Who keeps you company in the field or the garden? Maybe a partner, co-worker or friend if you are lucky! For some of us who mostly work alone, podcasts are our company, they can be our co-workers, our inspiration, our mentors and provide us with so much information. I’ve yet to listen to a podcast where I didn’t take away at least one golden nugget. I listen to a good balance between UK flower and garden podcasts and those from the US, and as I am in Ireland they are in relatively similar growing zones to us. I want to introduce you to three incredible podcasts that are in my go to lists, when new episodes come out you just know they’ll be great to listen to.

The Slow Flowers Podcast by Debra Prinzing

Debra Prinzing of The Slow Flowers Podcast (c) Missy Palacol Photography

The first podcast I ever listened to in my life was The Slow Flowers Podcast. Absolutely a gateway podcast, I was learning about flower farming, mainly that it was a real thing and America seemed to be leading the way in this movement. Debra Prinzing is the woman behind the Podcast. She is a writer (I have a treasured copy of her book “The 50 mile Bouquet: Seasonal, Local and Sustainable Flowers), a speaker, an educator and an advocate for local flowers. The podcast features Debra’s conversations with flower farmers, florists and industry experts. I don’t think it would be wrong to say that Debra has a calling or a mission to advocate for local flowers and her efforts have a worldwide reach. There is an archive of episodes so you will be spoilt for choice of stories to listen to. What I love most about the podcast is hearing the stories and information Debra encourages the people she is interviewing to share. Her passion for flowers and the respect she has for the growers, shines through in every episode.

According to Debra, The Slow Flowers Podcast is the award-winning show known as the “Voice of the Slow Flowers Movement.” Launched in 2013 as the original flower podcast, we’ve devoted more than 10 years to covering the business of flower farming, floral design, and the Slow Flowers sustainability ethos. Listen to a new episode each Wednesday, available for free download here at slowflowerspodcast.com or on iTunes, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.

Debra Prinzing (c) Mary Grace Long Photography

The Flower Podcast by Scott Shepherd

The next podcast I came across was The Flower Podcast by Scott Shepherd. It had a back catalogue of incredible guests. If I’d discover a new grower or floral designer I was amazed that I’d always find a podcast with them and Scott. It’s like he could anticipate who we’d like to hear about! And his guests are from different parts of the floral industry so we are introduced to a wide range of topics including things that we might never have considered before, or jobs I wouldn’t have know existed. What I love about the conversations is that Scott is his enthusiasm for flowers and the way he always asks the questions we really want to know, he gets to the heart of growing knowledge as well as letting the guests share their stories. I will also go back and listen to the podcasts again before I embark on something, for example I have roses to plant this week so I will search up for those golden nuggets of advice before I get planting.

According to Scott, “The Flower Podcast is a place where our shared enthusiasm for flowers turns into engaging and colorful conversations. With a journey that spans over 32 years in the floral industry, starting from the days I spent as a kid in my grandmother's garden, moving through to my professional life in floral wholesale, my connection to flowers has always been at the core of my life. The Flower Podcast sprouted from a dream to build a gathering space where the diverse voices of the floral world could converge. From florists and flower farmers to educators and entrepreneurs, our guests bring a wealth of knowledge, experiences, and perspectives that enrich our understanding and appreciation of flowers”.

Our goal is to nurture a community bound by a love for flowers, where engaging talks help us delve into the craft, challenges, and beauty that come with working with flowers. From hands-on growing experience and creative design insights to motivational business advice,or simply a space to find inspiration for your floral journey, The Flower Podcast is a place for everyone in the floral community to grow, share, and celebrate together. The Flower Podcast

The Field and Garden Podcast by Lisa Mason Zieglar

The Field and Garden Workshop is from Lisa Mason Zieglar’s farm, known as The Gardener’s Workshop is a small market flower farm (100% outdoor field grown), and an online garden shop. Lisa is a farmer, an educator, a writer, a workshop host, a seed seller and so much more! She is a passionate educator and shares so much information through her podcast the Field and Garden Workshop.

I had purchased Lisa’s book “Cool Flowers” a few years ago and it introduced me to the concept of hardy annuals. I am a listener to her podcast from the very first episode! It is packed with information, she is full of good, honest, no nonsense advice that will guide you well on many aspects of growing. She regularly has guests who are expertise in different areas, like Dave Dowling for perennials. Lisa is publishing another book coming out very soon “The Cut Flower Handbook” which I’ll be looking forward to purchasing!

Thank you so much to all these incredible podcast hosts for what they do for the flower world and also for taking the time to respond to my emails and sharing photos and insights with me! I listen to all my podcasts on a podcast app but I do know there is several apps or ways of listening. If you click on the links to the hosts above you’ll find plenty of ways to follow them and listen in!
Thank you for taking the time to read,

All the best,

Maria

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