Seed Talk with Lisa & Layne

Confused by all the different varieties of orange sunflowers? Wondering which to choose if you can only grow one? Today, Lisa and Layne compare five varieties of orange sunflowers with dark central disks. They cover the subtle differences amongst the varieties and offer tips to help you select the right ones for your farm or cutting garden. Listen to the podcast and learn which orange sunflowers t...

Did you know that some cut flowers pollute water faster than others? Wondering if there is anything you can do to extend the vase life of this "dirty" group of bloomers? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss "dirty dozen" flowers. They cover what "dirty dozen" flowers are, examples of flowers in this group, steps to take during and after harvesting to prolong vase life, and m...

Looking forward to buckets of sunflower blooms to fill your summer and fall bouquets? Wondering which varieties to grow and what steps to take to attain the ideal head size, maximize vase life, and have blooms all season long? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss four tips for success when growing sunflowers for cutting. Plus, the girls share an exciting announcement for warm-season flower growers everyw...

Itching to plant out your first warm-season transplants? Wondering if there are any steps you can take to improve their chances of success? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss planting tips for early warm-season transplants. Listen to the podcast and learn the steps you can take before and after transplanting to help your first round of warm-season plants thrive! The video version of Lisa and Layne'...

Looking for an elegant filler to amp up your bouquets? Interested in learning how to grow Cerinthe (aka honeywort) as a cool flower? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the beautiful foliage and blooms of Cerinthe 'Kiwi Blue' (Cerinthe major). They cover why home gardeners and flower farmers should consider growing it and offer tips on seed starting, harvesting, and more. Listen to the podcast a...

Happy New Year, everyone! Interested in integrating the Pantone Color of the Year into your garden or floral arrangements? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the Pantone Color of the Year for 2026 ('Cloud Dancer') and a dreamy white corn cockle flower that embodies this color story (Agrostemma githago 'Ocean Pearls'). Listen to the podcast and find out why 'Ocean Pearls' corn co...

Looking for a free, lightweight mulch to help suppress weeds, retain moisture, and improve the soil in your garden? Wondering which types of leaves are best for mulching your beds and pathways, how thickly to place them, and when? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss five tips for leaf-mulching success. They cover everything from the benefits of using leaves in your garden to leaf selection, timing, and...

To celebrate the autumn season, Lisa and Layne wind up their “Fall Flower Spotlight” series with a deep dive into eucalyptus, one of their favorite foliage plants for fall. Listen to the podcast and learn why eucalyptus deserve a spot in your fall cut-flower garden! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conversation will be posted to The Gardener’s Workshop’s YouTube channel, where all “Seed T...

To celebrate the autumn season, Lisa and Layne continue their “Fall Flower Spotlight” series with a deep dive into rooster peppers (Capsicum annuum), one of their favorite plants for fall interest. Listen to the podcast and learn why rooster peppers deserve a spot in your fall cut-flower garden! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conversation will be posted to The Gardener’s Workshop’s YouT...

To celebrate the autumn season, Lisa and Layne continue their “Fall Flower Spotlight” series with a deep dive into celosia plumes (Celosia argentea), one of their favorite flowers to plant for fall blooms. Listen to the podcast and learn why celosia plumes deserve a spot in your fall cut-flower garden! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conversation will be posted to The Gardener’s Workshop...

To celebrate the autumn season, Lisa and Layne continue their “Fall Flower Spotlight” series with a deep dive into marigolds (Tagetes erecta), one of their favorite flowers to plant for fall blooms. Listen to the podcast and learn why marigolds deserve a spot in your fall cut-flower garden! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conversation will be posted to The Gardener’s Workshop’s YouTube c...

To celebrate the autumn season, Lisa and Layne kick off the first episode of their “Fall Flower Spotlight” series with a deep dive into cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus), one of their favorite flowers to plant for fall blooms. Listen to the podcast and learn why cosmos deserve a spot in your fall cut-flower garden! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conversation will be posted to The Gardener’s W...

Wondering if you should pinch your fall-planted cool flowers before or after they overwinter? Confused about how low down to make the cut? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the ins and outs of pinching fall-planted branching cool flowers (aka cool-season hardy annuals). They cover what pinching is, why it is done, and when and where to make the cut before delving into the pros and cons of pinching fal...

Confused about the right time to harvest your flowers? Experiencing issues after cutting and wondering what went wrong? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the importance of knowing the proper harvest stage for cut flowers and the potential problems you might encounter by harvesting too early or too late. Listen to the podcast and discover which issues you can avoid by learning the proper time to harves...

Wondering if poppies make good cut flowers? Curious about the proper harvest stage and how to condition both flowers and pods? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the ins and outs of harvesting Iceland Poppies (Papaver nudicaule) and Giant Poppy Pods (Papaver somniferum) for use as cut flowers. They cover the proper harvest stage, conditioning tips, and the expected vase life for both Iceland Poppies an...

Looking forward to bouquets filled with snapdragons this spring? Wondering which varieties to grow, how tightly to space the plants, and whether or not to pinch? In this excerpt from episode 36, Layne is joined by Gretel Adams of Sunny Meadows Flower Farm in Columbus, Ohio to discuss one of her farm's top five Mother's Day flowers - snapdragons. Layne and Gretel cover why snapdragons are s...

Wondering what's happening at the flower farm this month? Curious about which tasks should be on your radar? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss what's going on at the farm in February, offer a tip of the month, and cover recent questions from listeners. Listen to the podcast and learn about the goings-on at a southeastern Virginia (USDA zone 8a) flower farm! The video version of Lisa and Layne's conver...

Wishing you could add a pop of powder blue to your bouquets? Interested in learning how to grow Tweedia as a cool flower? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the delightful flowers of Tweedia 'Heavenly Blue' (Oxypetalum coeruleum). They cover why home gardeners and flower farmers should consider growing it and offer tips on spacing, pinching, harvesting, and more. Listen to the podcast and learn how to...

Confused about how often to water your soil blocks? Wondering what to do if your blocks seem to stay wet for too long or dry out too quickly? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss tips and tricks for watering soil blocks. They cover how to water the blocks, including recommended equipment and frequency, and troubleshoot overly wet or dry blocks. Listen to the podcast and learn how to properly water your s...

Debating whether or not to grow calendula on your farm or in your garden? Wondering if the stems are long enough to include in mixed bouquets, or if there are any tips for dealing with the stickiness when harvesting? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss some common questions about Calendula officinalis (aka pot marigolds). They cover a myriad of queries and concerns regarding timing, stem length, stickin...

Wondering which cool flowers to plant in very early spring? Curious what to do if the ground is frozen, or if you live in a warm, frost-free climate? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss frequently asked questions about planting cool flowers (aka cool-season hardy annuals) in very early spring. They describe how to determine your optimal very early spring planting window and cover a myriad of questions a...

Is a winter storm heading your way, or has one just passed? Wondering how to protect the cool flowers overwintering in your field or garden? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss preparing for a winter storm and dealing with the aftermath when growing cool-season hardy annuals outdoors. They cover helpful steps to take before, during, and after a storm, and offer real-life stories from past winter events....

Wondering how to keep track of your seed starting and planting times throughout the year? Confused about which dates to mark on your calendar and how to determine them? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss planning your growing season using a wall calendar. They cover why a physical calendar may be a good choice and walk through the steps to fill out your first and last frost dates, planting windows, and...

Happy New Year, everyone! Interested in integrating the Pantone Color of the Year into your garden or floral arrangements? Today, Lisa and Layne discuss the Pantone Color of the Year for 2025 ('Mocha Mousse') and a plant that produces unique, geometric seed heads that embody this color story (Scabiosa stellata 'Ping Pong'). Listen to the podcast and find out why 'Ping Pong' starflower is a must-gr...

Wondering why a cut-flower grower might focus on annuals rather than perennials? Interested in learning how an urban flower farm's seed-starting operation scaled up over time and which crops were essential to its success? In this excerpt from episode 6 ('How Seeds Changed My Life - Lisa Mason Ziegler Edition'), Layne interviews Lisa about her seed-starting journey as a gardener and flower farmer....