As a flower grower, my biggest frustration is how to fill the downtime that pops up halfway through the season.

Summers in North Florida accumulate on average 3.5 inches of rain per month, which falls over 18-23 days per 30 day period.

What does this amount of rain mean for most cut flower growers? It rains in a way that feels like it never ends for almost three months straight.

Humidity ranges from 75% to somewhere in the 90% range, fields turn to mud, and stems get pummeled.

This past year was no exception, which led me to wonder what flower farmers could do during rainy seasons. Every growing zone has a time where excess rainfall is a challenge, so how do you keep morale and profits up? All while waiting out the weather?

The steps you can take during the rainy season fall into these three categories:

• Practical Business Solutions

• Productivity-Boosting Ideas

• Self-Care

Some of these need preplanning or community networking to pull off. So let’s dive in and inspire you going into next season!

Practical Business Solutions for Flower Farmers

In 2020, the go-to phrase was “pivoting,” and I’m taking that resourcefulness forward into the years ahead. When you have extra time for your business in a difficult flower-growing season, you could do the following:

• Harvest extra stems for drying throughout spring. Tuck them away for the summer slowdown. You can create revenue with dried flower bunches and everlasting bouquets.

• Press your flowers. If you’re artistic, consider pressed flower frames.

• Create new products. If you grow organic flowers, try harvesting blooms for soaps, scrubs, and beauty products. This could be a great collaboration opportunity with local soap makers!

• Offer workshops. Plan products or classes and prepare harvested stems for Autumn/Winter wreaths.

These are all things that require forethought and community networking. But for every business model, there is a slow season parallel. Some growers do subscriptions. Dried flower bunches or “Everlasting Bouquets” are the slow season parallel of this. Pressed flowers or resin pieces are great for bespoke designers.

Wedding florists or specialty growers can bring clients back during the slowdown by offering unique pieces like this. You could even offer it as a part of packages to get extra income while giving you work to keep your brain and hands busy during the rain.

And connecting with a local soap or cosmetics maker is a great way to build relationships as well as highlight your offerings. This can generate brand and name recognition ahead of the next season.

Productivity-Boosting Ideas

I’m a fan of anything that appeases my OCD and ADHD coping tools when it comes to productivity-boosting.

When I’m stuck inside during the torrential downpours, I dive into my notebooks and seed banks. Keeping your season notebook on hand along with a business ledger, you can look at what is (and isn’t) working for you.

What were your top producers in spring? What did your buyers drool over? Did you regret not doubling a bulb or seed order once the plants took off?

Factor all this into planning for the next round of ordering and spacings. My area does a huge push for autumn-sown plants, given our mild winters. I use my downtime to check quantities; the last thing you want is to be prepared to sow seeds only to be staring at empty seed packets.

While I’m wrist-deep in packets, I try to note my timelines for first and last frost and first last sowing dates. When I go back to write out or spreadsheet my timetable, I have those fresh in my mind.

You can also use the time to check out potential drainage or layout issues. Then incorporate those fixes into the bed-flip before autumn transplants go out. A little bit of time spent in the damp can be the key to an easier 2022 season.

Self-Care

The old adage “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day” is both sterling truth and absolute bologna for anyone who grows cut flowers.

Sunburns, stings, bites, sprains, and exhaustion are all part and parcel for us. Most of us forget the nights of being dog-tired once we see fields in bloom.

But taking this slowdown as a blessing is essential for our physical and mental health. If you’re stuck inside, pick up that gorgeous book that you’ve ignored to give yourself a dose of inspiration.

Take a flower-growing class you heard about at a flower conference or catch up on a podcast you keep putting off.

Invest this time in yourself. You’ll come out of the rainy season refreshed and ready for the next round of cut-flower growing insanity.