The Dirt on Flowers

Hosted by Shannon Allen and Lyndsay Biehl

Business Entrepreneurship Education Leisure

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Episodes

285

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Learn from our mistakes as we talk business, marketing, and growing techniques to help you create the farm of your dreams. So, let's roll up our sleeves and get the dirt on flowers!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 12, 202638 min

EP 285: The Secret to Finding Great Help

In this episode, Lyndsay and Shannon discuss how to find and manage great employees for flower farms. They emphasize that prior flower experience isn't essential — personality and mindset matter most. The key traits they look for include personal ownership, curiosity, flexibility, toughness, and the ability to thrive in a focused role. They also highlight the importance of clear communication, realistic expectations, positive company culture, and strong leadership. The episode encourages farm owners to let go of perfectionism and build teams that allow them to step back from daily operations.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

June 10, 202632 min

EP 284: Uncut Week 24 Bachelor Buttons are Back Baby, Wildroot Gin and Thank you

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the hosts share updates from their flower farms. Lyndsay discusses an exciting lavender gin collaboration with a local distillery, while Shannon is surviving a two-day swim meet despite back issues, and battling invasive house sparrows on the farm. They chat about growing larkspur, dahlias, and planning fall crops like amaranth and marigolds. They also shares a new liquid calcium supplement recommended by a fellow farmer. The episode wraps up with a preview of an upcoming episode on finding great employees.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

June 5, 202646 min

EP 283: 5 Things We Would Well You if We Were Not Scared of Hurting Your Feelings

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon deliver honest, tough-love advice about the realities of flower farming. They tackle common pitfalls, urging farmers to stop wasting time on non-essential details and focus on generating income. They debunk the myth that expensive equipment is necessary to start, emphasizing that humble beginnings build character. The hosts stress the importance of understanding your market, knowing your numbers, and prioritizing profit over revenue. They close with an empowering message about resilience and mindset, reminding listeners that success comes from consistently showing up and owning their unique role in their business.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

June 3, 202643 min

EP 282: Uncut Week 23 Moving, Mobility, and Growing the Flower Farm

In this episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, one host shares a heartfelt story about moving from her lifelong family farmhouse to a new home, navigating emotional challenges alongside her unsettled cat, Judy. She discusses managing the farm from a slight distance, grocery flower sales, and a tricky wholesale opportunity with a grocery chain. The hosts also offer advice for third-year flower farmers, emphasizing financial tracking and focus. Personal topics like training for a half marathon and the importance of stretching round out this candid, unfiltered midweek conversation between two real flower farmers.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 29, 202653 min

Ep 281: Behind the Scenes with Cross Street Flower Farm

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon chat with Nikki Bartley of Cross Street Flower Farm in Norwell, Massachusetts. Nikki shares her 11-year farming journey, from running a vegetable CSA to building a thriving flower farm with a retail barn shop, pick-your-own tulip and dahlia events, and seasonal festivals. She also recounts an inspiring trip to Europe, visiting tulip farms in the Netherlands and flower growers in Italy and France, which reinvigorated her passion for farming heading into the new season.Learn more about this weeks guest Nikki Van Lith : Website, Facebook and InstagramBe in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 27, 202638 min

EP 280: Uncut Week 22 Rain + Million Downloads + Motivation to Keep Going

In this milestone episode of The Uncut with Lyndsay and Shannon, the hosts celebrate reaching one million downloads while keeping things refreshingly real. They chat about office noise frustrations, naming their angry alter egos, and the challenges of planting tubers in wet conditions. Lyndsay shares her peony struggles with thrips, while Shannon's spring blooms are finally arriving. They answer a listener question about what keeps them farming, emphasizing freedom, creativity, and personal growth. The episode also covers workplace safety tips, flower preferences, and upcoming community events, all wrapped in the hosts' signature casual, unfiltered style.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 22, 202649 min

EP 279: Are you looking at costs?

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, Lyndsay and Shannon dig into crop-level profitability and the decision framework flower farmers need to decide what to grow, what to scale, and what to cut. Using tulips and sunflowers as concrete case studies, they walk through the full set of cost drivers — material inputs, labor (including owner labor), shrink/waste, storage and handling, equipment choices, and market/channel fit — and emphasize the non-financial factors (systems capacity, fuss factor, personality, social-media pressure) that shape good choices. The goal is to collect the data that lets you make deliberate CEO-level decisions for your farm.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 20, 202631 min

EP 278: Uncut Week 21 Peony + Spring Crop Download

This week on The Dirt on Flowers, Shannon and Lyndsay catch up on what’s thriving, what’s struggling, and the crops they’re loving most this season. From surprisingly gorgeous tunnel-grown Bells of Ireland to statice, snaps, and all-time favorite cool flowers, they share the varieties earning permanent spots on the farm. They also get honest about disappointing peony seasons, overwintering losses, tunnel fatigue, and the reality that perennial crops still need plenty of attention and care. The conversation dives into soil health, irrigation, plasticulture, crop rotation, and the mental side of flower farming after years of unpredictable weather. Plus, they talk wedding workshop details, favorite fall-planted flowers, USPS disasters, and the flowers they’d happily never grow again.Lyndsays wedding workshopBe in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 15, 20261 hr 6 min

EP 277: Designing Systems and Choosing Equipment: A Deep Dive into Mechanized Flower Farming

In this episode of The Dirt on Flowers, hosts Lyndsay and Shannon welcome Lydell Steiner from Tilmor, a family-owned equipment company in Northeast Ohio, to discuss weed control and mechanization in flower farming. They explore different tractor types, cultivation strategies, and planting systems suited for small-scale growers. Lydell highlights Tilmor's innovative equipment, including the Power Ox two-wheel tractor and the electric Super E tractor, designed to make farming more accessible and efficient. The conversation emphasizes the importance of early weed management, standardized planting systems, and ergonomic tools to help flower farmers scale their operations sustainably.Learn more about Tilmor- Website, Instagram and FacebookBe in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm

May 13, 202650 min

EP 276: Uncut Week 20 - Mother's Day Rundown, Favorite Zinnias + Bad review Drama

Mother’s Day weekend is officially behind us, and Shannon and Lyndsay are recapping everything — the wins, the weather stress, leftover bouquets, flower bars, pricing experiments, customer behavior, and the lessons they’re taking into next year. They also talk about handling negative reviews, donation request burnout, and creative ways to support their communities while protecting their businesses. Plus, they answer listener questions about growing eucalyptus and favorite zinnia varieties.Be in the know for DirtCon 2027If you want to dive in deeper with us each month, join our membership group - The Dirt on Flowers Insiders! So if you love the podcast and want to dig deeper with us, head over to www.thedirtonflowers.com/membership to join now.Did you love today's episode?Take a screenshot and share it in your IG stories. Don't forget to tag @dirtonflowers!Leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Head to www.thedirtonflowers.com to sign up for our newsletter and become a Dirt on Flowers insider!Want to learn more about your hosts? Follow us on Instagram!Lyndsay @wildroot_flowercoShannon @bloomhillfarm