Thinking about starting your own flower farm, or trying to scale up your current backyard plots?
In this episode, host Jo Robinson sits down with math-teacher and flower farmer Penelope from Martinborough Manor. Together they strip back the glossy Instagram filters and talk about the real, grit-and-graft basics of flower farming.
From the exact trays and tools that save your body to the financial pitfalls most new growers ignore, Jo and Penelope cover what it takes to run a profitable floral business.
You will learn why local weather data overrides international advice, how to avoid a "seed stash" addiction, and why pulling out blooming plants is sometimes the smartest business decision you can make.
TRACK LIST & TIMESTAMPS
00:00 - Weed mat debates and irrigation setups
02:00 - Must-read flower farming books
04:12 - Succession planting explained
05:01 - Seed starting on a budget (Trays vs. blockers)
07:39 - Truth about heat mats, lights, and DIY greenhouses
11:32 - Field tools: Dibblers and Niwashi “choppy chops”
14:12 - Body-saving hacks: Tool pouches and modified tractors
20:50 - Best flower farming courses and networks
23:57 - Tracking expenses: Xero vs. basic spreadsheets
27:05 - Sales psychology: Retail, wholesale, and markets
30:30 - The Martinborough Manor seed planning spreadsheet
37:38 - Planting foliage and scaling with seedlings
41:01 - Taming seed stashes and regional crop failures
47:09 - Ditching Instagram perfectionism and final grower advice
Connect with our Sponsors - Fresh Cut Flower Wholesalers
Follow them on Instagram @freshcutflowerwholesalers
Support Our Work!
Don’t forget, if you like the way we are connecting the NZ Flower Farming Community, you can support our work by:
· Advertising in an episode
· Sponsoring an episode or a season or you can
· Buy us a Coffee (make a donation) following this link https://coff.ee/flowerfarmersinnz
Music Credit: Credit for some of the music in this episode goes to Shane Ivers - Happy Clappy Ukulele
WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
• Infrastructure & Irrigation: The weed matting debate inside beds vs. pathways.
• The Ultimate Grower's Reading List: Why textbook-style guides beat coffee table books.
• Seed Starting on a Budget: Using simple DIY plastic box “greenhouses”.
• Body-Saving Tools: Hand tool pouches, Niwashi weeders, and turning old lawn tractors (ride-on-mowers) into flower trailers.
• The Mathematics of Farming: How to track your costs, price your stems, and why you should see an accountant.
• Knowing Your Sales Channel: Introverts vs. extroverts at farmer's markets, retail shops, and wholesale math.
• The #1 Thing to Stop Doing: Ruthless prioritization and letting go of perfectionism.
RESOURCES MENTIONED
Martinborough Manor Seed Starting Spreadsheet
FloralBusiness Activator
Alan Armitage's Plant Biology Books
Lisa Mason Ziegler's Cool Flowers
Also Lisa Mason Ziegler's other book available from Yvonne (previous guest) at her Garden on The Hill website https://gardenonthehill.co.nz/products/the-cut-flower-handbookFlower Farming for Profit by Lenny Larkin
• Martinborough Manor Seed Starting Spreadsheet: Get Penelope’s automated frost-date planning tool for just $50 at Seed Starting Spreadsheet.
• Books: Alan Armitage reference books, Cool Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler, and Flower Farming for Profit by Lenny Larkin.
• Courses/Groups: Three Acre Farm (Laurie Jo Hernandez), Dave Dowling courses, and the Floral Business Activator (FBA) New Zealand network.
• Tools: Mitre 10 flower snips, Active Vista soil blockers, and Niwashi weeding tools.
