Becoming a Cut Flower Grower

Welcome to today's episode on Friday 14 August 2026.
It's all happening on the field tonight: government wildfire warning alerts, teatime for the hens, and tonight's episode. The heat has been insane this week - yesterday was brutal - so I hope you've made it through the week ok.
Tonight I'm sharing news of what I've been doing this week plus my seed harvesting plans for the annuals that didn't get sold this summer. I'm also sharing the six key things that the drought has taught me this summer including choosing the right types of plants for the field, why water harvesting is crucial if you're off-grid (like me), how watering at the right stage of seedling growth is crucial, plus the importance of a healthy soil for water retention. 
My Plant Profile this week is Physostegia, a new perennial for me this year, which I've really enjoyed watching growing from a tiny plug to beautiful flowering stems. 
And finally, a fellow grower has written a brilliant open letter to the UK Prime Minister about the significant impact that the weather this summer has had on the British cut flower industry and some brilliant suggestions for national infrastructure improvements. Kelly from Wye Grow in Herefordshire has uploaded the letter to her website and is inviting other growers (and in fact, anyone who has an interest in this issue) to add their names. I've signed and I'd encourage you to check it out. Have a read of the letter and see how you feel about signing it here:
https://www.wyegrow.com/post/an-open-letter-to-the-prime-minister-andy-burnham
I hope you enjoy the episode - please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 
Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.
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Welcome to today's episode on Tuesday 11 August 2026.
Lots going on as usual: I've been topping up the IBCs again, trying to keep my shrubs and perennials alive and mulching as much bare soil as possible to stop it overheating. 
Tonight I'm talking about what happens below the surface during a drought: what are the earthworms doing? Are the microbes dead or dormant? What's happened to the mycorrhizal network? How does all of this affect the plants? And what can be done about it?
In other news, it looks like I've been pruning my dahlias all wrong - all the details of why I think this. And finally - my rose lilies continue to cause me drama by producing stamens (they're not supposed to have any)...
I hope you enjoy the episode! Please come back and join me for the next one - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 
Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.
Text The Podcast Here!
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Welcome to today's episode on Friday 7 August 2026.
Tonight I'm answering some brilliant questions that I've been asked recently including: 
what pests I've had this year (and how I've dealt with them)
what data I'm collecting (how and why)
which natural fertilisers I'm using (and the ones I want to try)
why so many flower stems are short this year (and the science behind this)
what my pivot means for what I'm doing on the field for the rest of this year
green manures
and - my favourite - do I have a toilet on the field?!?
I hope you enjoy the episode. As you probably know by now, I love hearing from you - feel free to send me a DM on instagram or drop me an email lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk. Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 
Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.
Text The Podcast Here!
Support the show

Hello, it's Tuesday 4 August 2026.
Still no rain - and none in sight. In light of this I went and bought three new big secondhand water storage tanks so I'm ready for whatever Mother Nature throws at me next year. Tonight there's news from the field including what I realised when I was stood on top of a transit van on Sunday. 
Tonight I'm sharing with you my plans for next year and beyond. It's been a big decision and I'm excited about it. This year has been a huge wake-up call for me: the field has been telling me that it can't support what I'm trying to grow, and I ignored it. Big mistake... HUGE! I've also been trying to grow more than I can manage, given my other commitments. So I'm reverting to my original dream for the field and I really can't wait to tell you about it and get started. 
I hope that you and your flowers are doing ok, wherever you are in the world. Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 
Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.
Text The Podcast Here!
Support the show

Hello, it's Friday 31 July 2026.
Welcome to tonight's episode. I'm trying a new format tonight so there's deliberately no intro or outro music. The heatwaves have finally come to an end but the drought continues and there's barely any rain forecast, which is somewhat concerning. I've been busy cutting stems this week for a wedding tomorrow: my wedding florist came to collect the order on Thursday and I can't wait to see the photos. 
I've been ruminating about not growing any annuals in 2027 this week: my off-grid field does not lend itself to annuals and, quite honestly, I can't face the thought of trying to support them in another hot summer. Somehow my focus has moved quite far away from my dream of growing roses and I kept asking myself this week why I'm struggling to grow things that don't like the conditions and aren't what I wanted to grow in the first place. Something to think about...
My Plant Profile Series continues with Euonymus: a really robust, useful and easy shrub to grow which I'm talking about tonight. 
Please come back and join me for the next episode - you're always very welcome.
Connect with me
If you like what you hear, please follow/subscribe to this podcast so that you're the first to hear new episodes when they become available every Tuesday and Friday. And if you enjoy this episode, please take a minute to leave a review because it really does help more cut flower-lovers just like you to find the podcast. 
Follow me on instagram @henhillcutflowers for a behind-the-scenes look at life on my cut flower plot. And you can find my website at www.henhillcutflowers.co.uk and my email is lydia@henhillcutflowers.co.uk.
Join me on my journey through a year of growing and selling cut flowers in England. I'm giving you the low-down on what it's really like, how I'm getting started, what you do and don't need, what I do when and why, the successes and failures, and just about everything in between. All in real time. With guest appearances from my chickens every now and then.
Text The Podcast Here!
Support the show