If you’re looking to start a flower farm, these five books will provide you with all the information that you need. From planning and planting to harvesting and marketing, they have it all covered!
If you’re thinking of starting a flower farm, you’re in luck! There are plenty of great resources out there to help you get started. From planning and planting to harvesting and marketing, these five books will provide you with all the information you need to make your flower farm dream a reality. Get ready to learn everything there is to know about flower farming!
Why Read Flower Farming Books?
The internet is an endless source of information. Even here, I try to provide relevant and reliable information to help you on your flower-growing journey. So why would I suggest offline sources of information for you? I am a self-taught garden enthusiast, and while some of my knowledge has come directly from my own experiences, much has been sourced from books that I consider to be the most reliable and complete sources of information about growing flowers. These books are highly researched by experts and well-known authorities in the flower farming field.
Reading a physical book is also just comfortable for me. I love to unwind curled up with a cup of tea and a beautiful book full of lush garden photography while learning something new. I also think there is something about the ritual of reading from an offline source that helps the information to sink in and be remembered more easily.
Should You Buy or Borrow These Books?
I am a huge fan of my local library, but they don’t always have books I am looking for available, and some books I want to keep for my reference because you never know when a situation you’re unsure of how to deal with will pop up! If you want to start building your flower farming book library slowly or only want to keep one or two books, I highly recommend purchasing The Flower Farmer and Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden. These books are an amazing resource available & I consider these ESSENTIAL for beginning flower farmers!
- The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers, 2nd Edition
- Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden
- Cool Flowers: How to Grow and Enjoy Long-Blooming Hardy Annual Flowers Using Cool Weather Techniques
- Connie's Dahlias: A Beginner's Guide
- Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting and Arranging Beautiful Blooms (Gardening Book for Beginners, Flower Arranging)
Lynn Byczynski has been growing and writing about cut-flowers since 1990, as the publisher and editor of a monthly newsletter and has been credited with inspiring thousands of people to start growing flowers for sale locally. On her own farm in Lawrence, Kansas, she has grown certified-organic flowers for local florists, supermarkets, natural food stores.
The Flower Farmer's Handbook is essential reading for anyone interested in starting a small-scale cut-flower business. It covers all the basics and offers practical advice, from site selection and soil preparation to planting, maintenance, and harvest. You'll also find helpful information on marketing your flowers and extending your season with forced bulbs and annuals.
After watching Growing Floret on Amazon Prime, I first learned about Erin Benzakein and Floret farm. I was instantly smitten by the exquisite blooms and stunning flower garden featured in the documentary. It was what inspired me to grow flowers. Erin's floret farm started as a small family business and has grown into an internationally renowned business that provides inspiration and information for aspiring flower farmers worldwide.
The Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden is a gorgeous book full of irresistible photos and extensive advice. You'll find practical tips and advice to help you arrange stunning seasonal blooms in floral arrangements. From tips on growing, harvesting, and marketing your flowers, to ideas for arranging them, this book is a must-have for anyone interested in creating beautiful bouquets to sell.
What began as a small cut-flower farm producing for local markets has become one of the best learning resources for flower farmers. Lisa, the owner of The Gardener's Workshop, has become a leader in the cut-flower growing industry. The Gardener's Workshop Youtube Channel is a fantastic resource, and I highly recommend subscribing if you want to learn more about growing flowers. But if you want a complete resource on growing hardy annuals, you will want to get your hands on Cool Flowers.
Lisa's book, Cool Flowers, is about how to grow long-blooming hardy annual flowers using cool weather techniques. You'll find information on starting seeds, transplanting, soil health, and more.
Lisa demystifies this often-misunderstood group of flowers, known as hardy annuals. She distinguishes between plants that fit into this category and suggests the best cultivars for cutting. She also goes through when and how to plant them for a season-long bloom.
Connie Thompson has over 30 years of experience growing, showing, and selling dahlias and has generously shared her knowledge in many Facebook groups and online forums. But you can now access Connie's wealth of knowledge in one easy-to-follow book, Connie's Dahlia's. This book has been indispensable this year after planting my first 35 dahlia tubers.
Connie's Dahlias: A Beginner's Guide is a thorough guide to growing dahlia for any flower enthusiast. Connie has years of experience and knowledge and has been an active member of various Facebook dahlia groups. This book offers all her tips, tricks, and information in one location. You'll find much information on diseases and pests that dahlias are prone to be particularly helpful. This book contains useful advice and details, which only someone with her expertise could provide.
Niki Irving is the flower farmer and florist of Flourish Flower Farm, a 9-acre specialty cut flower farm nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Asheville, North Carolina. Niki grows over 300 cut flowers and foliage varieties and creates seasonally inspired arrangements.
Growing Flowers: Everything You Need to Know About Planting, Tending, Harvesting, and Arranging Beautiful Blooms (Gardening Book for Beginners, Flower Arranging) covers Flower Farming from seed to vase, including information on popular cut flower varieties. The book has clear instructions, which are easy to follow, and includes plenty of photos for reference. You'll find information on everything from basic gardening techniques to Flower Arranging 101. If you want to learn everything there is to know about Flower Farming; this book is for you.
Whether you’re a first-time flower farmer or an experienced grower looking to expand your repertoire, these five books are essential reading. They provide detailed information on growing and harvesting more cut flowers, so you can create a successful flower farm no matter where you live. Do you have a favorite cut flower book? Let us know in the comments below!