I've always run my business from the front of our home, tucked away on a quiet country dirt road — the kind where two cars passing at once is considered traffic. Every single sale from our flower stand has been driven by me (or word of mouth): first with Facebook posts, now with email marketing. Business took off quickly— but I’ve always built the biz in a way that lets me stay on the property — minimal running around, no overcomplicating things.

But this weekend, I tested something new.

Here’s what I did:

The Setup

Now that our main peony field is producing a surplus — and knowing I prefer to keep things close to home and as low-effort as possible — I knew it was time to get creative about how I moved the harvest.

Our property is a long rectangle, stretching from that quiet dirt road in front to a busier two-lane road out back — one that connects Plymouth to Ann Arbor with plenty of daily drive-by traffic.

For years, I’ve only used signage out back. But never tried selling. This year, I thought… why not?

We moved one of our U-pick tables up near the field, printed six yard signs ($164 total), and tied a yellow umbrella to the fence post for a pop of color. (I want to add the umbrella to the table but am hesitant to drill a hole into it.) The signs said “Peony Bouquets” and “Potted Peonies,” and I made a quick Canva sign with pricing and payment options.

My 15-year-old son, Tyler — who is way more outgoing than I’ll ever be — had been warned for weeks about manning the stand come peony season. And this weekend, we opened for business.

The Results

If you’re selling flower subscriptions, simply posting on social media or sending a quick email saying “subscriptions are available” isn’t enough. Sure, you might get a few sign-ups, but if you want real momentum, excitement, and—let’s be honest—lots of sales, you need to launch.

But before you can launch, you need to

Peony season is wild.

It’s beautiful, yes — but also short, intense, and packed with fast-moving parts. If you wait until the blooms are cracking open to get organized, you’re already behind.

That’s why this year, I’m preparing as much as possible before the first stems are ready — not just because I’m a one-woman show, but because planning ahead is the only way to survive the chaos and make sure I’m ready to serve my customers well.

Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what I’ve been working on to get ready for this season:

Imagine this:

You ask me what flowers I’m growing in my cut flower garden and I start rattling off the list…

Tulips, daffodils, ranunculus, anemones, hellebores, hyacinths, allium, muscari, euphorbia, sweet peas, stock, peonies, snapdragons, campanula, larkspur, delphinium, nigella, sweet William, yarrow, feverfew, foxglove, zinnia, sunflowers, celosia, atriplex, marigolds, cosmos, scabiosa, amaranth, rudbeckia, lisianthus, statice, dusty miller, eucalyptus, bupleurum, lemon basil, mint, bunny tails, scented geranium, raspberry leaves, goldenrod, dill, dahlias, chrysanthemums, ageratum, gomphrena, verbena, globe thistle, sedum, ornamental kale, strawflower, ammobium, sweet Annie, statice and Chinese lantern…

And your response is probably: “Holy shit. That’s a lot.”

And it is.

Ironically, it’s also the number of peony varieties I grow in my main field: 56. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t done that. If I could rip them all out and start over, I’d…

I’m gearing up to launch my peony subscriptions, and in my last email I asked readers to answer two simple questions. But those two questions were more than just a casual poll—they were a strategic move.

When it comes to creating, offering, or selling a product, gathering feedback before you finalize anything is one of the smartest things you can do. Not only does it help you create a product people actually want, but it also builds connection. When customers feel involved in the process, they feel like they helped create it. And people are more likely to support what they helped shape.

Polls With a Purpose

The poll questions weren’t random. With our peony subscriptions launching in just a couple weeks, I was planting the seed—getting readers to think about what they like in a bouquet and, more subtly, letting them know that our subscriptions even exist without flat-out saying, “Hey, did you know we sell subscriptions?” On the surface, it looks like market research—but really, it’s marketing. Even something as simple as answering a poll gets people more engaged. When they’ve had a say, they’re more likely to care about the outcome—and more likely to tune in when it’s time to buy.

The Red Peony Shock

One of the poll questions was whether people wanted red peonies included in their subscription bouquets. Simple enough, right? Well, I was floored when…

If you took a peek inside my hoop house right now, you might think I’ve transformed into a full-blown nursery. With rows and rows of potted peonies, it certainly looks the part. But that’s not the plan at all. In fact, I never intended to grow peonies in pots. So how did I end up with a hoop house full of them?

Last season—and really, every season before it—I’ve battled botrytis on my peony farm. If you’re not familiar, botrytis is a fungal disease that causes grey mold on plant material. It’s not uncommon, especially on production farms like mine where plants are grown in close quarters.

It’s often recommended to space peonies up to 4’ apart. Well… mine are spaced 2 feet apart within each row, and my rows are spaced 3 feet apart. It’s a tight setup that works well for maximizing space, but unfortunately, it encourages fungal and bacterial issues due to limited airflow.

In past years, I didn’t worry too much about it. The worst of the botrytis usually showed up after harvest, so I never felt the urgency to deal with it. That said, I’ve always had a few varieties along the edge of the field that seem to get hit with it earlier than the others. That particular edge is shaded by tree cover, and I suspect the lack of sunlight creates the perfect environment for botrytis to show up early and often.

This past season though felt different. The botrytis showed up sooner than usual. Maybe it was because the plants are getting bigger. Maybe it was because of the cold, wet spring we had. Either way, now that I’m focusing solely on peonies, I finally have the time to be proactive instead of reactive.

This is especially important this year as I’m also growing potted peonies inside our hoop house. If you’ve ever grown anything in a hoop house, you know it can be a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria. Less airflow + warmer temps = a perfect storm.

So, this season I’m taking a new approach.

Here’s the plan…

Many of us start by spreading the word about our flowers one person at a time—telling a coworker, dropping off a bouquet at a local business, or posting on social media and hoping someone sees it. And while that will get more eyes on your business, I’m all about working smarter, not harder. Instead, what if you found pockets of your ideal customer—groups, spaces, or communities where they’re already gathered—and tapped into those? That’s where real momentum starts.

One of the most overlooked places to do exactly that? Facebook groups.

Facebook Groups: Still One of the Best Free Marketing Tools

If you’ve taken any of my courses or downloaded The Playbook, you know I’m a longtime fan of Facebook groups. They’re how I got my start—and they’re still one of the easiest ways to get eyes on your farm without spending a dime.

Facebook groups are full of built-in communities—moms, gardeners, local shoppers, neighborhood groups, hobbyists, and more. These groups are made up of real people in your area who are already chatting, sharing, and asking questions. And with the right approach, you can show up in these spaces (without being spammy) and let them know your flower business exists.

Let’s talk about how to do that well—and how I’ve used this exact strategy to bring in real customers, not just “likes.”

The Post That Added 197 People to My Email List

I’m gearing up to launch my peony subscriptions in just a few weeks, and my intention right now is to build local awareness and grow my email list. While I have past customers and an existing list, I’m always looking to add new leads—especially right before a launch.