
451- Growing Cut Flowers & More for a Farmer's Market with Sarah Shuman
The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehyShow Notes
Struggling to figure out how to turn your love of gardening into something you can share—or even sell? In this episode, Sarah walks us through how she built a thriving cut flower business for her local farmers market. You'll hear the practical steps she took, what she wishes she knew sooner, and how she manages growing for both beauty and profit. If you've wondered whether you could do something similar, this conversation gives you hope and a clear starting point. free download: Garden Cheat Sheet A simple, step-by-step starter plan to help you begin your garden with confidence. https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/when-to-plant/ Key Takeaways Why selling flowers can be more approachable than selling vegetables
How Sarah planned her first year—and what she'd change
The importance of bloom times, succession planting, and crop selection
How working with a partner shaped the business
What she's learned from customers and community at the farmers market
Chapters 00:00 – Why Sarah chose cut flowers 04:30 – Planning the first flower season 06:20 – Bloom timing and succession basics 10:40 – Overwintering and cool-season flowers 13:40 – Direct sowing vs. plugs 17:30 – Working with a business partner 21:05 – What keeps her motivated 22:50 – The hardest parts of flower farming 25:00 – Planning mistakes in year one 27:45 – Profitable vs. low-profit crops 36:30 – Using plant starts to build early customers 39:10 – Adding microgreens for income 43:40 – What farmers markets taught her about people 47:00 – How to get started selling at a market Resource Links Free Garden Cheat Sheet: https://journeywithjill.net/gardening/when-to-plant/ Friday Emails (newsletter): https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/JourneywithjillNet/videos Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebeginnersgarden/ Podcast Archive: https://journeywithjill.net/the-beginners-garden-podcast/ Soft Paid Mention: Complete Garden Planner – A simple system to plan and track your season. https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ Disclaimer Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance. Some links may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
More from The Beginner's Garden with Jill McSheehy
Growing fall vegetables when temperatures won't drop can be frustrating, even for experienced gardeners. What can you do to help broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower survive extreme heat? And which crops might surprise you? After six weeks of 100-degree temperatures and drought in my Arkansas garden, I'm sharing what worked, what struggled, and what I'll change next year. We'll talk about planting dates, choosing broccoli varieties, using shade cloth, managing irrigation, and protecting transplants. I'll also share my surprising success with bok choy and what happened to my tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers when the heat just wouldn't let up. YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/fQTlF_XNBHg?si=6Zxg_ScpZVXoBsFt Free Download: Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage Quick-Start Growing Guide Learn when to plant, how to protect your crops, and how to grow healthier brassicas in spring and fall. http://journeywithjill.net/broccoli-guide Key Takeaways Choose short-season broccoli varieties and plant early enough for fall harvests.
Struggling to keep your fall garden alive through unusually hot weather? If your lettuce seedlings are wilting or your fall planting schedule has fallen behind, you're not alone. I'm sharing practical fall gardening lessons from a season of extreme heat and drought in my Arkansas garden. After 13 years of gardening, I experienced something I'd never encountered before: weeks of triple-digit temperatures and flash drought conditions stretching into September. In this episode, I'll walk you through what happened to my lettuce and pansies, the decisions I made to protect my seedlings, and what I'll do differently next time. Free Download: Lettuce Quick-Start Growing Guide Learn when to plant lettuce, how to start seeds indoors, and how to prevent bolting and bitterness. You'll also get free access to my Beginner's Garden Resource Vault. http://journeywithjill.net/lettuce-guide Grow Garlic With Confidence My Garlic Mini Course includes 10 short video lessons covering everything from preparing your soil and planting to harvesting and saving garlic for next year. https://journeywithjill.net/pcaudio/garlicworkshop/ Key Takeaways Learn why lettuce struggles to germinate and grow during extreme heat.
Not sure where to plant garlic without giving up valuable spring garden space? Garlic stays in the garden for months, so where you plant it now matters next spring. In this episode, I'll show you practical garlic planting layouts for raised beds and small gardens. Free Download: Garlic Planting Cheat Sheet Get the timing, spacing, and growing basics you need for your first (or best) garlic crop. http://journeywithjill.net/garliccheatsheet Learn More about Garlic: Garlic Growing Mini Course This mini course is a favorite of my audience! If you want to have success growing garlic click here: journeywithjill.net/pcaudio/garlicworkshop/ Use code GARLIC26 to enroll for just $19 (Reg. $29) Garlic is one of the easiest crops I grow, but it occupies garden space from fall until late spring or early summer. That means your garlic planting plan needs to account for the broccoli, carrots, lettuce, peppers, and other crops you may want to grow next year. In this episode, I'm sharing several ways to fit garlic into your garden, including borders, relay planting, checkerboard layouts, and dedicated garlic beds. I'll also explain which crops can share space with garlic and which ones I would avoid. Key Takeaways Treat fall-planted garlic as your first spring planting.
Planting onions in fall might give you an earlier harvest than you thought possible. If you garden in Zone 7 or warmer, overwintering onions may help you harvest sooner, reduce bolting, and spread your onion harvest across several months. In this episode, I'm sharing what happened when I tested fall-planted onions in my Zone 8a Arkansas garden and how to decide whether this method could work where you live. Free Download: Onion Quick-Start Growing Guide Learn how to choose the right onion type for your location, get your planting timing right, and grow bigger, healthier onions. Get the Onion Quick-Start Growing Guide Key Takeaways Decide if fall planting fits your climate.
Your fall garden may be growing the same vegetables you planted in spring, but that doesn't mean they need the same care. Shorter days, warm soil, changing temperatures, and slower growth all affect how you should water, shade, and protect fall crops. In this episode, I'll help you adjust your fall garden care so lettuce, carrots, broccoli, and other cool-season crops have what they need. Free Download: Spinach Growing Guide Spinach can be a tricky crop to grow successfully depending on your location. This guide will help you have success. https://journeywithjill.net/pcaudio/spinach-guide/ Key Takeaways Water more at planting, then taper as fall cools. Remove shade cloth once seedlings are established. Give broccoli and carrots as much fall sun as possible. Plant more lettuce and greens to offset slower growth. Protect crops from sudden early freezes when needed. Chapters 00:00 – Why fall care is different 02:05 – Adjust watering as temperatures change 05:15 – Use fall shade cloth differently 07:26 – Know when to remove shade 09:47 – Give broccoli more fall sun 11:13 – Why carrots need enough sunlight 13:29 – Plant more fall lettuce and greens 15:42 – Prepare crops for early freezes 18:06 – When to use row covers 20:30 – Learn by observing your garden 21:44 – What's coming next Resource Links Seasonal Garden Task List: https://journeywithjill.net/seasonal-task-list Friday Emails + Free Growing Guides: https://journeywithjill.net/gardensignup Recommended Brands & Products: https://journeywithjill.net/recommended-brands-and-products/ Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/thebeginnersgarden Complete Garden Planner: https://shop.journeywithjill.net/ Disclaimer Gardening advice shared in this podcast is based on my own experience in Zone 8a (Arkansas) and from the feedback I receive from others in different gardening contexts. Your results may differ depending on your location, climate, and growing conditions. Always check your local extension service or trusted resources for region-specific guidance. Some links mentioned may be affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.