt fundraiser for my community. We ended up extending that to my online audience and we had a few hundred orders and it was just...
00:16:15
Nicole
It was not only helpful because I don't have great insurance and we had about $10,000 out of pocket that we had to pay. That doesn't include traveling to Boston back and forth and the hotel stays in Boston either.
00:16:28
Nicole
So it was a huge relief financially, but even more so the emotion, the cards that I was getting in the mail, people sharing their stories, the number of women saying, you have inspired me to get a mammogram, the The number of messages that I've gotten saying, Nicole, they found something.
00:16:48
Nicole
What do I do? So like guiding women through their journey by sharing my own and then telling them, okay, here's what you need to do. You need to get a second opinion. You need to get a third opinion. You need to ask for an MRI. You need to get an ultrasound.
00:17:04
Nicole
So it's unfortunate that I had to go through this to be able to be a sounding board for other people who are going through the same thing. And I don't want this podcast to be about breast cancer, but it's it's kind of shaped My future, really, i think I can't even tell you the number of people who are reaching out to me sharing their stories because they just want to be heard and maybe they don't have the audience that I have, where I can just turn my camera on and talk about my feelings.
Emotional Connections Through Flowers
00:17:32
Nicole
So I'm i' definitely...
00:17:35
Nicole
I'm different. I'm touched and I will continue to be touched throughout this whole entire experience as each and every person reaches out to me. But yeah, I also grow flowers.
00:17:48
Jennifer Gulizia
Well, I think that's the beauty of what you do because you grow flowers, flowers create this connection and the way that they ripple out into communities. I mean, look at your YouTube channel. People aren't even physically touching your flowers, but they're feeling the effects of what you're doing. And so they feel connected to you.
00:18:07
Jennifer Gulizia
And I think that any flower farmer, that's listening to this or any gardener that shares their flowers can relate, that those connections become so strong because what we do matters so so much.
00:18:20
Jennifer Gulizia
I'm getting goosebumps here because i didn't plan that.
00:18:21
Nicole
Yeah.
00:18:22
Jennifer Gulizia
This like how our conversation, I mean, I have a whole list of questions and i we're not even on track at all.
00:18:23
Nicole
I know. I didn't either.
00:18:28
Nicole
I know.
00:18:28
Jennifer Gulizia
But i but i mean, the ripple effect of what flowers do and the way they connect us to other humans, I mean, we talk about this all the time, but
00:18:28
Nicole
It's okay. Okay.
00:18:40
Jennifer Gulizia
You give them baby showers and when a baby's born and birthday parties and ballet recitals, your daughter's graduation, I'm sure there were flowers there and I'm sure there were flowers at the hospital.
00:18:51
Jennifer Gulizia
I mean, those flowers connect us to a people to people, places and moments in time. And that bond becomes so strong I mean, you're led into someone's life in such an intimate way that such few other professions allow us to do.
00:19:09
Jennifer Gulizia
So I almost, I mean, it's not a privilege that you're dealing with this cancer, but what a privilege that these people feel like they can come and talk to you and trust you with such an intimate piece of their life.
00:19:23
Nicole
here And I have the unique opportunity to be owning a retail store while I was going through this diagnosis. And because my retail shop is live plants, there's no shutting the door.
00:19:34
Nicole
i had to remain open during this entirety. Thank God for Ashley and Ashley, my two team members named Ashley. i i don't know if it was just... meant to be, but both of those ladies came into my life and I could not have, I had to leave for appointments sometimes three or four times a week. I had a test here, a test there.
00:19:56
Nicole
Normally I'm here by myself. So I don't know if it was my, my seeing into the future that I would need these girls here with me because I needed them. And there was no way that I could have gotten through this season without them here, but because I was open,
00:20:11
Nicole
My door was literally open for people to come in and hug me. i i At least 2,000 people came into my shop and just hugged me and started sobbing in my arms.
00:20:24
Nicole
Sobbing because they went through it, because their mom went through it, because I'm going through it. I had grown men sobbing on my shoulders. It was often too much at times because I'm still trying to run a business. and But it was very unique where I'm literally open. My doors are open.
00:20:44
Nicole
I just announced that I had cancer and people were just filing in the door with gifts and cards and hugs. And those hugs, I told everyone, hug me. but Don't be afraid to hug me.
00:20:53
Jennifer Gulizia
Thank you.
00:20:56
Nicole
Cancer doesn't hurt. like they You don't feel it. So everyone was afraid, can I hug you? I'm like, yes, until I had surgery. Then there was no hugs. but But before that, I was open arms, open arms. And it it not only made me feel better to see these people coming in, it made them feel better too, because I still looked like myself.
00:21:15
Nicole
I didn't look sick. I didn't look scary. I didn't look like, oh, that girl has cancer. I think just them putting eyes on me because it's my local community here. I grew up here. These are my high school teachers.
00:21:26
Nicole
My kindergarten teacher is a twice monthly customer at my shop.
00:21:28
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh, my.
00:21:32
Nicole
So it's just, it made me really fall in love with my community all over again. And I feel like that's happened two or three times over the last five years. I just, small towns are small towns. And for those who don't know my village Boomville, we are about 2000 people.
00:21:47
Nicole
So it's a really small town and I'm the only greenhouse in town. And so people just shop here. Like I told you, I used to be the television news anchor. So if people don't know me from my shop, they know me from TV.
00:21:58
Nicole
So it's just crazy crazy. It's been unbelievably moving to see how other people's reacted to my diagnosis. Yeah, it was very emotional season.
00:22:12
Jennifer Gulizia
You have nurtured and literally put down so many roots in your community that, I mean, it's no wonder.
00:22:17
Nicole
I fertilize it often.
Ambitious Business Expansion Plans
00:22:20
Jennifer Gulizia
so One of these days I'll be able to give you one of those hugs in person too.
00:22:23
Nicole
I know, I'm hoping this winter.
00:22:25
Jennifer Gulizia
Yes.
00:22:25
Nicole
and
00:22:27
Jennifer Gulizia
Well, with everything that has happened in the last six months, how has this changed your outlook for your, or has it changed your outlook for your business going into the future?
00:22:40
Nicole
So
00:22:42
Nicole
honestly, I keep wanting to do more and I feel I have to rein myself in. I do have to rein myself in because my business was the recipient of a $385,000 state grant recently.
00:22:54
Nicole
And i'm I'm very excited about that.
00:22:54
Jennifer Gulizia
well
00:22:57
Nicole
But the pressure that that puts on me is amazing. It's not like in a good way. Amazing can be used in more than one way. And it's an amazing pressure that is put on me because now I have to make sure that this money is used the right way.
00:23:13
Nicole
And that I'm not talking about like, you know, checks and balances because the state oversees everything, every dollar that we spent from the grant. But the grant's purpose is to increase tourism in the village And to increase local businesses and like add jobs and stuff like that.
00:23:31
Nicole
So my vision for this place is just, I'm shooting for the stars, Jen. Let's be honest. I mean, I've got a cafe on the list here.
00:23:41
Nicole
I want to turn the house that I'm in right now. I'm not even going to say it because I don't want to. I don't want to give too much away, but we want to turn this house into a cafe and offer some breakfast and some lunch options as people are shopping in the greenhouses. Nothing crazy, but our barn is coming down. That's dilapidated, and we had six rafters break over the winter.
00:24:01
Jennifer Gulizia
move.
00:24:02
Nicole
That's being turned into a brand new retail shop, and I want to support local artists. So that will be filled with locally made goods and stuff like honey and pottery and all the things that you would ever think of in a cute little...
00:24:15
Nicole
you know local store. And then i have this vision around the big greenhouse that I put up a couple years ago to create a botanical garden. And botanical gardens in upstate New York is not going to be round, obviously.
00:24:31
Nicole
But for several months out of the year, we can have a really pretty place for people to come and maybe have some serenity of their own. And that's my community garden is what it really is.
00:24:44
Nicole
And we've actually, it's it's a memorial garden as well. And we've had some donations and we have some plaques to put up in memory of some local gardeners and some other folks who just felt that they wanted to honor their loved ones in this way.
00:24:59
Nicole
So I have the botanical garden planned with a walkabout sidewalk and the new retail shop and the cafe and the greenhouses need to be rebuilt. I'm not sure if I will ever be satisfied.
00:25:13
Nicole
I don't know if there will be period at the end of this sentence. I think it's going to be a continual act of renovation and... yeah adding on because I already just got a quote for a new hoop house at the farm like this week.
00:25:30
Nicole
I need a hoop house just for ranunculus, Jen, because I don't have enough space. So i don't i don't know if the situation has, I'm not backing off anything. If anything, the train is going faster.
00:25:47
Jennifer Gulizia
So it's given you more motivation.
00:25:49
Nicole
I think so. It's a dangerous thing because I think I had too much to begin with, but that's okay. I was just, you know, Elise Myers, have you ever seen, she's an influencer online.
00:25:56
Jennifer Gulizia
Well,
00:26:01
Nicole
And she said that people in her comment section often tell her that she's doing too much. And she says, go find someone who does less. So go find less. So if someone tells me I'm doing too much, we'll go find less.
00:26:13
Nicole
Okay.
00:26:14
Jennifer Gulizia
So let's clarify on this grant. The grant is for your nursery or your farm or both?
00:26:20
Nicole
The nursery. Yeah, it's for the nursery because the nursery is within the village limits.
00:26:21
Jennifer Gulizia
Just the nursery.
00:26:24
Nicole
And my farm is actually about 10 miles away outside of the village limits. It's actually in the town. So that didn't qualify for any grant because this was a strictly a village grant. And the village was actually awarded $4.5 million. dollars And businesses were able to apply for the grants. And that's the portion that I applied for. So the bit the money was distributed, think, probably amongst 15 to 20 businesses.
00:26:50
Nicole
Yeah.
00:26:51
Jennifer Gulizia
That's incredible. Wow. Well, congratulations.
00:26:52
Nicole
Yeah.
00:26:54
Jennifer Gulizia
That's going to be amazing when you have a grand opening party for this transformation.
00:26:58
Nicole
I can't wait. can't wait.
00:26:59
Jennifer Gulizia
I want an invite.
00:27:01
Nicole
Yes. Most of the day yesterday, we spent cleaning out the barn so that it could come down. Hopefully this week.
00:27:07
Jennifer Gulizia
Can you reuse any of the barns sighting?
00:27:10
Nicole
So we already took a lot of it and we built walls, interior walls for the greenhouses. And we're taking the tin off the top and we're actually, I'm going to use that on my chicken coop.
00:27:18
Jennifer Gulizia
cool.
00:27:23
Nicole
there's There's a nice piece of tin that I'm going to repurpose in my chicken coop. But if I'm being 100% honest, a lot of the wood is damaged by cat urine. Okay.
00:27:34
Nicole
Yeah. So we had some feral cats get in before I owned the place and they were living in the barn and a lot of it is extremely urine stained. So I don't think anyone would want to use that.
00:27:45
Nicole
Some of the pieces that we repurposed when we were sanding it, the odors just started to pour out of it. It was, it was not great.
00:27:53
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh, that's unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that.
00:27:55
Nicole
Yeah. Yeah.
00:27:57
Jennifer Gulizia
Okay. You mentioned you're getting a hoop house for your ranunculus.
00:28:01
Nicole
Yes.
00:28:02
Jennifer Gulizia
i mean
00:28:02
Nicole
Yay. Yay.
00:28:03
Jennifer Gulizia
I just put down silage tarps today for we tilled and we put down silage tarps for a hoop house. Let's talk about hoop houses for a second.
00:28:09
Nicole
Yes.
00:28:10
Jennifer Gulizia
but What are you doing with your hoop house?
Navigating Farming Challenges
00:28:12
Jennifer Gulizia
Tell me size, where are you getting it? Give us details.
00:28:14
Nicole
Okay, so I i have a 16 by 100 foot hoop house currently at my farm. And that was from Farmer's Friend. And I bought them separately. So i I first put up a 16 by 50, decided that wasn't big enough. And then two years later, added 50 foot one on the back of it.
00:28:33
Nicole
So i have I saw you post the other day about that free the the woven fabric with the holes in it.
00:28:40
Jennifer Gulizia
the pre-burn and fabric.
00:28:40
Nicole
I splurged on that. Oh my gosh. I'm so happy with it. I splurged on a 550 foot roll of that. And so in the 16 foot wide hoop house, I have four rows and I kind of overlap them a little bit because I don't really need big aisles in there.
00:28:57
Nicole
But I just finished planting. I still have to put my ranunculus and stock in, but I'll do that over the course of the next couple of months. I did, oh gosh, probably about 800 campanula.
00:29:10
Nicole
And, you know, I did the white, the blue, the pink, the purple. And then I had two of the new varieties that Farmer Bailey has, the ones that are grown by tissue culture that are, I think they're called evergreen.
00:29:24
Nicole
And then there's another one, but they're like a two-tone campanula.
00:29:27
Jennifer Gulizia
Ooh.
00:29:27
Nicole
I cannot wait. And they only were offering trays of, I think, 25. So there's not a lot of those, but I cannot wait to see them in person. The photos of them are amazing.
00:29:38
Nicole
What else do I have in there? Okay, so I have three trays of delphinium. So probably 450 delphinium. I think there were 128 trays. And I did, i think, mixes, just like a Pacific giant mix.
00:29:51
Nicole
That's one row. And then I have three trays of love and a mist nigella. One of them, i think two trays are mixed, and then one is the delft blue that I love, the the dark blue and white ones.
00:30:04
Nicole
Oh, and then I have a tray of Feverfew that I put in there. And then, oh, you know what I'm trialing? I'm so curious. Even though I'm zone four, I'm trialing a tray of Ballerina pansies.
00:30:16
Nicole
They're allegedly not hardy to my zone, but I don't mind putting two, three, four layers of frost cloth just to see if it'll work out.
00:30:16
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh. oh
00:30:24
Nicole
So I have... Campanula, pansies, feverfew, nigella, delphinium. And then I will start stock from seed in January and get that out by the end of February.
00:30:35
Nicole
And then i have my ranunculus. I have some of it pre-sprouting now, only a few, maybe like 40. That I will plant. And then I have spots for 600 more ranunculus corms.
00:30:47
Nicole
And then Levante rosa, the anemone, the flower of the year 2024. that was That bloomed beautifully for me last year. Started out short, ended up about 10-inch stems, workable stems, but the flower itself is so beautiful that I'm willing to cut my bouquet short just to have that as a feature flower in my bouquets. They were stunning, and my customers were literally like crying over them. They were so pretty.
00:31:13
Jennifer Gulizia
Wow.
00:31:14
Nicole
So I have those. And I think that about rounds it out. I did plant some foxglove, but I took it out of the hoop house because I didn't realize I ordered biennial.
00:31:25
Nicole
And I was like, okay, this isn't blooming in the spring.
00:31:25
Jennifer Gulizia
o
00:31:27
Nicole
i am It's not taking up precious room in my hoop house. So I took it out and I planted it outside. Yeah.
00:31:33
Jennifer Gulizia
So will you turn the hoop house in the spring after these crops are done?
00:31:37
Nicole
Well, so the funny thing about my climate is that the radunculus don't really start blooming until mid-May. So then they bloom for four or five weeks.
00:31:45
Jennifer Gulizia
Okay.
00:31:47
Nicole
So by the time they're done blooming, it's mid-June, sometimes the third week in June. And I just struggle with what to put in there because planting mid-June is a little bit late.
00:32:00
Nicole
So, i could do zinnias in there. i could do celosia in there. i could do some amaranth in there. You know, 60-day crops. I could do those. But I haven't decided. In the past, I have done dahlias, but that's really late too to put dahlias in the ground.
00:32:16
Nicole
Not that I haven't in the past planted them that late.
00:32:16
Jennifer Gulizia
Right.
00:32:19
Nicole
But and I would love if I could find somewhere where I could get heirloom mum cuttings at a decent price because I am not going to pay. what You know how expensive they are?
00:32:31
Nicole
If I'm going to grow 2,000 of them, I can't do that. That's not realistic. So if I could find them at a decent price, I would fill the whole hoop house with heirloom mums and cut them in October.
00:32:35
Jennifer Gulizia
right
00:32:41
Nicole
But they're just too pricey for me to do that right now.
00:32:46
Jennifer Gulizia
I agree. Okay, so you're getting a second hoop house?
00:32:49
Nicole
Okay. Yeah. So that was my dilemma is I am planting all these things in my hoop house and I'm going 600 ranunculus. That's not enough. There was one year, two years ago, I grew 2200 ranunculus.
00:33:02
Nicole
And here's what happened. Using that cloth... is forcing me to space things farther apart. So I would normally plant ranunculus on a four inch spacing, but because those are eight inch spacing, I'm planting only half the number of ranunculus in the space.
00:33:20
Nicole
So and instead of burning new holes, I don't want to do that. I want to experiment to see if I get more stems by spacing them wider apart. The plants will probably do better, I'm guessing.
00:33:32
Nicole
So my solution is to put up a new hoop house.
00:33:36
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh my gosh.
00:33:37
Nicole
Just so I can have more. And my husband was out there with me the other day. And I said to him, where should we put it? Like, where would we put the hoop house? And I thought I'd put it side by side.
00:33:47
Nicole
And we would leave because we get, let's just say last winter we got 20 feet of snow.
00:33:53
Jennifer Gulizia
oh my gosh
00:33:53
Nicole
So we have to leave space in between the hoop houses where we plow in between to get the snow out. And then he said, well, what about just putting it on the back end of it? Not connected, but you know leave 30 feet and then put up another hoop house because there is space behind it. And I said, genius, because if your husband says go ahead and he suggests it, then it's a great idea.
00:34:16
Nicole
and So we because i don't love the width of the farmer's friend, I wish they made it wider. So I reached out to Rimmel. Rimmel is the company that I purchased my big greenhouse here with with heat, inflated, you know all the vents, all the bells and whistles. That's where I purchased this one in town, and that was quite a bit more than just a hoop house.
00:34:41
Nicole
I reached out to Matt, my rep. So he gave me a quote for that. I have to make some decisions on you know whether or not I want... Well, I'm not putting electric out there, so it won't be a bubbled hoop house. It'll just be a single layer poly.
00:34:55
Nicole
But I have to make some decisions on that. And then I also reached out to, i order a lot of my product through Griffin Greenhouses. And so I just filled out their information to get a quote from them. Haven't gotten that quote back yet.
00:35:09
Nicole
And then, you know, honestly, i feel like there was one other company that I reached out to, but I can't remember at the moment who it was. But Rimmel has been really great to me. I probably will go ahead and get that. they They're amazing.
00:35:22
Nicole
I really love their product that I have right now. And if Farmer's Friend made a 30-foot wide one, I'd probably buy another one from them as well because they also have amazing quality stuff.
Farm Innovations and Community Interaction
00:35:33
Jennifer Gulizia
I'm currently looking at the Farmer's Friend 16 by 108. And the fabric we were talking about, just so to clarify for people, it's a pre-burned landscape fabric where the holes are pre-positioned.
00:35:38
Nicole
Ooh.
00:35:47
Jennifer Gulizia
And i think comes either with four rows, three rows, or two rows with different sets of spacing. So like for eucalyptus, I could use two. And I'll put a link in the show notes so people can check that out because it sure beats holding the propane can and walking down the rows walking
00:36:02
Nicole
I'm go to tell you, it saved me days, days of labor and my back. It saved me so much.
00:36:08
Jennifer Gulizia
Yes. Right.
00:36:09
Nicole
I think that if we reached out to Farmer's Friend and asked them to make one with more holes, I think that they would sell a lot of those because we, you know, as flower farmers, we're not like we're spacing Selocia and, you know, that closer than that, you know?
00:36:24
Nicole
So if they made one with even a third more holes, maybe a fifth row, I think that they would have a market for that.
00:36:24
Jennifer Gulizia
right
00:36:32
Jennifer Gulizia
And you know, at first I was worried because used to do 48 inch rows and they're 36 inches for the flower or for the whole spacing.
00:36:36
Nicole
you
00:36:40
Nicole
Yes.
00:36:40
Jennifer Gulizia
I actually found it so much easier because I could literally reach all the way across. And for me, i don't have a shortage of space, kind of like you. So maybe if I was on a smaller space and I needed to cram more in, but because I have plenty of space, it's so nice to have that extra breathing room to harvest and to walk.
00:36:48
Nicole
Right.
00:36:58
Nicole
I agree. it's i envision it. I haven't harvested with it yet, but I envision it being a lot easier to reach the other end of the aisle without having to walk all the way around and all the way back down the next row.
00:37:09
Nicole
My husband actually wants to just do one long row of like annual flowers outside. He's like, wouldn't it be so much easier it's just to do one 2,000-foot row? That way you wouldn't have to mow in between the rows. was like, okay, are you going to harvest? Because you'd have to walk two miles just to harvest the row. Yeah.
00:37:25
Jennifer Gulizia
Totally.
00:37:26
Nicole
who
00:37:28
Jennifer Gulizia
Well, I'll be anxious to see what you decide for your hoop house. We'll have to compare notes when we get them.
00:37:32
Nicole
it's I know. It's a big it's a big expense. you know The farmer's friend, I feel like the 16 by 50 is a great starter hoop house because it's not a huge investment. you know The one I'm talking about is probably between $8,000 and $10,000. That's a much bigger investment.
00:37:49
Nicole
But the i don't don't quote me. I don't know what the current prices are, but I think the 16 by 50 is less than $3,000, which if you're just starting out and you have a market and you're looking to... you know dip your toe in the hoop house planting.
00:38:03
Nicole
my farmer like My whole farm changed once I got a hoop house. I was able to do so much more. It really elevated the flowers that I was able to grow.
00:38:14
Nicole
I tried growing ranunculus outside with low tunnels. and It's not impossible, but with the amount of snow that I get, The low tunnels would just to the ground.
00:38:25
Nicole
I mean, honestly, 20 feet of snow is no joke. All of my hydrangeas were crushed to the ground. And for those who don't know me, I have i have a 200 hydrangea field and 1100 peonies. And I just have a lot of perennials that I established at the farm about five years ago.
00:38:40
Nicole
So my whole entire field, I mean, it's a quarter acre of hydrangeas. The entire thing was flattened this year from the weight of the snow. It was just an incredible year. So I guess the whole year just started off on a bad foot.
00:38:53
Nicole
It wasn't just in March.
00:38:56
Jennifer Gulizia
I just planted, I guess between hydrangeas and nine bark, I just planted 200. So I was so inspired when you did that back in the day. I was like, okay, this is going to be a three-year investment, but I can't wait to see them bloom.
00:39:04
Nicole
Yeah.
00:39:08
Nicole
Oh, it's so rewarding because from my kitchen and my porch, you can look over and see the field of hydrangeas. And you can also see them when you're driving by my house. You can see them up the hill.
00:39:21
Nicole
And it's just so rewarding. As soon as July hits, all of the panicles just start to burst into color. And it's one of my favorite places on the farm. In fact, I made like a 15 foot in the middle I put a 15-foot aisle just because i wanted to have a place to take pictures where you can walk in because otherwise it's really cramped in there for harvesting, but I make it work. but oh i can One thing we talked about in March that I said I was going to do this year that I actually did get done was I added a roadside stand to my farm.
00:39:53
Nicole
That was something that was really not in the cards for me at first.
00:39:54
Jennifer Gulizia
Oh.
00:39:57
Nicole
I didn't want to do that. I didn't want people... Yeah. because sometimes people will take advantage of that and i'll find them wandering and so it was really something that i was toying back and forth with but then last summer i wanted to be on the farm more And I thought, well, if I put up a roadside stand, then I can just sell the flowers because I closed my shop here in July and August. And I was having to pack up all my flowers and bring them to the shop to open up on a Saturday to sell bouquets. And I said, you know what?
00:40:29
Nicole
I think people will come here if I put them there. And boy, did they come. I call it the dollhouse. It's a gorgeous little gray shed. It looks like a colonial. It's got a couple of little cute additions to it.
00:40:40
Nicole
And I They came. They came every time I opened up the dollhouse and offered the bouquets. they were I was selling out. It was really a beautiful thing.
00:40:51
Jennifer Gulizia
That's incredible. Well, hopefully you can share a picture so we can include that in today's show notes.
00:40:56
Nicole
Oh, yes.
00:40:56
Jennifer Gulizia
how How did you get people? Did you send an email? What what enticed people to come?
00:41:01
Nicole
Yeah. So my marketing strategy is I find that I have followers on Instagram and customers on Facebook.
Customer Engagement Strategies
00:41:09
Nicole
So the majority of my community is on Facebook.
00:41:11
Nicole
So i not that I never post things related to the Boone Street Nursery or the Dollhouse on Instagram, but I'm more likely to post that on Facebook and then I'll share it with my community. I don't share it to any garage sale sites.
00:41:26
Nicole
you know I've seen a lot of people do that. I don't do any of that. just post it on my Facebook page and ask people to share. And i normally get a good amount of sharing, but I also have consistent customers. I see the same people again and again and again.
00:41:41
Nicole
And that you know my customers have become amazing friends. And so I know that when I post, certain people will show up. In fact, my friend Teresa, she'll always be the first customer.
00:41:53
Nicole
It's a joke. I'm like, oh, Teresa will be here at 9.01 if I open up at 9. And it's just, you know, when you're consistently making your customers feel good, they're going to come back to you again and again and again.
00:42:07
Nicole
And maybe I don't price my flowers the way that I should. Maybe I offer a little bit better of a deal. But I know that person's going to be back next week and the week after and the week after. So I'm investing in them because they're investing in me.
00:42:19
Nicole
So I offer really reasonable prices. i don't do florist prices. However, I think that we are branching in that direction, but it'll be different. I'll have my farmer's bouquets and they'll always be a certain price.
00:42:33
Nicole
I price my my farm market bouquets between $15 and $25, depending on what flowers are in it. And a $15 bouquet will sell all day long. Maybe two-thirds of the people that walk by a $25 bouquet will pass on it.
00:42:49
Nicole
So I'd rather sell $40, $15 bouquets bouquets. Well, at least $12.
00:42:56
Jennifer Gulizia
And how many stems would you say are going into those?
00:42:58
Nicole
i well at least twelve
00:43:03
Jennifer Gulizia
Okay.
00:43:03
Nicole
At least 12. I'm really bad at that because I don't stop making a bouquet until it looks right to me. So I don't really count the stems. I don't do, I have, I don't regularly do recipes.
00:43:17
Nicole
I don't lay them out on a table. Part of why people come to me is I make the bouquets in front of them. So I don't always have them pre-made. i have my buckets set out. They tell me what colors, they point to flowers and I will make a custom bouquet for that customer.
00:43:32
Nicole
So I tell them as they come to me for a bouquet, I'll be like, what would you like to spend today? And if they tell me 15, I'll make a $15 bouquet in my mind. So if they tell me 25,
00:43:43
Nicole
It'll probably be double the size of a $15 bouquet. So it's just however many stems that I have that day. And if you're my last customer and I'm not going to be having flowers sell for four or five days, I might throw some extra stems in there just because I know they're probably going to go to compost.
00:43:59
Jennifer Gulizia
Yeah.
00:44:00
Nicole
Yeah.
00:44:00
Jennifer Gulizia
So you're creating an experience that keeps it coming back.
00:44:02
Nicole
Yeah, I think people, they really like it. And sometimes I'll always have pre-made bouquets on the side. Nine times out of 10, they ask me to make them one. so And sometimes they look exactly like the ones that are pre-made.
00:44:16
Nicole
they just The feeling that you're getting a custom experience is priceless. Yeah.
00:44:22
Jennifer Gulizia
Totally. That's amazing. So Are you able to get other work done on the farm? Are you staying at the farm stand all day? I'm just trying to think from like a management point of view, like how do you manage your time doing that?
00:44:33
Nicole
yeah
00:44:35
Jennifer Gulizia
Because I could see myself spending all day just standing there versus being worked on.
00:44:38
Nicole
Oh, I do. I sit there the whole time. I have my husband, I'll text him and be like, I need to use the bathroom. And he'll come down come down and sit there and I'll run up to the house and use the bathroom. But so far the dollhouse has only been open on Saturdays and Sundays from nine to noon when I'm, or nine to one when I'm not open here.
00:44:56
Nicole
So we've only been open maybe 10 times so far. And that has been, really easy for me to do. And honestly, the time goes by so fast because it's just customer after customer after customer. And the next thing you know, it's lunchtime and I get to go back up the hill.
00:45:11
Nicole
So I'm not able to do anything else. However, i just found out the first time I was in the dollhouse and my driveway is 700 feet long. So my I have Starlink because I live in the middle of the boonies. It's literally called Boonville.
00:45:24
Nicole
I have to have Starlink. Otherwise, I don't have strong enough internet. It reaches 700 seven hundred feet down my driveway and into my roadside stand. So I'm able to do any computer work, any editing if it's a slow morning, but I really haven't had a slow morning yet.
00:45:40
Nicole
But if I did have a slow morning, I could do some internet work because I do have, I sell product some around the world, some in just in the country, depending on plant products, I can only sell in the US. But so I do a lot of website work when I'm waiting. And I'm so grateful that there's internet service down there because that does help me to manage my time better.
00:46:01
Jennifer Gulizia
That's a great tip. I'm just thinking we have a 900 foot driveway and we don't currently have internet because we're not living on the farm yet.
00:46:05
Nicole
Oh, yeah.
00:46:09
Jennifer Gulizia
But it's like a dead zone down there. We have one bar. I mean, I can't log on to Facebook.
00:46:12
Nicole
it
00:46:13
Jennifer Gulizia
The first time I went down there, I was like, oh I'll take pictures and then I'll post on Facebook once I open. I can't post once I'm down there because there's no internet.
00:46:19
Nicole
No, that's a nightmare. That's a nightmare. So when I... We had... It it wasn't dial-up, but it's not high speed. And trying to post on Instagram, oh my gosh, if I had a YouTube video to upload and it was longer than 12 minutes, it was going to take 24 hours to upload. That's how slow my internet was.
00:46:36
Nicole
So we we did splurge on Starlink. I did... My father and my brother had it first. So I had their... You know, their experiences they shared with me and it really is amazing. And I think I'll probably, actually might change this, you know, in town from the high speed internet to Starlink as well, just because it works so
Community's Genuine Support
00:46:56
Nicole
well. And the distance, because I'm spread out, this property here is two acres.
00:47:00
Nicole
So I've got the the modem for the internet is in my retail shop, but I still need internet in the back greenhouse to order in order to check customers out on my register. And it's not reaching right now.
00:47:13
Nicole
So I'm looking into Starlink for here as well.
00:47:17
Jennifer Gulizia
Adding to my to-do list here. Get internet at the farm.
00:47:21
Nicole
Yes.
00:47:23
Jennifer Gulizia
Okay, we have chatted about a lot of things all over the board today.
00:47:27
Nicole
I know.
00:47:28
Jennifer Gulizia
and I know that you are leaving in less than 48 hours for your surgery. So I wanna be respectful of your time today, because I want to also make sure that I can get pictures from you so that we can air this episode before too much time passes again.
00:47:34
Nicole
Thank you.
00:47:38
Nicole
Oh, yes.
00:47:42
Jennifer Gulizia
wanna know though, You have been flower farmer for many years. You've been creating content on YouTube. What is the one thing that has surprised you the most about where this journey has led you so far?
00:47:58
Nicole
Oh my goodness. This is a great question. I'd have to say the one thing that surprised me the most is how genuine people that you've never met can be to you.
00:48:09
Nicole
That I think, I never expected to create the friendships that I've created. I've never expected to have tens of thousands of people rooting for me.
00:48:18
Nicole
They've never met me in real life, but they're in my inbox. and they're in my DMs and they're praying for me. They're thinking of me. They're sending me vibes. they're Whatever it is that you do, I'm the recipient of those things. And I try to reciprocate that as much as I can.
00:48:35
Nicole
But it's just the beautiful community that has grown from me just looking at this property saying, I think this is supposed to be bigger than me. And it is now. It's much bigger than me.
00:48:47
Nicole
It's not about me anymore. it's It's about the flowers and the way they make people feel and the way they bring people together because so many times flowers speak words better than words.
00:48:59
Nicole
They really do. They speak for themselves and they can relay messages often better than people can. And so I think that just sharing the gift of beauty through flowers and vegetables, I love me a pepper or two, but
Flowers' Emotional Significance
00:49:12
Nicole
the beauty of flowers is there's nothing like it.
00:49:13
Jennifer Gulizia
Yeah.
00:49:16
Nicole
The way that an entire community gets excited when they see a dahlia, you commented on that post, I commented on that post of that dahlia that looks like an artichoke that RM posted the other day, that RM farm.
00:49:29
Nicole
The way a whole community gets so excited over something is just magical. and mean, flowers are magic. No denying it.
00:49:37
Jennifer Gulizia
yeah Well, I think i think that like when you think about things in nature, they are the close to closest expression to our life of anything else I can think of other than like other animals. But it's like, what else?
00:49:53
Jennifer Gulizia
You start with the seed, you watch it grow, it flourishes, and then composts back to the earth. I mean, like the whole, i don't know. I'm at loss for words.
00:50:04
Nicole
there's like There's nothing more rewarding than that.
00:50:04
Jennifer Gulizia
They say,
00:50:07
Nicole
There's nothing more rewarding than having a packet of seeds, like literally a packet of seeds and growing them and just making the most beautiful thing and then taking that beauty and sharing it with other people so that it's not just yours anymore.
00:50:21
Nicole
That's really powerful.
00:50:23
Jennifer Gulizia
Absolutely. Okay. I've only got a couple of questions left here and we'll wrap this up.
00:50:27
Nicole
Yes. Shoot. Yes. Yeah.
00:50:29
Jennifer Gulizia
So for anyone who's listening and navigating a season of change or uncertainty, what words of encouragement would you offer them today?
00:50:37
Nicole
oh Find something that makes you feel good because you can't dwell on the situation that you're in. You can't dwell on your problem. You can't overthink it.
00:50:48
Nicole
It's not that you should ignore that problem, but don't make that your front and center focus. You have to have something to distract you. For instance, my daughter's graduation party, it was 10 days after my surgery.
00:50:59
Nicole
So I was able to focus on making my daughter's experience as a high school graduate the best for her. So that was my distraction. Find a distraction that makes you feel good because you need something to look forward to, whether that's placing a seed order or flipping through seed catalogs or calling a friend you haven't talked to in a while.
00:51:20
Nicole
Anything that's going to leave you with you know a smile on your face at the end of the day, that's what you need to focus on. So I've tried not to focus. I've never once focused on the cancer.
00:51:32
Nicole
I've focused on what's next and And advocating for yourself, I think, is probably the most important lesson that I've learned medically. I've had to leave the area to find doctors that I could trust in.
00:51:47
Nicole
And I think that I have friends who are also battling cancer right now who are regretful because of the fact that they just took what they were told at face value and didn't advocate for themselves. So maybe their plan of treatment isn't as aggressive or as in line with what they were hoping for. So advocating for yourself, I think, is also a huge lesson that I'm taking away from this.
00:52:11
Nicole
So just advocate for yourself and focus on something that makes you feel good. And whatever trial you're going through, i think you'll come out on the other side of it.
New Podcast Announcement
00:52:20
Jennifer Gulizia
That's beautiful advice. Okay, you said to have something to look forward to. What, I mean, you already told us you like to take on a lot of things. You shared with me before this podcast launched that you have something else up your sleeve.
00:52:34
Jennifer Gulizia
Can you spill the beans or share?
00:52:34
Nicole
I do. I do. i can. i can. I'm not sure when this is going to be airing, but next week, a trailer will drop for my very own podcast.
00:52:46
Nicole
So I know it's something that my community has asked me to do for many years, but I just don't have the time to dedicate to that.
00:52:47
Jennifer Gulizia
Woohoo!
00:52:58
Nicole
So what happened is in the spring before my diagnosis, Epic Gardening reached out and asked me if I would submit a video and that they were building a network of podcasts and they're looking for hosts.
00:53:15
Nicole
So I said, Molly is the person that talk to a lot at Epic Gardening. And Epic Gardening is a vegetable flower. It's a big gardening YouTube channel.
00:53:25
Nicole
And they also bought botanical interests. And so it's a big, big in the gardening world. So they were looking for a host of a podcast. And I wasn't sure if I wanted to put my hat in the ring.
00:53:36
Nicole
I talked to Molly about it. And and she goes, i think you should. I said, okay. So I submitted a video and then it was not until over the summer, they reached out to me and said, we we want you to host. We want you to be our host.
00:53:49
Nicole
So we have a brand new podcast. It's called In the Garden with Flower Hill Farm, hosted by Nicole Pitt. And they've got some really great artwork of me from six years ago where I look thinner and younger. It's perfect.
00:54:01
Nicole
And then we've got, it's not just about flowers though. It's also about veggies. It's about garlic. It's about you know everything garden-related. And it's going to be a weekly podcast. The trailer drops next week. The first episode is slated for November 18th.
00:54:19
Nicole
So I'm very excited. I'm very nervous. this is Yes, I have a television background, so I'm used to talking. But this is... a broader audience, I think.
00:54:29
Nicole
So I'm a little bit nervous. Also, when you opening open yourself up to the garden community, as beautiful as it is, i don't want to say the wrong thing. So I'm very critical of myself.
00:54:39
Nicole
It's also something that is, it's not just my... foot in the ring here. it's there I have a producer. I have a team that helps me out. So it's a huge team that is handling this podcast. So that's making it easier on me.
00:54:55
Nicole
I don't have as much on my plate. However, i do do all the research for the podcast. I come up with the topics and I choose the guests. So those are things that are in my control, but, and then I do all that and then I shuffle it off and they edit it, they promote it and they handle all of the graphics and stuff on that end. they It's just, it's been a great experience so far. and and We signed for a 10 episode first season and they have big plans for it. So hopefully people like to listen to it.
00:55:23
Nicole
It's, It's kind of an interactive podcast where we're also taking clips and video submissions from the listeners and we want to hear their stories and I want to share them.
00:55:33
Nicole
I'm very, that's actually my most excited about that because I just love to hear other people's experiences. And so, you know, you can be Larry gardening down the road and you can send me a 45 second clip about your carrots and your favorite varieties and how well did that this year and you might end up in my podcast. So it's going to be, it's going to be fun. And it's also something that is going to take up some of my downtime in the winter.
00:55:57
Nicole
And it's, we've just made it so that it's not taking up so much of my time and then they're handling the back end
Advice for New Flower Farmers
00:56:02
Nicole
of it. So I feel like it's something I can add to my plate because why not Jen? Why not?
00:56:07
Nicole
Yeah.
00:56:09
Jennifer Gulizia
I love it. Well, I can't wait to listen. Final question from me is, is there anything I have not asked you today that you would like to share with our listeners?
00:56:14
Nicole
Yes.
00:56:23
Nicole
So a question that I get asked, a question asked all the time is, what advice would I give to flower farmers just starting out?
00:56:35
Nicole
And for the first few years, I really didn't know what to say because i was just starting out myself. I didn't feel like I was in a place to give advice.
00:56:48
Nicole
But because of the internet, the internet turned me and from a learner to a teacher real quick because everyone just wants to know, what are you doing? How are you doing that? My advice to you is just because something works for someone else doesn't mean it's going to work for you.
00:57:03
Nicole
There are a lot of content creators, a lot of people who tell you, here's how you do it. My advice to you is find how you do it, not how somebody else does it because You are only going to learn through experience and failure.
00:57:18
Nicole
And the more you fail, the more you learn, the better your outcome will be. And that is what I have found. I have killed more plants than I have harvested. i have had more bugs than I know what to do with. I've had funguses and mildews and voles and gophers and chipmunks. And every single failure led to an experience that I learned from that is now making me and accomplished, seasoned farmer.
00:57:43
Nicole
I'm not just following the advice of others. I will listen to what they have to say and then, you know, calculate, is that going to work for me? How can I tweak that so that it will? So that's my advice for first-time farmers is just find out what works for you.
00:57:57
Nicole
It's not cookie cutter. There is nothing about this that is cookie cutter. Gardening is different across the board. And what works for one farmer is not going to work for the other because we live in all different climates. So find out what works for you and take it from there. And you will just find yourself having so much fun.
00:58:14
Nicole
You will cry. You will pull muscles. You will sleep sore. You will wake up with a sore knee. It is just, it's backbreaking, rewarding.
00:58:25
Nicole
And the most rewarding part is the community that you will build around it.
00:58:30
Jennifer Gulizia
That's beautiful advice, Nicole. Well, I have so enjoyed getting to chat with you a second time now.
00:58:35
Nicole
I know. but Don't lose this podcast.
00:58:37
Jennifer Gulizia
Thank you for...
00:58:38
Nicole
but
00:58:39
Jennifer Gulizia
I still have the last one, but it's just not as relevant. So I appreciate that you came back on instead of airing the first one, because this one was so heartfelt.
00:58:42
Nicole
I know.
00:58:49
Jennifer Gulizia
And I appreciate your honesty and the way that you really opened up with us and shared where you're at in your journey. I know it's not easy. And I want you to know that the floral community is sending you so much love and so much healing energy, especially as you go into your surgery.
00:59:05
Jennifer Gulizia
this week. So we're all cheering for you and appreciate all that you do for this community. We'll include show links in today's episode so people can connect with you. Real fast, we have Boone Street Nursery. Is there an Instagram page for that?
00:59:20
Nicole
It's all under Flower Hill Farm. So it's Flower Hill Farm on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
00:59:22
Jennifer Gulizia
All under Facebook.
00:59:24
Nicole
And I just started a TikTok. What is happening? i just started a TikTok. and And that is kind of... So it's... And my content's not just flower farming. I bake. I just started Sourdough Journey.
00:59:36
Nicole
And I have cats. And so all of my stuff is... It's just me. I'm sharing me. So if you want a wild and crazy lady that grows flowers, go ahead and follow me on the platforms.
00:59:47
Nicole
Yeah.
00:59:48
Jennifer Gulizia
I love it. Well, if you're just getting into sourdough, we'll have to chat. I can send you some of my recipes.
00:59:52
Nicole
Oh, I'm so into it. Yes, send them.
00:59:55
Jennifer Gulizia
We're making sourdough pizza tonight when we get off this call.
00:59:57
Nicole
Ooh, nice. easy
00:59:59
Jennifer Gulizia
So, well, Nicole, thank you. We're sending you so much love and I'll talk to you soon.
01:00:04
Nicole
Thank you so much. Bye.
01:00:05
Jennifer Gulizia
Bye-bye.