5 Years Of Flower Farming - My Journey

[@patriciakeys4873]

I started my flower farm this year. Well, I did a lot of planning in 2022 when we moved onto our 1.5 acres. I watched a lot of videos, including yours. There was just so much to learn. I had always grown my own veggies and canned a lot of my own food. I thought to myself how hard can flowers be? HA. I made almost the exact same mistakes you did when you first started. I go to a farmers market in my little town and only take up to 8 bouquets and take half or less back home again. My flowers were late. They were scrawny. I spent a lot of money with infrastructure and I still don't have a green house or even a tunnel. But I carried on. My husband was skeptical at first but when he saw how big my sunflowers and amaranth was getting he offered to help a little more. I started with five 40 ft rows, 4 ft wide with 2 ft paths. I put down weed fabric and a drip system (that I still have to master so I hand water a lot). My expansion for next season will be the size I currently have. I am growing in a 7a zone in Oklahoma and I came from a 5b zone in Colorado. New bugs, new diseases, new weather (including tornadoes), heat, humidity, and on and on. Next year will be better. Did I mention I'm 75 yrs old? But I'm determined to get better. Your age and mine are so far apart, yet I'm living the same life as you. I've made so many mistakes I can't remember them all. Next season will be bigger and better.

[@bloomandgray]

WOW. You are amazing!! I hope I still have as much energy as you at 75! Good luck for next season

[@TaureanDreams]

This made me so happy❤❤❤

[@Thewildmanwoods]

We have lots in common as I went with the winged it route 😂…doing workshops and a nursery…. Tip ….for anyone 😂❤you could have gone to a commercial shop that’s sells something like fridges ,,, they have massive pieces of cardboard… instead of removing the turf I just lay the cardboard over huge areas …then cover with manure / compost/ mulch ….a few months later you’ve “ a good to go “ bed ready to plant …..the tuff just rots down ….I expect you know this now 😂😂😂😂😂 Good luck with your future growing

[@sheelaghomalley5459]

A lovely honest account. You obviously have such a gift for this. Imposter syndrome can be crippling. Believe me I know. Am just going into my second full flower season and loving it 😍

[@person3952]

Thanks for sharing your struggles so openly. It is so easy to think everyone else is having a smooth ride. Beautiful flowers!

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks Stefanie, it hasn't been easy but I want people to know that failures aren't failures theyre learning experiences! It makes you better in the long run!

[@mkwats5375]

Great video and love to hear that Yorkshire accent! Like getting an extra episode of PBS's All Things Great and Small!

[@daiseegray9110]

So glad you make this video. Interesting to see how you started and the progress. ❤️ love Hector 🌸🐝

[@bloomandgray]

He's got to be the best part of the story 😀??

[@Chips_not_fries]

Great courage to start flower farming with no experience of growing before. I've started with 25 years of gardening experience and hopefully will make fewer mistakes. Well done you. I would suggest anyone starting out and doesn't want to use mypex or membrane then just put cardboard down, mulch with whatever you can to block weed seeds out. Look up Ruth Stout no dig deep hay mulch method. Cheap, easy and no weeding, saves hours of time. Cardboard + woodchip for paths. Keep up the great work, awesome video 😁🌺💐💥

[@NicolesGardenNS]

Love following your journey from Nova Scotia, Canada! Wishing you (and all of us!) a fantastic growing season in 2022.

[@bloomandgray]

Yes let’s hope we all have a great growing year this year!!

[@sherryevans5722]

My husband and I were just talking about you yesterday wondering about your background and journey and voila here you post this! Really enjoyed it. This will be my second year and I learned from you to use weed membrane. It was a tough and very hot first year 🥵. Looking forward to the upcoming season 💐. Love all that you do and your honesty along the journey! Thanks!!!

[@annecanty1227]

Love following your videos and journey from Ireland.Best wishes for 2022 .

[@bobd9640]

Thanks, really interesting. I’ve learnt most of my gardening skills via the mistakes I have made, so you are not alone! Very best of luck for 2022, you work incredibly hard so if there is any justice, you should do really well.

[@bloomandgray]

I think it’s the best way to learn!! Good luck to you too and thanks for watching!

[@moreiscomingeasy6710]

I think people want small bouquets, because a big bouquet takes up a lot of space, people like me love flowers in all kinds of places in the house. A small bouquet on the dresser next to the bed, a small bouquet on a bookshelf, a small bouquet on the living room table. Zargadol is for one, big place, like a dining table. Or give a big bouquet as a gift to someone.

[@tracymaclean4680]

Thank you so much! Have been watching you pretty much since you started your channel and love your beautiful bouquets! Learning from mistakes is inevitable and I am sure I will make many as I venture into my flower farm journey, but it is so so helpful to hear other’s experiences- thank you for sharing your with us and I look forward to more videos to come!! 🌸🌸

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks for sticking with me Tracy! 'Mistakes' are just learning curves! It makes you a better farmer in the long run. Good luck with your new venture. x

[@alissaeyre8302]

Thank you for sharing about you journey! I really enjoyed watching!

[@lauradevries6864]

Thank you for sharing your journey! I’m planning to start my flower farm next year. Trying to get the land cleared and readied this year. It is good to hear both your successes and failures. 😊

[@SuperYllet]

How inspirational! Thank you for sharing your journey with us 🌷

[@annmurphy9017]

Thanks Sarah...great insight into your beginnings to now...love watching your previous videos...keep 'growing'🎈

[@nickles4652]

What a wonderful treat, to open You Tube and see a Bloom & Gray long video! 😍 (I will be rewatching later tonight while hubby watches the SuperBowl) So ineresting to hear the storey of your journey. Thank you for sharing! ❤🇨🇦

[@bloomandgray]

Yay! Xx

[@hilaryhealy7564]

So lovely to hear your story! I also have a degree in applied marine biology and totally had the same experience with ending up at a desk! So I headed to a career in scuba diving instead in the tropics so I had a job where I could at least look at fish for a living😂Eventually came back to Ireland 5 years ago and am now entering into my second growing year with my flower farm and am happy to discover I get just as excited about seeds germinating as I did about fish behaviour. Thanks so much for sharing all your knowledge🌸

[@bloomandgray]

Wow no way!! What a small world! A career in marine biology sounds idyllic doesn’t it but the reality was I was going square eyed looking at data all day 🤯! Did you do a placement during your degree too? I’m loving getting into all the soil biology stuff as it feels like I already have the brain for it 😂 I have a new microscope coming tomorrow so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in the soil!

[@hilaryhealy7564]

@@bloomandgray Hey Sarah I did reply to you but have no idea what KZbin did with it🤷‍♀️. Yes I did do placement work during my degree and discovered how much desk time would be required to have a decent paid job in marine biology. Not what I wanted for sure. I did wonder if you had a science background when you were so fascinated with the soil microbiology. My biggest mistake so far has been investing in poor compost I think I may have to remove it all. Oh would love a microscope, have fun with it and let us know what you find🙂

[@sylviadombrosky8936]

Y our courage and vision is astounding. Keep on going!!

[@louisemcgrath8293]

Thanks that was really interesting. My dream is to be a flower farmer and I live in Ireland and we are way behind the UK in flower farming. Not as many and information is hard to get. Thanks for your honesty about how hard and long it can take to earn money. Loving your videos

[@Dog-mom80]

Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I usually don’t like watching these kinds of talking videos but I really liked how down you earth and honest you are about your experience rather than trying to pretend like you’re all perfect and bubbly and cheery all the time. It’s refreshing that you’re a normal person with the same struggles as everyone.

[@flatbrokeatfifty]

That was really great to hear the whole story and all the mistakes you learned from. Thanks for taking the time.

[@rebeccathomas9804]

I enjoyed this sooo much! Thank you for taking the time to do this. It was so helpful!!! 💚

[@clivelightwalker]

An insightful video on your growing journey. Thanks for sharing your experiences and wish you every success in the coming season 👍

[@ecocentrichomestead6783]

The honesty box is a great idea for anyone with a desire to produce small items. I plan to set one up when I get extra produce and sell some woodworking products.

[@rhodahowie7636]

Really interesting to hear your story. Thankyou for sharing it. Fascinating how things evolve.

[@adelakis4018]

I salute you! I watched a couple of your KZbin videos, and i just want to congratulate you! You re doing an amazing job there, all that hard work you do every day! Its a plesure to watch how much love and work you put in your flower farm! This year i encouraged myself to start a very small cut flower garden, its something i dreamed of a lot lately...so i hope things will slowly come together .

[@PamsPrettyPlants]

Former wedding photographer here… could have told this story from the photographer side. Couldn’t pay me enough to go back to that 😅

[@sararenee635]

Hahah I’m about to head down that same road 🤪

[@pennymyles4500]

Sarah - thanks so much for this - fascinating. My daughter and I are starting a flower farm this year - she's your age - lovely to hear your story

[@bloomandgray]

Wow that’s amazing that you are doing it together. Most of my struggles have been due to going it alone. I always think it would have been so much easier having a business partner!

[@janets.4463]

Thank you for your amazing story. I enjoyed hearing about your ups and downs. Best wishes as you grow and sell your flowers and bring joy to others.

[@nicholahartwell5868]

Thank you so very much for your candid review and honesty!! We are in our second year as. Flower farming, and currently still have our “real jobs” but that is changing to an all in commitment in around 2 months! The whole reason I devour KZbin channels is not only to learn, but learn from mistakes and know what I don’t want to do!! Extra investment yes, but financially viable in the long run!! We are only small, 200m of commercial beds and doubling during this year. But, with no-dig built up beds, commercial weed matting, tight horizontal netting, succession planting and grow lights we have been successful!! Learning what NOT to do is just as important as learning HOW to do!! Your KZbin channel has been important and inspirational on both fronts… and if we can’t afford it yet, it doesn’t happen until we can do it properly- slow, steady, tortoise pace, no debts.. $16,000AU down and only $6,000AU return last year… but we will get there!! Thank you so very much for your inspiration!!

[@terrymckenna1918]

Thanks for sharing your journey,i am a semi-retired landscape gardener looking to diversify,i have done a couple of floristry courses which were really good,i wondered about weddings and obviously they bring in a lot of income,appreciate your honesty in relation to doing the weddings,cheers👏

[@rootsredefined]

Thank you for producing such a real and geniune video about your journey. I'm in the beginning years with my garden & floral design business (also considering starting a flower farm). Although garden design is different from what you do, there were many moments during your video when I was like omg she's a normal human with normal start up business struggles and she makes mistakes! lol. Thank you for being so honest and sharing such helpful information. I appreciate it!

[@stitchfergus9084]

I really enjoyed this, thank you so much!!!!

[@helenachase5627]

I would love to see a video on how you choose what to grow ( and not grow) that makes your bouquets unique. I don't see many zinnias and your bouquets are more feminine and unique than others

[@hollyadkins4729]

What do you think about having workshops for table centerpieces for Major Holidays or events?? Not just wreaths for Christmas.

[@danillescas5327]

Love your videos, and family, and animals, and land, and flowers!

[@sheilaanderson912]

Oh Sarah, I think you are doing fantastic! I am really enjoying watching your journey. I wish you continued success!

[@bloomandgray]

Thank you Sheila!

[@jackiesflowerfarm3874]

Love your story I’m in the u.k but I only started growing cut flowers after retirement..I’m 68 now but have been a keen gardener from the age of 13 I have owned and run two flower shops and a garden centre .I wish you all the luck in the world . P.s. if you ever get to Lancashire come for a visit . Jackie Armer

[@amoore0713]

Your wreaths are seriously the prettiest wreaths I've ever seen! Exactly my style. Anyway, cheers to your flower farm and thank you for sharing. 😊

[@helenevans3494]

Wow sarah what a journey. I wish you all the success you deserve . Best of luck for 2022 and beyond. Keep going youl get there.🥀🥀🥀🥀

[@jaimemorgan5323]

Thanks for this backstory edition, Sarah! Thoroughly enjoyed it...and can I just say - WOW. I'm so impressed by the amazing floral installations you created for your first weddings. You'd never know you had no experience or formal training! You are very gutsy, jumping in and investing, and offering unfamiliar services to diversify your business. Bravo. I'm four years into flower farming...and I haven't made nearly the progress that I would like to have. I guess I'm waiting until my little ones have grown up a little, to have the time and energy to put what I've learned over the years into practice, finally.

[@hansejr]

Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I love your story-telling style. Your work ethic and perseverance are admirable. I’m new to following you but look forward to seeing more of your videos./Portland, Oregon, USA

[@juleeharmon1760]

You are a breath of fresh air....love your videos and flower arrangements! Keep up the good work. 🌺

[@susannesandin5992]

Hi from Sweden😊 You really a girl who nerver give up.❤

[@valhallahomestead7811]

Thanks for the video! You are such a great inspiration for me (2nd season flower farming)

[@christinaAmell]

Super helpful video! Thank you! I especially appreciate others sharing their experiences. Very informative.

[@kathypope3010]

This was so fun. Thanks so much for sharing it with us. Congratulations on your success and for having the courage to follow the career that brought you happiness. You are an inspiration.

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks Kathy ❤️

[@margarethatton2965]

Coming to the end of my first year flower farming down under, and your awesome channel has been a fantastic help and inspiration and I'm so grateful. Keep up the good work. It's definitely a steep learning curve

[@judithtate3387]

That was so interesting Sarah, really enjoyed the video. Thankfully, no dig gardening and soil health information has become much more readily available in the past few years. Even as an experienced gardener it is great to learn more. I am so pleased that you are working out what is right for you, it gives you your own unique style. Best wishes for continued success this year.

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks Judith, at the start I wish I’d known more about no-dig etc but at the same time it gives me extra respect for these techniques as I know what the alternative is like!!

[@Nolandhomestead]

Huge Hector fan here 🥰

[@jessiebabineaux9297]

Thank you for sharing. Year one here in Louisiana, USA growing cut flowers to sell.

[@AndreaAubertin]

Thankyou for telling us about your journey...its not easy to put yourself out there like that!

[@soph_abb3583]

Found your channel recently and it's amazing the similarities between your journey and my own! I currently work full time, my degree was in Photography and I've worked in the industry since (7 years) but at 28 I fancy a change from the daily desk sitting and computer work. I got an allotment a few years ago, starting to grow vegetables and found myself looking forward to the allotment days and enjoying being away from a desk. Later I got engaged and as I enjoyed the growing so much, I planned on growing my own wedding flowers. I bought seeds and tubers and researched everything and autumn sowed. My MIL unfortunately passed away a short while later which meant I had a couple of months out. Not being deterred but not having all the flowers in order, I hired a florist who grows her own flowers and briefed her in on what I hoped to achieve so we could work together. I made moodboards and sketches to try and explain what flowers I'd like and the style. It was at that moment I thought "I could do this for a living, I love it!". What's even stranger, I've just booked onto the "Career Change" workshop with Georgie Newbury which I'm doing next week. I'm in the very early stages but hearing your story was so heartwarming and crazy how similar it is to my own journey at the beginning. Hopefully in a few years I'll be looking back on my own growing journey! xx

[@thenaturepatch]

Thank you so much for sharing your journey, Sarah! New to watching your videos and was great to listen to how you got to where you are now. Wishing you the best for the future! 💚🌻

[@lindseynoel3522]

Thanks Sarah, really inspired by you and your honesty on your flower farming journey, and it’s brilliant to know you don’t have to know everything to start, what I will take forward from this is to just go for it. My growing space is tiny in comparison to yours but I spend a quite a bit of my income on flowers for myself and for gifts. My aim is to not spend any money on flowers this year and grow all my own. I also wrap my flowers your way and have had so many wonderful compliments which I always credit you for. You never know I might have a few flowers I can sell! Xxx

[@TheFragrantBunch]

Hello from Oregon, USA! Thank you for sharing your journey with us. I too got my master's degree, but realized later on that the dream job I thought I wanted is not what it cracked up to be. It is scary to switch careers, but yours paid off and I'm hoping to get on the same path. Hope you'll have a great growing season!

[@VerdeFlowerCo]

This is such a great video Sarah, so many of the things you said - the £5 flowers and worrying that you didn't have enough - is so familiar! I hope you have the best growing season

[@macksterp4112]

What an amazing journey of learning and perseverance. And you do all the work by yourself? Wow! You have come a long way in 5 years!! Congratulations and can't wait to see what the future holds. I just absolutely love the way you make bouquets.

[@FreyaIsabelle]

So great to hear of your journey. I am just starting out and it is nice and reassuring to hear how you have grown your farm.

[@greenrockgarden2851]

Following you from SC, USA. Good for you for pushing on in these times. Best wishes to you while conquering your ventures! 💕 Keep up the good work connecting with others on Social media. I understand that’s a full time job alone.

[@charliemijatovic8562]

Just want to say thanks for the info! This is going to sound ridiculously close to home bu I too studied Biology (mostly ecology) with the intent to go into evolutionary biology but got put off by the coding (did one computer programming module at uni and I was USELESS haha), and this year will be my first flower farming after quitting a pub job to become a gardener last year!!! So THANK YOU for letting me know I can definitely do it!

[@wendygillespie3660]

You are such an inspiration, I am in my second year here in NZ flower farming, well done!

[@ashleycurtis157]

So very informative Sarah! Thank you for sharing at this level of detail. I am heading into my second year as a flower farmer and have dreams of adding a structure to host workshops. You have given me even more motivation to keep working toward that goal! Thanks again!

[@katyplant1]

This is so helpful.. thank you!! 🙏

[@WhimsyMeadow]

💚💚💚 thanks! You're awesome! Well done on how far you've come and best of luck going forward. Inspired 🥰🤩

[@bronco5644]

You’re a very ambitious and hard working young person!

[@daniellegrows2498]

This was soooo good! Thank you for sharing this with us!!

[@erinblythe7497]

Really interesting video. Thanks for your insight and honesty. I'm from N. Z but can trace grandparent's back to 1700's in Yorkshire.

[@bloomandgray]

Wow that’s so interesting!

[@erinblythe7497]

@@bloomandgray Hope to visit one day. I tried flower farming on my fiends farm. We sold at the farmers market. I only lasted two seasons. Was too difficult having to travel to work out there and the money wasn't there for hours put in. We made the same mistakes with no weed membrane. Anyway still love the idea, that's why I love watching your channel. 😊

[@LittleDaff]

I'm not from the UK, but I still find this and your chanel very useful. Keep up the good work! I hope covid will not interfere with this gowing season.

[@debrabateman-dwyer8667]

Sarah, Great video! I started watching you in late 2020. You provided a lot of good information about starting your farm, especially who perennials help out the bouquets, and where you are today. Looking forward to 2022!!!! Thanks!!! 🌺🌻

[@phaedragardeness]

Really interesting, Thankyou for sharing! We are learning from mistakes too, sometimes we avoid them when we hear things others have shared so I’ll keep some points you raised! We started sharing our journey on KZbin from the beginning which I’m now really glad we did, it’s only 2 seasons in for us though!

[@bloomandgray]

Sometimes it’s worth trying things incase it works for you in your area or for your set up but it’s also good to hear about other people’s mistakes too! That’s why I like to share my experiences on KZbin 🤣 it’s nice to look back on old videos and have a record isn’t it!

[@stitchychris6065]

That was very informative! It's interesting to see your educational background and it explains your interest in the biology of your soil. I hope the flower farm keeps on growing!

[@bloomandgray]

Thank you! I just ordered a microscope for the farm so be prepared for some geekiness!

[@LilacDaisy2]

We're plowing a paddock, with plans to use the membrane on the paths only. I want to use MULCH for weed suppression on beds, as I've seen no-dig veg-farmers do. BUT your video is making me second guess this plan, since you didn't even mention it. I'd love to know your thoughts on it.

[@amberlockhart1386]

You are doing awesome! I enjoy your channel so much!

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks Amber!

[@VancouverIslandgirl]

I wish you much luck with your flower farm!

[@grannynjim6626]

Really enjoyed listening to your learning journey and success story. Well done for your perseverance and long may you continue to grow and thrive.

[@bloomandgray]

Thank you, I hope i've built a solid back bone for myself for many years to come :)

[@lindab1458]

Your work ethic is inspiring, hopefully other young potential flower farmers will learn from this. If I could turn back the time and health clock I’d have loved to do something similar. I hope 2022 becomes your best year yet. Thanks for sharing your story xx

[@sarahogilvie3912]

Thank you for this! So transparent and helpful x

[@clynch9711]

Very interesting video. It's been great to understand how you have grown organically and I love that you share your successes and failures. Well done and keep going, you are hard working and destined to be a success. I wish you all the best for the future, you so deserve it.

[@janpapworth7956]

Nice one Sarah. Looking forward to seeing you continue to shine. Just make sure you don’t overload your barrow though! Best wishes for a fab season this year.

[@bloomandgray]

Thanks Jan! It's my 30th birthday this year so i'm planning for a busy summer followed by a well deserved holiday next winter!

[@paulinemalpas1749]

What an interesting journey you're on. I love that you are going to try the no dig method. I am a great fan of no dig guru charles dowding and have been to his garden which is near me and it is so inspiring. So go for it you are certainly going in the right direction now. Good luck with everything. Pauline

[@bloomandgray]

I’ve been no-digging for a few years now and the beds are definitely looking better. It’s the way to go!!

[@Thewildmanwoods]

I’m constantly giving away soooo many perennials…people love just digging up clumps …in my head they are cheaper then buying seeds … 😂get some Wwoofers in if possible ❤….imagine what you’d have learned if you volunteered at a flower farm 😂😂

[@kerricoleman8524]

I loved learning about your story. You inspire so Much beauty! I wish I had a space for a structure like you have. I need to plan out for a few workshops in 2023 at least. Maybe late 2022. This will be my second year. And I found great fun in doing Friday night Bouquet Bars with friends. The best is still to come, right? Your story is impressive.

[@PlantingWithMichaela]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. It’s made me feel so much calmer and less alone in my own journey! And thank you for answering my question your answer really resonated with me. The only way to find out is to do it 🥰🥰

[@suehill6194]

so nice. you're a lovely storyteller.

[@debbiehouse180]

Really enjoyed this, thank you

[@suzannedufty2320]

Fantastic video, Thank you

[@Iamhome365]

Really looking forward to watching Sarah. Its something I've been thinking about venturing into. I'm a stay at home mother and I've bought lots of seeds to really see what I can grow this year. Hopefully getting a tunnel this year. I have to say the bouquets you made before are just fantastic!! Hi from across the water in Ireland 😊

[@annecanty1227]

You will have great time and hope you have great success .Best wishes for 2222.

[@sharoncalatayud8658]

Thanks for sharing your whole story. I’m going into my second year flower farming and I’m laughing with you due to I made some of the same mistakes! Not enough flowers , not succession sowing, poor solid, and loads of weeds! Also, I seem to be doing some of the same avenue’s of income; farmers markets , weddings and general bouquet orders.

[@bloomandgray]

It’s good to be able to laugh at the mistakes and move on knowing that you know better now! Good luck with the season ahead this year. You learn so much every season!

[@countrygardensns9262]

Hello Sarah. That was a wonderful video, and very informative. I live in zone 6a, so a lot of what you do over winter won’t work for me, but it’s still interesting and I’m learning from you. Keep up the videos, I love watching them.

[@Elsabeardmore1234]

Hi I'm a first time flower farmer only just found your videos and watched your starting up to now year 2022 was amazing and will give me more confidence now, I'm a farmers daughter and have lots of experience growing veg but now I wo t to move to cut flowers, just a quick question do you need any insurance or paperwork to sell my cut flowers in front of my house. Keep growing and doing your videos there brill.

[@lilvalentine545]

Thanks so much for your video ! I can totally relate and really appreciate hearing about how to start the flower beds the right way. I'm also living on a family owned farm but no one I know has ever farmed flowers that can help me start. My partner previously worked on massive commercial flower farms and is very discouraging about it all, I think my approach will be totally different to that though. I'm like you with little money, needing to start out small but I am without debt and have free rent. I have a belle tent too but I'm living in it 😆. Your event tipi is gorgeous and I'm sure people love coming to your work shops to be surrounded by flowers in that charming place and be around such a beautiful creative person. Thanks again ❤

[@nadiafeaster1117]

Love it! I had always wondered,now I know!🙂

[@rebeccamoores2331]

I'm curious... were you successful in growing your own wedding flowers? I'm a hobbyist so far. Contemplating making it a side job. I learned a lot this year!

[@FLlife]

Thanks for sharing so freely - it was great to hear your journey. I’ve given up TV and pretty much stick to KZbin gardening channels. I can appreciate the struggle of filming, editing and farming! Maybe you could find someone who enjoys editing to take that off your plate? Someone would probably love the opportunity to be part of a growing KZbin channel and the learning opportunity. Just a thought. Much success in the 2022 growing season! Ds

[@bevjensen2278]

Your recent video popped up on youtube where you're very discouraged and having a lot of problems with pests and the weather you've had this spring in Britain has been totally hideous. I'm in Canada. I scrolled through your videos to see when you started flower farming and came across this one, giving an overview of your first few years, including the dreaded COVID years. I started a small retail gift and chocolate/candy shop 30 years ago and it's been a long and "interesting" journey because that's what self-employment is. In 2016, our son and his wife took over a seasonal shop we opened in 2008 and turned it into a year round business, and has now weathered 8 years with lots of ups and downs, including COVID. Believe it or not, years from now you'll look back on these challenging years and laugh, but wonder at the strength it took for you to continue on in the face of some of these challenges. It separates the strong and committed, and believe it or not you will overcome these challenges of 2024 because you've already found alternate income streams, like your workshops, and youtube viewers are willing to commit time to see your struggles as well as your victories, and you have no idea how we all silently cheer you on, believing that the sun will shine tomorrow, and the the pests will be eradicated. Your bouquets are gorgeous, your workshops look amazing, and your youtube channel is really interesting! I follow two channels in California, dreaming all this past winter that I'm living vicariously through them, and they're branching out with some interesting video ideas which helps them capture even more viewers through what I call "cross pollination" that might help you. I began also watching Georgie's channel (the Common Farm) this winter and love what she does....maybe a tour of her studio and gardens, hosted by you and posted to your channel would also get you more viewers. Good luck and best wishes. I'm now subscribed and look forward to sunny days for you! The California channels you should check out are Dig, Plant, Water, Repeat and Visit our Garden. They are now sponsored by 2 different major plant producers in the US which is helping them tremendously.

[@woolleycodwanderers4833]

Absolutely loved this Sarah 👍 it’s so nice to hear how the flower farm started 👍 ... p.s watched in three chunks but watched it all 😄👍 ... 🤗❤️👵🏼🐾🐾🤠 xxxx

[@sarahalruna2686]

Such a great video ♥️♥️♥️♥️