I'm back with another ad hoc episode of MULCH after a fabulous day at the second Hortistry event, learning about propagation from three extraordinarily experienced horticulturists.

In this episode, I'm sharing three practical lessons that I'll be bringing back to our flower farm at Silver Grey Foliage.

We talk about why you might want to put your dibber away when taking cuttings, how an ordinary tea tray can help with saving and cleaning flower seeds, and why treading as lightly on the land as possible should be at the heart of our growing decisions.

I also share a little about Hortistry, a new initiative working to preserve specialist horticultural knowledge and skills in the UK, and why I think their work is so important for the future of our industry.

Links and further reading

Hortistry – specialist horticultural skills and future workshops

The Dirt – horticultural news and updates

GROW Club by Silver Grey Foliage

In this episode of MULCH, I'm joined by Jen from Bristol Flower Company, creator of the new FlowerTracker Pro.

FlowerTracker Pro has been designed specifically for flower farmers, making it easier to record what you're cutting and turn those numbers into useful information about what is actually happening on your farm.

Jen and I talk about how the idea began, what happened when 50 flower farmers started beta testing it, and how their feedback has shaped the finished product.

We look at how the Tracker works in practice, from simply recording total stem numbers to tracking individual varieties, beds, buckets, orders and customers — and how that information can help us make better decisions about what earns its space on our farms.

We also talk about where to start if data collection feels overwhelming, what FlowerTracker Pro does not replace, pricing, data ownership and security, and some of the features Jen hopes to add next.

Most importantly, this is a conversation about something I talk about regularly on MULCH: collecting useful information about our farms so that the decisions we make are based on evidence rather than what we think happened.

FlowerTracker Pro launches on Friday 14 August 2026.

This week on MULCH, Rebecca shares a short, steadying episode designed to help you stay focused and resilient as the season gathers pace.

As we reach the end of the first quarter of the year, it's easy to feel behind, overwhelmed, or unsure whether you're doing enough. This episode offers five honest reminders to bring you back to what really matters on your flower farm.

These are not complicated strategies, they're the simple truths that help you stay grounded, keep moving forward, and grow a business that works for you.

This is an episode to return to when negative thoughts creep in, or when you find yourself comparing your farm to others.