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

Here’s what we unpack:

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

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

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

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

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

Often weeks or months before they expect anyone to buy.

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

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

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

🌱 Marketing early stops waste later
So many growers:

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

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

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

Good beginner marketing is:

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

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

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

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

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

A Realistic Look at “Two Hours of Marketing”

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

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

Mentioned in This Episode

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

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

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

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

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

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

🍅 Who This Episode Is For

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

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

🔗 Helpful Links & Resources

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

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

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

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

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

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

In this episode, you’ll learn:

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

Links & resources mentioned in this episode

👉 Grow-Along Series

👉 Sweet Pea Grow-Along

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

👉 Icelandic Poppy Grow-Along

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

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

Happy sowing. Happy growing. 🌱