How I Started Selling Cut Flowers From My Driveway 🌸

I have always loved flowers. When I was a child, I loved spending time in my mother’s garden, smelling the blooms and asking what their names were. I used to pore over nature guidebooks about wildflowers, trying to learn their names. I would collect flowers and press them between the pages of books.

As a young adult, I loved making bouquets. I read books about flower arranging, took a class in it, and even helped make bouquets for a couple of weddings. By trial and error, I was learning which flowers and foliage from the garden worked well in a vase.

When I became a mother myself, I tried to pass my love of flowers on to my children. While homeschooling them, I purchased flower name flashcards so they could learn, too.

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Wherever we lived, I planted gardens. Each place gave me the opportunity to start again from a blank slate.

We moved into our current house 13 years ago. It had very little landscaping and just a pile of junk in the backyard. The first few years were spent cultivating the landscaping (more on that in a future post).

My interest in growing cut flowers really bloomed in 2022. I got hooked on YouTube videos about growing and selling them. I ordered Cut Flowers by Floret and Cool Flowers by Lisa Mason Ziegler, and pored over library books on the subject.

I was especially inspired by Northlawn Flower Farm on YouTube because Danielle grows flowers right in her backyard and sells them at a roadside stand in front of her house. She lives on a busy street—just like I do—so she became my inspiration.

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One big obstacle: my yard was mostly shade. So I did a sunlight study, mapping out how much sun each area received each day to find the best place for growing flowers.

It turned out the sunniest spot was a narrow strip on the south side of my house, right next to my neighbor’s property. There was just enough room for some 2′ × 8′ raised beds. I bought three raised bed kits on Amazon, assembled them, and placed them alongside the house. Then I realized there was room for three more with an aisle between them—so I bought those, too.

By then it was fall, but I was ready to officially start my mini flower farm. During the winter I researched seeds and made some purchases, thinking about what to grow both in the flower farm and in my other garden beds.

I set up a wire shelf in my plant room (yes, I also love propagating houseplants and turned our den into a plant room) and added some grow lights. I purchased seed-starting trays and potting soil, then made spreadsheets to plan out when to start each type of seed.

In spring 2023, I planted seedlings into my flower farm and tucked them between perennials in my cottage garden.

Speaking of perennials, every time I went to the garden center that year, I kept an eye out for varieties with long stems that would make good cut flowers—an investment that would produce more blooms each year. I learned which garden centers had the best deals, and I bought so many that I ended up creating a new perennial garden in a sunny spot in the front yard.

When the flowers began blooming, I gave myself the challenge of making a bouquet every day and posting the pictures on Facebook. It was fun discovering new combinations from my yard. Soon, I had vases of flowers all over the patio and in the house. I brought some to my mom and sisters and shared with friends.

Then I started wondering—could I actually sell them?

When my mom gave me a small raised bed on legs that she didn’t want anymore, I thought, If this thing had wheels and a handle, it would make the perfect flower cart to roll to the end of the driveway. I could fit eight or ten vases in it, and an umbrella would keep them shaded.

My dad helped me attach wheels and handles, and I painted “Fresh Flowers” on the side. I was almost ready.

Because I wanted it to be self-serve, I bought a lockable drop box on Amazon and attached it to the cart. I made a price sign and printed my Venmo QR code for cashless payments.

On Saturday, I filled the cart with mason jars of flowers, set it at the end of the driveway under the umbrella, and put up signs using some old easels I had. Then I stayed nearby, puttering in the garden, and waited to see what would happen.

I live next to a playground, so many families walk past my house. Several stopped to check out the flowers, and some tucked bouquets into the cupholders of their strollers. Others pulled into the driveway with their cars to look. Before long, most of my bouquets had sold.

I was thrilled!

The next week I did it again—and sold more. I started offering flowers on other days, too. Some days were better than others, and weather definitely affected sales, but it was wonderful to have a little income to support my gardening habit. I used the money for more plants, seeds, and supplies.

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Since then, I’ve added four more raised beds to the side of the house. When the tree in my front yard had to come down, I gained more sun and planted even more flowers. I still do my roadside flower stand on Saturdays, but I also started offering bouquet subscriptions. On Wednesdays, my subscribers come pick up their bouquets from my porch.

I love this little business because it helps me during the summer months, when my piano teaching and school accompanist work pause. The bouquet sales help carry me through July and August—when I also have more time to enjoy the garden.

This is now my third season of flower farming, and I’m already planning for my fourth. Each year I learn what works and what doesn’t. I love the joy flowers bring to people. I often bring bouquets to church picnics, and people absolutely light up when they see them. I’ve had special orders for graduation parties and anniversaries. Weddings? No thank you—too much pressure! But I love blessing people in smaller, personal ways.

Next year, with enough planning, I hope to have the cart open every day in the summer.

What about you? Do you love growing cut flowers, too? I’d love to hear your story in the comments.