Ep. 90: Sarah Raven, The Woman Who Changed How We Grow Flowers

She left medicine to grow flowers at her kitchen table. Thirty years later, Sarah Raven has written fourteen books, built a garden empire at Perch Hill, and changed how a generation thinks about cut flowers. In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Sarah to talk about her journey from wildflower-obsessed child to one of the most respected voices in the gardening world. They dig into the science of cutting (and why your garden actually gets better when you harvest from it), the magic of dahlia hybridizing, lessons learned from contaminated compost, and the heart behind Sarah's newest book, A Year of Cut Flowers. What you'll hear in this episode: * Why "liveheading" is Sarah's secret to a more productive garden * The pinching rule that changed everything: "If in doubt, pinch out" * How the local flower movement is reshaping the industry on both sides of the Atlantic * What Sarah's new book offers gardeners at every level (and why her own daughter finally picked it up) If this episode inspires you, share it with a friend who loves flowers. And don't forget to subscribe so you never miss a conversation. Resources & Links Mentioned * Sarah Raven's Website: sarahraven.com [https://www.sarahraven.com/] * Sarah's Book: A Year of Cut Flowers https://amzn.to/4vhXc41  [https://amzn.to/4vhXc41] * Sarah's Podcast: Grow Cook Eat Arrange [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grow-cook-eat-arrange-with-sarah-raven-friends/id1550764907] * Sarah's Instagram: @sarahravenperchhill [https://www.instagram.com/sarahravenperchhill/] | @sarahravensgarden [https://www.instagram.com/sarahravensgarden/] Guest Bio Sarah Raven is a gardener, teacher, author of fourteen books, and the founder of a gardening brand rooted at Perch Hill in East Sussex, England. Trained as a doctor, she transitioned to full-time growing after the birth of her second child. For more than thirty years, she has championed seasonal, locally grown cut flowers through her writing, teaching, and her weekly podcast, Grow Cook Eat Arrange. Her latest book, A Year of Cut Flowers, is a month-by-month guide drawing on three decades of growing, trialing, and arranging at Perch Hill. Sign up for our podcast newsletter: https://bit.ly/thefloweringfarmhousenewsletter Show Notes: https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/2026/04/08/ep-90-sarah-raven-a-year-of-cut-flowers/ https://thefloweringfarmhouse.com/the-backyard-bouquet-podcast/