This week on The Backyard Bouquet, we’re celebrating a century of spectacular blooms with Schreiner’s Iris Gardens, one of the most iconic names in American flower farming. For over 100 years, the Schreiner family has been growing and breeding world-class bearded iris—a legacy that began in Minnesota and eventually found its forever home in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.

In this conversation, Ben Schreiner and Liz Schmidt offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to run a multi-generational iris farm, from hybridizing breathtaking new varieties to caring for over 150 acres of flowers. Whether you’re dreaming of adding irises to your garden or curious how these resilient blooms perform as cut flowers, you’ll walk away inspired to see bearded iris in a whole new light.

We talk about:

• How bearded iris earned their place in the world of cut flowers
• What makes these perennials so tough, low-maintenance, and stunning
• Tips for planting, dividing, and growing irises in Zones 3–9
• The decade-long process behind breeding a brand-new iris
• Why Schreiner’s believes beauty and legacy can bloom side by side

This is a celebration of history, horticulture, and the flowers that keep on blooming—season after season, generation after generation.

Learn more about Schreiner's Gardens: https://www.schreinersgardens.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, will you please consider leaving the podcast a review? Your review helps make the podcast more discoverable to others and allows me to continue creating more episodes. I'd love to know what you enjoyed most about the episode.

New episodes every week to help keep your garden blooming!

In this episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast, Jennifer invites you to step away from the rush of the season and pause at the garden gate. With raw honesty and gentle encouragement, she explores what it means to be in a season of becoming—when everything feels tender, stretched, and unfinished.

Through the metaphors of seeds cracking open, the lotus rising from the mud, and the relentless (but sacred) push of spring, this episode offers a soulful reminder: you're not behind, you're in the middle of something meaningful.

Whether you're planting your first seeds, rebuilding something from scratch, or simply navigating the unknown, let this be your permission to slow down, trust the process, and grow at your own pace.

If you enjoyed this episode, will you please consider leaving the podcast a review? Your review helps make the podcast more discoverable to others and allows me to continue creating more episodes. I'd love to know what you enjoyed most about the episode.

New episodes every week to help keep your garden blooming!

In this episode of The Backyard Bouquet Podcast, we’re joined by one of the most respected voices in the cut flower industry—Dave Dowling. With over 20 years of experience as a flower farmer and now a trusted mentor to growers across North America, Dave shares insights you won’t want to miss.

We talk about how he got started growing flowers (before Google existed!), what helped him turn a few backyard beds into a thriving year-round business, and the advice he gives most often to new flower farmers. From choosing the right flowers to grow, to selling at markets, working with florists, and applying for grants—this episode is packed with practical tips and hard-won wisdom.

Whether you're dreaming of starting a flower farm or already deep in the growing season, Dave’s insights will help you build a more sustainable and profitable business—while remembering to enjoy the flowers along the way.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Dave got started in flower farming (and the book that sparked it)
• Tips for selling at farmers markets and to florists
• What makes a flower profitable—and what to grow more of
• The biggest mistakes new growers make
• Dave’s favorite flowers for market (and why lisianthus shines)
• How to apply for NRCS high tunnel grants
• The growing strength of the local flower movement
• Why collaboration beats competition in our industry
• What Dave hopes his legacy will be

🌼 Want to connect with Dave?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davemdowling/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaveDowlingBallHort

Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2025/04/29/ep-55-how-to-grow-and-sell-cut-flowers-successfully-with-dave-dowling/

If you enjoyed this episode, will you please consider leaving the podcast a review? Your review helps make the podcast more discoverable to others and allows me to continue creating more episodes. I'd love to know what you enjoyed most about the episode.

New episodes every week to help keep your garden blooming!