Digger Diaries | June
- Jessica Russell Hilton
- May 28
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 24
Joy, Divine: Growing Cut-Flowers, More Kindly, with Little Bluestem Farm
When was the last time someone gave you flowers? For most of us, the joy of receiving freshly cut flowers is second only to the joy of giving them. But if, while beholding a bouquet, you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “Why couldn’t I grow that?” this DIGGER DIARIES is for you.
We’re talking with cut-flower farmer Beth Foose of Little Bluestem Farm, which has supplied central Mississippi with local flowers for about ten years. As part of the burgeoning “slow-flower movement,” Beth shares her favorite techniques for growing florist-quality cut flowers at home, more sustainably.
Read on to discover the difference between cut flowers and bedding plants, whether to till (or not!), and what it’s really like to run a flower farm. Spoiler alert: It’s not all Pinterest-perfect. But for Beth—who also happens to be a priest—there’s beauty in that, too.
Why did you become a professional flower grower?
“I love everything about growing flowers. Really. Every single thing. From filling trays and tucking tiny seeds into the soil to making bouquets. But through the years, I have found that what sends me out into the cold or the heat and makes me work just a
little harder is the possibility of sharing the things I’ve grown with others.”
Can you talk about the slow flower movement?
[Most people have heard about the ‘slow food movement,’ and its farm-to-table
emphasis. In a similar way, the slow flower movement prioritizes flowers that are
sourced in season, from local growers.]
“A lot of people don’t realize that imported flowers leave a devastating carbon
footprint. They are produced in areas where workers’ rights and safety are of little
concern, and where pesticides and other toxins are used. We do our best to educate
our clients, but we have a long way to go.”
“Through our business, we strive for sustainability and environmental stewardship. That effort began with choosing the name, Little Bluestem Farm. Little Bluestem, Schizachyrium scoparium, is one of many native grasses growing here on our farm.”
“We work to nurture the presence of native plants and animals on our property. Around ten years ago, when we started our farm, we wanted our name to reflect our intentions and efforts. In the same way, we do our best to nurture relationships within our family, with our customers, and with everyone who sees and enjoys our flowers.”
What, in your opinion, are the most important things we can do to successfully grow florist-quality cut flowers at home?
1. “Be willing to start seeds. Do your research! Most of the plants you will find at nurseries are bred as bedding plants. Cut flower varieties are different. We get many of our seeds from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
[Seed Plants vs. Bedding Plants: Bedding plants, like pansies and petunias, are
grown to look best outdoors, in a flower bed. They often have self-cleaning habits, and may have a short vase life after cutting. Cut flowers, like zinnias and larkspur, are primarily grown to be enjoyed indoors, in a vase. They are bred for tall, strong stems, and a longer vase life.]
2. “Be ready for hard work that lasts all year long. We were the first flower farm in the area. Now there are many more. I think in some ways, it’s gotten “popular” with Instagram accounts like Floret Flowers, and it looks like such a charming thing to do. The reality is, it’s hard work. And it’s also—one flower farm can only accommodate so much business, so that’s part of it. It takes a market to farm. Finding your market can be the hardest part!”
3. “My next advice would be, tend to your soil. As my flower growing mentor, Jennie Love (of the No-till Flowers Podcast) says, “It all stems from the soil!” If you take care of the soil, a lot of other problems—insects, drainage, etc.—are eliminated.”
“Ten years ago, after establishing our first flower field, which we tilled, we
changed our practices and began to use regenerative, no-till farming methods.
We covered the ground with tarps to kill the vegetation, and then put cardboard
over what would become the rows.”
“We needed a mulch material to put on top of the cardboard, and I chose Loamate because it is organic, accessible, and affordable. We purchase it by the truckloads. We have used it now for five or six years, and we have been consistently pleased with the product and the service!”
Can you tell us more about your decision to stop tilling?
“I made the decision for a variety of reasons. One, no-till makes it possible for me to do every step of the process. Although, I don’t—we have Willam Neal who helps on
the farm—still, no-till gave me more independence as a small woman farmer with a
small farm.”
“Second, it’s the stewardship of the soil. I like the constant tending that no-till
regenerative farming requires. I have a good friend who’s a flower farmer in north
Mississippi and she tills, and gets all kinds of energy from looking out over a tilled field, and being able to do everything at one time. That’s just not the way I roll, partly because I work full time. I’m in this for the relationships, that means relationships not just with the people, but with the plants, the birds, the insects, and the soil.”
“Honestly, I can tell a difference even today, ten years later, between the tilled
field and the ones we did not till. The soil is more compacted and I have more weed
pressure in the area we tilled even after building up the soil.”
Growing plants is full of ups and downs. How do you keep from getting discouraged, and what keeps you coming back to the dirt?
“Farming, for me, is a source of deep joy. I can’t imagine life without the farm.
Yes, it is hard—and at times, heartbreaking—work, but I find meaning in the seeds, the
soil, the flowers...all of it. I am very grateful to be able to do the work and share it with others.”
To learn more about Little Bluestem Farm, visit their website here: https://www.littlebluestemfarm.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoojNVLR1iucoOhYVTuzsn65qLLYB26JpaZ7_ds3qqfIYYGac2pS
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