8 Spring Flowers: Worth the space? Real $ behind the thinking

Curious if spring crops are worth the space in your garden? This video dives into the real financials behind planting spring flowers.
With my spring crops officially done (I'm taking a break from selling wholesale for a few weeks), I wanted to do a quick recap on whether 8 specific crops, a few which I grew for the first time this year, earned their keep.
We talk about effort (labor/cost) vs real sales and how they performed for me in my wholesale market.
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[@chelseahernandez97]

Sunflowers! We are zone 6b in high elevation. We have only done one market but have gardened for years. A few years ago, we created a flower space for our teenage daughters, and they chose a variety of sunflowers amidst other things and boy how we love them! This last year many varieties self-seeded and are growing beautifully! We took a few bouquets to market last week thinking they would just pretty up the table and help us sell vegetables, and they were our highest profit item! Watching more of your videos and considering expanding a bit more next year in the flower realm.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Sunflowers are for sure a really amazing and profitable flower especially at a market. Love that you are jumping into flowers while selling veggies. Flowers are technically the most profitable crop you can plant per square foot but... we have to eat too! :)

[@myswedishcottagegarden]

I´m in my first year, but I´m puting in lots of Sea holly, Echinops, perennial Babys breath, yarrow, Astrantia and Astilbe. I have also ordered 50 plants of 5 different Baptisia, Sedum Autumn Joy and a dard leafed variety, planted 1500 lillies in the ground this year as well. Different species with different bloom time. So I hope I get at least something good next year 🙂

[@bareflowerfarm]

Wow!! That is quite the plants you're putting in especially lilies! I dont have that many perennialized lol!! Astrantia is on my list. Still trying to figure out some other perennials before I invest in that. You're going to be swimming in alot of spring/early summer blooms next year! Where will you be selling?

[@shannongoshen8982]

Zone 7b here. 1) ranunculus, I can’t plant enough the demand is incredibly high, I plant in November and blooms in April , 2) agrostemma ocean pearls for sure. The seed can be purchased in bulk for cheap, I fall direct sow and harvest in May. Perfect time of the year for them. 3) campanula champion II, my most popular crop yet. Huge hit with florists and retail. Fall planted. So hardy and easy. Bloomed in June. 4) lisianthus always a huge hit, pricey for plugs but worth it for the higher sales price point. 5) yarrow, totally agree so many great colors and everyone loved it especially Terra cotta 6) dahlias, second biggest crop for us in terms of profit. 7) Dara, chocolate lace, basically a weed and reseeded everywhere. So easy and florists are obsessed!

[@victorialegris8516]

Larkspur has been an unexpected saviour for me this year. It reseeded in my hoop house (Zone 4b) and is growing up within my rows of snaps. Bugs seem to leave it alone and it is also a good green filler/foliage when my options have been limited. I saved a bunch of seed from last year and those are also doing well. Overall, a very inexpensive and useful plant that I will definitely have more of next year. Plus you can never have enough blue in the spring. Thanks for all you do Jessie 😊

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yessss! I grew larkspur last year but didn't this year and I fully regret it! I just bought 2 trays worth today to overwinter for the spring. I find that lavender and baby blue does so well with our florists. Only the lavender was left so... hopefully I will have lots for next year :)

[@YanickaQuilt]

Is there many different types of larkspur?

[@sarahjaynesmith]

Easily one of the most useful videos on flower farming! I'd watch more of this with other crops in it. Or maybe even other groats that grow different things from you

[@bareflowerfarm]

I appreciate that! I left out a few spring crops that I didn't really sell to florists. I plan to do a similar recap for summer :)

[@denisekelley2292]

For my personal use backyard garden space is very limited and I have to have room for my vegie garden as well. I consider size, bloom time and how long, cost and time to grow. Sweet William and feverfew are my unexpected favorites this year. Snapdragons and sunflowers are a must. I succession plant sunflowers 12 starts every 3 weeks (I don't need that many at one time). I also really like ageratum; it blooms from early June to a frost and self- seeded. I loved the orlaya, it all bloomed at once for a short time, I'm not sure if I will give it space. I like bachelor buttons too, kind of a pain to harvest and looks a bit weedy, on the fence. I am lucky to have a mild climate and I can fall plant all my cool flowers and I don't have high pest and disease pressure, so I don't have to succession plant, unless it's a one cut flower. I have dahlias, rudbeckias, echinacea, yarrow and other perennials in my front flower beds. I have better luck with cool season flowers than summer flowers. I'm hoping for celosia success this year. I really enjoy your matter-of-fact approach and showing all sides not just the pretty flower side. Maybe someday I'll sell a bouquet or hundreds.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Love the detail in all of this! I also grew sweet william and bachelor buttons this year, but barely sold sweet william to florists and bachelors buttons got so unruly I ripped them out a few weeks ago. Based on what you're saying, I think you could easily sell bouquets assuming you wanted to!

[@ajwiebe9652]

Great video. Now I know why mine didn’t bloom much. No more fertilizer! I’ll give them a try again.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Thank you! I will say for the record, I do a lot less fertilizing than most so it’s really just getting out every 2-3 weeks with a quality fertilizer and building soil health!

[@wildbirdfarm]

I am with you on all of these! Except, I love agrostemma and my florists do too so I did more this year. My first succession went out a full month bf my last frost - it’s super hardy. I’m going to try it in my high tunnel really early next year. Nigella…also love it and also have trouble with stem length. I think certain varieties are longer - two different areas self sowed for me and those in a little shade grew taller. Something for me to experiment with.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Ahh so good to know that agrostemma can go out earlier. I'm also feeling validated I'm not the only one having issues with Nigella stem length. Maybe in future years I'll give it a shot but for now... gotta make room for other stuff ;-)

[@heikedeubner9073]

Saponaria in pink and feverview tetra white, new to me, are keepers with netting, short harvest, benefit from successions. Nigella always does great for me (PNW, zone 8b/9a) with a long harvest window. Tall stems where the soil is moderately rich and not too dry (e.g. random self-seeders in the veg garden and below roses); short stems on very meager, dry soil (competing with boysenberry vines and self seeded too densely). Bells of Ireland also a keeper, tallest and lushest where self-seeded and gently thinned Yarrow is a long performer here (repeats after cut-back, almost too vigorous, extending unwanted roots.

[@bareflowerfarm]

So interesting! You're growing quite a few things that overlap with me but are able to achieve longer stems which makes me wonder if it's a watering issue. Our springs are quite wet here but it could be that when the Nigella are coming into bloom, the soil isn't moist enough. Thanks for sharing!

[@karaleong8282]

I would love to see a video on interplanting successes to maximize a bed profitability. For example, planting lilies with Sea Holly is really interesting. And do you keep your lilies as perennials? Or do you have to replant every year when intercropped like this?

[@bareflowerfarm]

We actually have a Facebook group called Interplanting for Flower Farmers where many folks are interplanting. There's less profitability embedded and more just seeing what works and doesnt. The lily/ sea holly combination worked but my stock/sea holly combination and so I think alot of us are trying to figure out what crops can go together. I'll try to get as many success/failure stories for a year end video!

[@katebarrett1924]

Feverfew came back and my florist loved it - more than my yarrow but I love it as much as you do. Finding these crops that are sustainable from a time input is so helpful. GREAT video - keep em coming!!!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Ahhh I love feverfew but haven’t been able to use it. I’m hoping to get a fall flush after cutting them down since they were covered in thrips. Our florists love feverfew too. We have many growers growing them similar to yarrow and there’s always a demand. And thank you ☺️

[@Car-jy8pw]

Yes! I love this type of video.

[@bareflowerfarm]

Me too! 😁

[@annasleep]

Sweet peas, 1/2 my crop was desimated, but I've sold both retail and wholesale with the 12 plants that survived. Snapdragons and yarrow and surprisongly oregano! This perenial herb pits up 20-24" stems continually and saved my bacon for retail filler throughout June.

[@bareflowerfarm]

I have 2 oregano plants in the ground and can't wait for them to flower. All good crops- I don't grow sweet peas because other growers at my co-op do but I may trial a fall crop!

[@mhubertcfi]

I just started seeds for perennials and some that I love that have super long vase life and are minimal effort (except for corralling) that I’m increasing are delphiniums, Veronica, fama scabiosa, baptisia, and trying eringium thanks to your videos. I am still developing my market so the key to all of these for me is that I have to also want them in my landscape so they have that value for me as well. I also love daisies and have in the past bought the fancy ones from retail. They grow into absolute bushes. They have a more limited bloom time but work so well. So last year I planted Crazy Daisies from seed (bloomed second year) that were just as pretty and this year I am trialing a selection of painted daisies called Dunetti Daisies. Excited to see what other’s experience is in comments

[@mhubertcfi]

Another one that I forgot to mention. A couple of years ago ago I grew Collomia Grandiflora which is a native dianthus. I ripped out the plants at the end of the year but they are perennial. So I had a few seeds left in the packet and grew them out this year to renew my seed supply. They are peachy and easy to grow and I think florists would love them

[@bareflowerfarm]

I love the choices and actually have all that you listed, except i happened to accidentally buy short flowering veronica lol! i havent actually grown daisies though, I'm curious to hear how the painted daises do! Very interesting on the Collomia Grandiflora- I've never heard of that! I think alot of the various dianthus including heirloom carnations are worth exploring due to their perennial nature and excellent vase life!

[@aimeesgardens]

Have you seen the coral fountain amaranth? I'm growing it for the first time this year, and I'm in love!!

[@bareflowerfarm]

I have!! It's super pretty. My only issue is that it drapes down and while that's great for design work, it's only a select few florists who like working with that and I wouldnt be able to use it in retail bouquets. How are you using them?

[@SarahDodson-z2u]

Speaking of fall what are you planting ?! and do you buy plugs or do you seed yourself? I am new to planting cut flowers. But have but have been gardening 20 plus years ..I want to say thank you ! I have been following you for years and have taken many notes . We finally have land for me to plant !!!! I am hoping for a big late summer fall bang 😅 any suggestions are greatly appreciated 💕💕💕

[@bareflowerfarm]

Hi Sarah! I mostly buy plugs but do quite a bit of direct seeding. It's a bit late now to buy plugs for fall blooms but you could certainly direct seeds like cosmos, celosia and zinnia, all of which have short days to maturity. I am also continuing to succession plant lilies so that I can have them after frost (I would need to bring in some crates at night to ensure they dont freeze). The plugs that I am buying now to arrive in the fall are actually to overwinter for spring blooms! We are generally thinking about 9-12 months ahead of time for spring planting. I hope this makes sense. LMK If you have any other questions!

[@SarahDodson-z2u]

@@bareflowerfarm thank you so much ! I have planted thousands of seeds lol just hopeful to see what happens. Zinnia, sunflowers 🌻, celosia, amaranth cosmos and I also planted some dried chic peas Where do you recommend buying plugs and bulbs from. I know you said you sell some ! But just for some variety where do you recommend?

[@SarahDodson-z2u]

I planted the chic peas because the foliage is so pretty and whimsical. Worth a shot for 1.50 bag of peas from target ! Another question, have you ever considered planted glads ? I used to work for an older man as a teenager at the farmers market and he sold cut flowers 50 cents a stem along with fresh vegetables and some potted plants! he planted glads sunflowers and zinnias and every weekend I remember selling out of the glads

[@bloomquest]

Just a note to say the yarrow and feverfew can be outside the fence! Deer won’t eat it!

[@bareflowerfarm]

Yes! I am going to put yarrow out the fence. TBD on whether I put in more feverfew lol

[@YanickaQuilt]

Bells of Ireland question, i was able to grow a few of them and was wondering if its worth it to let them go to seeds in my 5B zone? Fo they re seeds themselves?

[@bareflowerfarm]

I’ve been told they generously reseed but I unfortunately need the space and already bought plugs for next year!

[@colleenbahm7712]

Nigella in a raised bed with richer soil is soooo much taller than nigella in the ground.

[@bareflowerfarm]

I'm starting to realize from these comments that Nigella potentially needs more water and fertilizer than my other spring crops, which although a great finding gives me more of a reason to nix them :D

[@JerriBerriW]

Could you include the full name for the Amaranth? I am thinking about growing it, thanks!!❤

[@bareflowerfarm]

Sure! It is Amaranthus hypochondriacus :)

[@JerriBerriW]

@@bareflowerfarm thanks Jessie!

[@colleenbahm7712]

I also love sea holly! But have you noticed the offensive smell now that it’s July???

[@bareflowerfarm]

When they turn blue they start smelling like feet! It's best to harvest them when they are green blue!

[@tanyakilbane7636]

What year is it?

[@bareflowerfarm]

2025 in my head

[@cheriedodd9358]

July 2025?

[@bareflowerfarm]

I'm clearly planning ahead and already in 2025!