In it you can learn to design your cut flower patch, and grow for cutting all kinds of cut flowers and foliage.  From ordering your first packet of seed to choosing tools with which to harvest the growing cut flowers part of the project is detailed and designed to make you the reader think cleverly from the get-go about what you’d like from your cut flower growing.

The Flower Farmer's Year by Georgie Newbery: Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Flower Farmer's Year about?

The Flower Farmer's Year is Georgie Newbery's month-by-month guide to growing cut flowers, whether for profit or pleasure, drawn from her own experience at Common Farm Flowers. It takes readers through the entire flower farming calendar, from seed sowing and planting through to cutting, conditioning, arranging, and selling flowers, with practical advice for each season of the year.

When is The Flower Farmer's Year published?

The Flower Farmer's Year is published on Friday, 10th September 2027.

Who is the book for?

The book is written for anyone growing cut flowers, whether that's a hobbyist with a cutting patch, someone starting a flower farming business, or an established grower looking to refine their approach. It is also of interest to florists and gardeners who want to understand flowers from seed to vase.

Is this book only for people who want to become flower farmers?

No. Georgie uses flower farming as her example throughout the book, but says the problems she solves in it can be applied to building any kind of sustainable business. She describes the book as being for anyone "looking for a way to make a living slowly, meaningfully, creating rather than consuming, on your terms," not just those growing flowers.

Who is Georgie Newbery?

Georgie Newbery is the founder of Common Farm Flowers, a farm-based flower growing and floristry business in Somerset. She has taught flower farming and sustainable floristry to people around the world and is a well-known voice in the British flower farming and "Flowers from the Farm" community.

Is this a new book or a re-written edition?

The Flower Farmer's Year is a complete re-write of Georgie Newbery's first edition, originally published in 2014. Georgie has wanted to re-write the book almost since the day that first edition came out, and this new version reflects how much more she has learned as a flower farmer in the years since.

Why has the book been re-written?

Georgie has re-written The Flower Farmer's Year from scratch because she is, in her own words, "a MUCH more proficient flower farmer" than she was when the first edition was published in 2014. This edition is more comprehensive, wider reaching, clearer, more businesslike, and easier to work your way around, with improved appendices.

It's still full of guidance for anyone who simply wants to grow flowers for pleasure, with a much broader look at which flowering plants to grow and why, and how to grow annuals, biennials, perennials and more. But Georgie also knows how often an enthusiasm for growing cut flowers turns into a desire to earn a living from it, so this edition covers growing flowers for pleasure and profit.

The section on building a flower farming business has been substantially expanded, covering social media, marketing, web design, business plans, and cashflow forecasts, informed by over fifteen years of questions from Georgie's students. Rather than simply recounting her own experience, this edition is designed to prompt readers to ask the questions they need to ask if they want to turn a love of growing flowers into a genuine business.

Georgie also points to how much the market for locally grown flowers has changed since she started out. Sixteen years ago, local florists wouldn't buy from her; now there's a flourishing wholesale market for locally grown flowers, and a flower farmer doesn't need to sell retail at all if they don't want to. The world has changed too: a pandemic, wars, polarising politics and the upheaval of social media have all reshaped how people communicate and run businesses, and this edition reflects that.

How can I order The Flower Farmer's Year?

You can pre-order The Flower Farmer's Year now from:

• The publisher, Bloomsbury: Pre-order from Bloomsbury
• Your local independent bookshop: ask them to order it in for you, or search for one near you at bookshop.org

We'd love you to support Bloomsbury or an independent bookshop where you can. If neither is convenient, the book is also available to pre-order from the usual online retailers.

Can I pre-order the book now?

Yes. The Flower Farmer's Year is available to pre-order ahead of its publication date of 10th September 2027.

Will the book be available in shops?

Yes, alongside pre-orders it will be available in bookshops from its publication date of 10th September 2027.

Is the book available as an ebook or audiobook?

The Flower Farmer's Year is being published as a glossy paperback, as well as an e-book. 

How much does the book cost?

The Flower Farmer's Year has an RRP of £25. It is currently available to pre-order from Bloomsbury at a discounted price of £22.50.

What topics does the book cover?

The Flower Farmer's Year covers the flower farming year month by month, including:

• Sowing and planting a cutting garden or flower farm
• Growing annuals, biennials, perennials and other cut flowers, for pleasure or for profit
• Seasonal care of flowers through spring, summer, autumn and winter
• Cutting and conditioning flowers for the best vase life
• Building a flower farming business, including social media, marketing, web design, business plans and cashflow forecasts
• How to move from growing flowers as a hobby to growing flowers to sell, whether retail or wholesale
• Building a sustainable "lifestyle business" around flower farming

Does the book include Georgie's own photographs or illustrations?

Yes. The Flower Farmer's Year is illustrated throughout with photographs taken by Georgie Newbery on her farm in Somerset.

Where can I find out more about Common Farm Flowers?

You can find out more about Georgie Newbery and Common Farm Flowers on our website. Here is a good place to start. This page will guide you through everything Georgie offers, from her free content on Substack, YouTube and Instagram, to her popular club on Substack, to online and at the farm demos, workshops and retreats and more!