Field and Garden with Lisa Mason Ziegler

It is so easy to feel overwhelmed! I know because it is my natural reaction to a challenge or problem. I tend to tackle problems head-on, and then realize how I need to slow down for the many speed bumps so that I can get over them to reach the goal. Overwhelming. Looking in the rearview mirror, I see that not only have I come a long way, but that overwhelm was a necessary piece for me to succeed....

Take a glimpse behind the scenes! Join Lisa, Rhonda, Anne, and Layne for a fun conversation about how each of them became part of The Gardner's Workshop customer service team. As our TGW community grows we continue to focus on providing the very best experience for our customers, and these women are the backbone of that effort. Listen to some fun stories and fond memories, and know these ladies ar...

Happy Valentine's Day, friend! Through all the ups and downs, I owe my success to the love and care of my husband Steve and my family. Here I take a moment to share our story and my gratitude. I hope that everyone finds love in their lives that is supportive and caring, and that we all will strive to give supporting love and care to others.  Mentions Blog: A Garden Love Story: Lisa & Stev...

What is your point in growing cut flowers? Do you love gardening and sharing flowers? Or is your point to create income? Answering this question and drawing a line in the sand and doing it is liberating. The only wrong answer is not answering this question. Once you know where you want to head it is so much easier to get there. I hope this chat will provoke some thinking, "What is my point?" Pleas...

Today's episode features an excerpt from Lisa’s show called Seed Starting Saturdays, a live video series born out of necessity during the pandemic. This show provided a way for Lisa to make an appointment to get her weekly sunflower planting done, while also creating an opportunity to interact with her followers live and answer questions. This episode from last summer covered a broad range of...

Some of the most successful businesses have a simple foundational offering. Don't feel pressured to add more and more--find your market and grow what sells over and over! P.S. Listen through to the end for a special note from Julia! Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For Market Magazine ! A tremendous resource. Use the coupon code: WORKSHOP to get 25% off any print or...

Catching up on her farmer-florist business, in-person workshops, and the Philadelphia Floral Guild. Connect with Jennie: Love 'n Fresh website & Instagram , No-Till Flowers Podcast Online School: Farmer-Florist School: The Wedding Process with Jennie Love On-Demand Course: Making Workshops Work for You with Jennie Love On-Demand Course: Collectives 101 with Amelia Ihlo Philadelphia Floral Guid...

If I had the opportunity to restart my business today based on what I have learned since starting in 1998, these are some of the things that would change the course of my business. They seem so simple now, but when I was in the weeds-- I never even thought of these things! Hope they help!  ~Lisa P.S. Listen through to the very end for an uplifting note from Jennifer! Mentions We are so happy...

Today’s episode features a takeover of our popular “Ask a Flower Farmer” live Q&A session on Instagram, which was hosted this time by Daniel Schavey of Petal Pickers Flower Co. in Greenville, SC. Daniel is a highly-successful 6th-year flower farmer growing in zone 8a and an alumnus of many of The Gardener’s Workshop’s online courses. Here, Daniel answers a broad range of questions on topics su...

Don't let the off-season slip away. Make the most of the non-harvesting season by getting jobs done that help lighten the workload in the season. Restore Get those pebbles off your shoulders Get key steps on the calendar In-season meals Get smart: conferences, read books Find more customers Upgrade business practices Don't be afraid of: "You are only as solvent as your last sale". Keep up the hust...

In this special episode, Lisa speaks with Jonathan Leiss of Spring Forth Farm about three pitfalls related to cover cropping on the no-till farm: 1) planting cover crops without a plan to terminate them, 2) underestimating the amount of time needed to tarp a cover crop, and this not having beds ready when needed, 3) inadequate seed-to-soil contact when seeding. Lisa and Jonathan commiserate about...

At the root of my flower farm's success is simplicity. I grew more volume of fewer types of flowers to experience higher profits with less loss. Volume and doing it over and over through the years led us to get better at it with fewer mistakes and mishaps. All good for the bottom line. I never got bored growing more of a variety of flower with fewer varieties because I wasn't relying on the flower...

Part of our "Best of 2022" replay series, listen again as Lisa offers some great tips for building a successful, profitable business! In this episode, I'm sharing the reminders I wish someone would have tapped me on the shoulder to say "Remember this!" If you are an avid gardener or as I was in the beginning, a gardener gone wild-- you can disregard this list. These reminders are for those that wa...

Use January to make the whole flower farming year better. Order the giant calendar and while you wait, fill your freezer with a few key meals to make farming a little easier once the harvesting starts. Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For Market Magazine ! A tremendous resource. Use the coupon code: WORKSHOP to get 25% off any print or digital subscription. Jumbo Wal...

Part of our "Best of 2022" replay series, listen again as Lisa speaks with Dave Dowling about some of the challenges they overcame on their way to becoming flower farmers! Common challenges mentioned: Lack of Experience, No Cooler, No Acreage, No Greenhouse or Hoophouse, No Money, No Delivery Vehicle, No Tractor, Nowhere to sell flowers nearby, No Hired Help, Too Old, Single Parent, etc. Lisa &amp...

I am pretty quick to see all my mistakes and failures and let the wins sail off into the sunset never to be seen again. Making a list of where I started and where I am now is a beneficial way to know that I have come a long way, even though some days I feel like I am at square one. Make a list and save it for the hard days. ~Lisa Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For...

Part of our "Best of 2022" replay series, listen again as Lisa speaks with Dave Dowling about growing snapdragons! I've been growing snapdragons for over two decades and thought I had a handle on it---but NOT after this discussion with Dave Dowling! In this episode, we are talking about extending the harvest season, how to do that but variety selection, harvesting, conditioning, and more! This is...

As I look forward to next season, I am reminding myself of the roots of a cutting garden. Sometimes a refresher is all it takes to be inspired. Could you use some inspiration too? Listen in. Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For Market Magazine ! A tremendous resource. Use the coupon code: WORKSHOP to get 25% off any print or digital subscription. Book: Vegetables Lov...

Part of our "Best of 2022" replay series, listen again as Lisa speaks with Jonathan Leiss of Spring Forth Farm about growing sunflowers! Talking about one of my favorite subjects with Jonathan Leiss of Spring Forth Farm located in Hurdle Mills, North Carolina: sunflowers. We both agree that sunflowers can be major contributors to the bottom line of most flower-growing operations.  Jonathan's...

When is very early spring? Who should plant in very early spring? How to plant in very early spring? These and other questions are on so many minds as we are heading out of the fall planting season. Very early spring is when everyone can plant cool-season hardy annuals and here is the 411 on doing it. Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For Market Magazine ! A tremendou...

For this edition of "Bug Talk" Lisa and Rhonda are joined by master naturalist Nancy Lawson of The Humane Gardener. Nancy talks about how the native plantings in her suburban yard have become ambassadors for introducing her community to native birds and insects. Did you know that brambles are a great feature to have for native creature habitats? Nancy teaches that plants are the solution to many o...

At the end of the growing season, we are tired and sometimes, a little desperate. Making value-added products, particularly around the holidays, can seem like a great option. But in our efforts to create more cash flow, sometimes we end up spending even more time and money. It can rob us of time, morale, and the opportunities we need to attend to the unsung pieces of life and business: relationshi...

Why grow flowers? What do flowers do for us, other than create a beautiful bouquet or table? In this Clubhouse chat, Lisa shares stories of the benefits of growing flowers that you might not have thought about: nurturing your body, mind, and soul. A listener joins in to share her sweet stories as well. We hope this episode offers you encouragement and helps you recognize the good that you do for y...

Cool Flowers seems so familiar to me that I have to remind myself that it is still a little-known planting concept. Because of this, it is new territory for even seasoned gardeners. In this episode, I review the steps I follow to care for my Cool Flower plantings and some of the common causes of plant loss. Mentions We are so happy about our partnership with the Growing For Market Magazine ! A tre...

In this episode of Bug Talk, Lisa and Rhonda cover a fascinating topic: "What happens to bugs in the wintertime?" As self-proclaimed "bug-huggers," these ladies chat about the different ways that bugs cope with the changing seasons, and what you can do in your garden, landscape, or field to support them along the way.  Mentions Book: Good Bug Bad Bug by Jessica Walliser Book: Attracting Benef...