Fight Burnout by Finding the Fun in Flower Farming

Gardening for fun fights mid-season burnout and reconnects us to the joy of flower farming. Farmer Bailey's educational, twice-monthly Live broadcast on Instagram returned on Wednesday, July 12 with a talk on pursuing pleasure while planting posies.
Like all farmers, Bailey Hale has experienced crop failure, unpredictable weather events, and burnout. Can we build resilience to inevitable setbacks through enjoyment of our daily tasks, experimentation, and connection? In this lighthearted chat with viewer Q&A at the end, Bailey discusses:
Experimentation with New Crops and Techniques
Plant Hobbies
Joining Plant Societies and Associations
Making Flower Friends
Forming Study Groups
Parsing, Sharing, and Crediting Sources and Resources
Rolling with the Punches: Recovering from Failure
Stop the Blame Game
Tune in for the next Live chat on July 26 by tapping on the Farmer Bailey Instagram profile photo at Noon ET / 9am PT / 5pm GMT.
We always welcome your questions for Bailey! Leave questions or suggestions for future Live topics below as a Comment, or email us at [e-mail]. We are happy to keep you Anonymous if you prefer.
If tuning in Live on July 26 at Noon ET / 9am PT / 5pm GMT isn't convenient, visit the Farmer Bailey blog or KZbin channel for the video recording, and watch anytime you like.
It's Five O'Clock Somewhere with Farmer Bailey is an educational video series for flower farmers that broadcasts Live on Instagram every second and fourth Wednesday of the month at Noon ET / 9am PT / 5pm GMT. Watch the entire series on our KZbin Channel and let us know what other topics you'd like Bailey and expert guests to dig in to!

[@lindasowash7054]

This is my second year as a flower farmer. I too started gardening at a young age. I’m 63 and haven’t retired yet so my flowers are for now my “side hustle”. Yes it gets hot (zone 6A) and yes I spent the evening last night picking Japanese beetles off my zinnia but when I feel to tired to carry on I sit for a minute and just look at my flowers. It brings me such joy but the bigger joy is the thrill I get when people buy my blooms and rant about how beautiful they are. Nothing worthwhile is easy. I can’t wait to spend everyday all day with my flowers.

[@firehorsewoman414]

Those beetles got my vegetable garden last year and wiped out everything I had. Mistakenly thought they were June bugs when I first saw a couple flying around. Ignored them and next thing I knew it turned into a swarm of biblical proportion (ok maybe over-dramatizing a wee bit) but they were thick. I learned, very painfully, that pesticide management is like pain management - you have to be preventative in order to be effective.

[@janetschuhl]

Thanks Bailey, you are such a generous soul. I'm a 3rd year small flower farmer here in southeast PA, trying very hard to do this gig all on own at the ripe old age of 76. Flower Folly Farm has been and I guess will continue to be the constant learning experience. It is so challenging and different from my other life gigs. I've continued to learn so much about myself through successes and failures. The journey into flower farming grew from my love of flower design and wanting to get my hands on the beauties not found at the grocery store. Floret was my first inspiration and following her from her start. She too is a huge generous soul and shares so much. But as I got the courage to farm, Lisa Ziegler was even more helpful as she's at least East Coast and closer to my place. She inspired me to know I could do plenty with my half acre. I do belong to ASFCG and they are also great, especially FB page. I so struggle with a couple of aspects of this venture and slowly I'm finding help to improve. I think one of the biggest challenges for me has been marketing. I know what should be done but I just don't have that in my interest bag.It is a whole different set of skill that I don't care to even deal with. I think I'm going to make myself a watermelon margarita!

[@dksgardenoasis]

Looking forward to buying your plugs this year. This was my 1st year cut flower farming and experimenting with different flowers. I need to focus on less varieties and have flowers for every season. I love your attitude and outlook on life. I started this journey later in life ( I'm 64) but I want to leave a legacy for future generations to enjoy. Hopefully I'll have land for a pollinator garden.

[@patriciabunk8114]

Was good to listen! I am in central Kentucky so thought that was interesting that you have family here. We too have has flash floods recently, a little scary what water can do. Thinking of different avenues to sell flowers and herbs. This has really helped my business, just thinking outside of the box.

[@farmerbaileyplugs]

Thanks so much for being here, Patricia! We are all affected by climate change and will continue to be. Let's support each other and forge ahead. ~Felicia

[@marie9244]

Hi, I don’t know whether you can help these people but “you can’t eat the grass” was hit by a small tornado that ripped their tunnel apart and destroyed some of their crops. They seem to be struggling

[@firehorsewoman414]

They seem like a pretty sweet couple - and on the day they tried to get a vacation day in Seattle too. I think they had a microburst or more like straight line winds someone suggested.

[@firehorsewoman414]

I feel the same way about facebook - I have recently joined a few groups once I decided to try my hand at this. Noticed that some can be truly rude to each other in discussions when they are behind a keyboard. Your watermelon margarita looked amazing. Just started planning for a fall planting of perennials. Am hoping we will be moved to our farm by then and I don’t have to wait for spring or fall 2024. Am I correct in that there is no crop insurance for flower farmers? Also, you mentioned leaving space to combat fungal infections, if one has the room, is there any harm in really spreading your plants out? How about interplanting with vegetables or trap crops, etc. I suppose this might make harvesting less efficient though, not sure? Also, came across a recording of a session you gave in ASCFG library where you talked about how you named your Vermont farm. I thought I had settled on a name for mine, but that inspired me and now I think I might follow suit. My grandmother was a pretty amazing woman and she could grow anything. I feel like I am putting the cart before the horse, but maybe not. I plan the business framework first and then will put stuff in the ground once we get settled - the well goes in next month and I am excited to try this. I figure if I fail at it as a business, well I will have beautiful flowers for my home. I am a “glass half full, but watching to see what might knock it over” kind of planner.

[@marie9244]

What about starting Farmer Bailey in Australia. Love to buy Lisianthus plugs for home gardeners but there is nothing available here.

[@farmerbaileyplugs]

We're not Australian, so unlikely we can start a business there! Looks like an opportunity for an Aussie grower ;)