Floral designers will be so excited about the new revised and expanded edition of a classic best-seller, “The Flower Farmer-An Organic Grower’s Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers” by Lynn Byczynski. This was published by
Chelsea Green.

This updated version is lushly illustrated with color photos and line drawings.

It will appeal to all sorts of folks from those with cutting gardens to eager entrepreneurs who would love to grow cut flowers for a living.

Readers will find this to be a treasure-trove of practical, in-depth information you can use, such as how to conduct your own variety trials and post-harvest handling. You can learn all about the latest varieties and up-to-date details on how to harvest and condition your cut flower stems as well as the basics on how to arrange the flowers.

This provides all the gardening basics, which will be much appreciated by novices. Beginners will learn how to start their cutting gardens, and grow for profit if they wish to do so. For novices, there are complete details from start to finish, including choosing your varieties, preparing the soil, planting and caring for the plants.

As the sub-title states, the author emphasizes an organic approach. Organic growers can learn what they need to do in order to label their product as organic in accordance with the National Organic Program standards.

Quite often an activity begins as a hobby, and evolves into something much more. For those wishing to grow cut flowers for a living, this is the essential guide to creating and operating a successful flower growing business. It provides details on how to expand production to meet the ever-growing commercial demand for quality cut flowers.

The author gives valuable advice on how to determine the appropriate market for your cut flowers, whether that is wholesale, retail, or direct sales to consumers. Readers will learn how to market their product.

For each chapter, the author provides a detailed profile of a successful flower farm.

This new edition has over 60 additional pages on a range of subjects. Here are just a few highlights on some of the new material in this edition. The chapter on Season Extension is completely new. In this, the author explains how to know whether you really need a greenhouse and which one to buy.

Within the remaining chapters, the author has added many new sections. This edition includes many new kinds of plants. Among these are bulbs, veggies, foliage, grasses and grains, and hydrangeas.

The author includes cautions about using hay. Other new sections include knowing whether you should pinch your plants, tips on dealing with powdery mildew, and flowers for butterflies and birds.

Those who grow for the market will find helpful new sections on weddings, the latest flower trends, why local growers have an advantage, and why they
should develop relationships with their customers.

All in all, this new edition surpasses expectations. It is a must-have for anyone who wants to grow cut flowers.