It would be great to have an Australian gardening channel like the ones in the US and England. I love huw and Charles Dowling, garden answer, dig plant water repeat etc but they don't garden when we do or have the pests we do (Corellas!) lots of ideas and skills are transferable to the southern hemisphere but it would be lovely to watch it here and be able to see plants and ideas I know will work here. Twice a week videos would be plenty I only watch on the weekend after I've been out in the garden and it's too hot outside 😂 If there are some Australian channels like that I'd love to support them too I just haven't found any that aren't homesteading/farming.
Hi Diahann. Your name is spelt so uniquely! I feel like in time I'll be heading in this direction... thats what im now setting the garden up for now (a teaching garden). Keep your fingers crossed for me! There is a really good channel run by Mark called @selfsufficientme Have you come across this one? He is the only one I know of similar to the big ones overseas! His focus is food.
That's why I love this channel so much. Australian channels are hard to come by . Not only is Phaedra in Australia but she is in Victoria like me which makes her more relatable.
@@phaedragardeness Mark is great although he is in Qld in a tropical climate. He has many great videos. We have watched him for years and learnt so much.
@@phaedragardeness I have watched mark for some years but as I'm at the very bottom of SA the climate is very different. All the best with your garden journey I'm sure it will be amazing.
Here are a few of the talking points you had in your video- 1. I'm in the US in the state of Washington and the two grocery stores near me have also had limited flowers for the past month. It could be because of the holidays or maybe our economy. 2. I'm not growing dahlias because it seems like everyone is. I'm trying to stick with things that are unusual and selling flower and vegetable starts. 3. I love all of your videos. I like to "sit" with you while I eat my breakfast and you tell me everything that is going on. 4. I am carrying a few extra pounds too. It happens to the best of us😉
I have always loved watching your videos in my down time but the 5 year story you did my husband watched together and loved it so much. I love how you keep it real and and relatable. 40's are tough for women, yet we are still expected to do it all. I hope you find where you are meant to be and that 2025 is better for you all🌸🌻☀️🕊️
Hi bec! Thats so cool your husband watched with you! 40s are a bit rough! I was pretty excited to reach 40 though! Im using this decade to set myself up for the rest of my life. Im not doing it all anymore :)
Thanks for a great video. Yes flower farming/gardening can be a lonely thing. I think you should try and reach out again to do collaborations when you have healed. Sometimes the timing just isn't right. I am a believer there is enough for everyone and there is a community of us that care.
I wish we got snow here!! It would be so magical!! I know living in it is a different story.. just a little dusting now and then would be so nice though!
Just watching your channel now. Keep your head up, and sometimes people think that if they share their "secrets" 🙄 that heck someone will do it better, and I'll go out of business. I love watching your show. You let people in and have a willingness to teach us. Look after yourself, don't stress, play with your babies, and enjoy life. Life is too short, and time flies. LOVE your work. Know you and your family are going to have a great year.💖💖💖💖
There you are ! I’ve been absent . Here in the USA, no one can afford food or flowers ! I’ve switched to more food production. It seems what’s in demand. I’ll offer bouquets but not so many. Transitioning. Dahlias are beautiful but the work is insane!
Oh I didn't even get into how much work Dahlias are, you are right.. it's INSANE. I can make a lot of money from them but every time I have to dig up or divide I honestly wonder if it's even worth it! Growing food is one of the most rewarding skills and hobbies on this planet.
G'day. I have a dahlia. Large flower- i am finding so many ladybirds within there petals. Love seeing them just wish they would go on to my roses. Cant wait to see yours.
Thank you Phaedra...ive been following you from almost the beginning....i really enjoy how down to earth and honest you are...warts n all, i love it...i started growing flowers a couple of years ago, but my health took a turn for the worst, several injuries and i am carer for my 85 yr old mum who has alzheimers....needless to say, its not been easy ,however i found i COULD grow beautiful flowers. So all this being said, ive definitely left my run too late ,im 67. What you said about the economy is so true...its hard enough to buy groceries and pay for utilities etc, who is going to buy flowers....I want to thank you for your vids, love them and keep em coming as you are able...yall should be so proud of what. youve achieved. Be kind to yourself...recover hun, it will take as long as it takes. And as for being a mumma, they days are long but the years are oh so short..😢.all the best , debz
Im so glad your been growing flowers! It's never too late though. I graduated university in 2007 and graduated with another woman who was in her 70s at the time! she went on and had a lovely career after that. Shorter, but she was fulfilled. The years really are short.. even the days are feeling short. xx
Loved your 4 years of flower farming video....watched it twice😊...obviously you're gardening in a different Country/climate to me so I find that fascinating ...how you cope with the challenges....Take it easy ....having a goal/dream is great and I will enjoy following the journey along with you at a pace that you can cope with...maybe include some more info on the wildlife and creatures you encounter and which live in your area. Thanks again for all your hard work and enjoyable videos🎉👍
Thanks for your lovely honesty. I been watching your journey and can so relate. Im in NZ and same economy issues. Sometimes I feel like flowers are not meant to be sold but given. I get such joy from the growing process and for some reason just feel weird about selling them for money. I get it for weddings and events as this is a lot of design work but I don't want to do floristry, I just want to grow flowers. Problem is, I end up with a tonne of flowers and don't want to undermine other flower farmers by offering my extras for free. It's a tough one.
That is such a tricky conundrum. I don't know the answer. I think it's ok to give things away, and it's lovely. Maybe just advertise in different spaces to the florists who might feel deflated by that? A while ago I had an idea to make bouquets for the local food bank. So people could go get their groceries but also a nice bunch of flowers too. I could even get back onto that idea! Loving that I have so many watching and sharing from NZ!!! Can't wait to go back to NZ!
❤❤❤ and a big hug. I really enjoyed watching your video. You are so honest and down to earth. This helps me with my life and dreams, if that makes sense. I think Your viewers all appreciate your content, and support you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Hi! I’ve been following you since almost the very beginning and watch every video. I don’t create content for TH-cam, but I do use social media with over 4000 followers. I’ve been flower farming since 2018 in Nova Scotia, Canada and I’d love to be apart of your community. Just want you to know you’re not alone and hearing how 2024 has been I felt like you were telling my story!! Thank you so much for your honesty, bravery, and vulnerability. You’ve helped me so much! Thank you 😊
Hello!! Steve or Jess! what is your social media account? You should let us know! I feel like this has been a rough time for so many of us and im telling their stories too. Amazing to find this out!
Love your videos thank you!! I think people are just focusing on basics, maybe growing veggies to sell ??? So sad because flowers so brighten up our lives. All the best on your future journey 🙏💚🌿
You feel like a kindred spirit! I have been dealing with my own health issues so I get the frustration, half the battle is recognition and the desire for change for the better. You will get there, have confidence in that. I love your content, garden inspiration and dreams. Don't be disheartened, you touch a lot of green thumbs out there by sharing and just being real. We look forward to seeing what 2025 brings 💚
thank you so much for all the work you put into your videos. you clearly are very talented and i am so excited to continue watching to see what you do next. i originally found your channel when searching for content on flower farming and bouquet making; however, i loved all the extras - like when you took us to mexico with you and especially the 5-year retrospective. although it stinks when things don't work out, it is inspiring to watch you follow your instincts and change and grow. so inspiring! if you do decide to take more questions i have one - where did you learn flower farming and floristry? clearly you knew what you were doing when you started this farm a few years ago . . . did you take any formal training or were you exposed to it growing up? thanks again for sharing your life with us.
Hi Pamela! Thankyou for your lovely comments and your awesome questions! Im going to make videos with your questions in them so keep an eye out!! No formal education for me on any of this though!
Really love your input into my life. A couple of years ago, I was trying to set my teenage daughter up to take on flower farming small time. It would be running with sales from home a couple of days a week once she finished high school. And weekly markets at a fairly large shopping centre. Selling flowers and vegetable seedlings. There’s so much scope for selling flowers here. yes there’s a recession but we would initially aim for basic beautiful flowers at a cheap price. Mostly just bunches of the same flower. And some old fashioned flowers that I know would work here if the price is right. I am absolutely crap at flower arranging and making bouquets naturally within myself so I spent months and months and months watching videos and felt I was getting a handle on it. I had never seen the style of bouquets I had in my head and wanted to grow the flowers with my daughter, make the bouquets and both of us could sell them. I just felt confident it would work. You know, start small then have a go at the more creative stuff. We live in the Hunter Valley NSW. BUT the land we were preparing ended up becoming unavailable suddenly thanks to a lousy neighbour. I was so heartbroken. My daughter was relieved but sad. I live on $23k yearly so I had set us up slowly over a couple of years getting everything together, researching and experimenting , just giving things a go. Anyhoo I’m upset just thinking about it. So.., I have seedling pots, trays, larger pots, paper and peat pots, 2 grow tents, grow lights, grow tent exhaust fan and tubing, probably $1500 or more just of seeds, a small forest of bamboo stakes ( I actually grew 2 clumps of bamboo-like plants fir staking as well, 1 thick for trellises and general staking, 1 thin for individual flower staking), organic soil amendments, rolls of shadecloth, weedmats and spikes and pins, blah blah blah. I just gave up. And all that stuff is just sitting in the shed. I’m a compost freak and I also have 500 litres of perfect compost just sitting doing nothing in the bins. It’s like I was so intent on going in one direction and then… absolutely nothing. And then, even better, I realised over about the last 18 months as well that I was slowing down. Not normal slowing down but exhaustion slowing down. Turns out the covid I had at the end of 2022 has damaged my heart, my lungs, my eyes, my adrenal glands, my joints. No pressure. I don’t even like taking Panadol and I’m on 10 prescription medications. Worst of all my metabolism has gifted me with a massive amount of weight. Yay! So you are a bright spot to me. I refuse to wallow and spend a lot of my rest time researching things I am interested in mostly on TH-cam. I really do learn something new at least once a day. Your videography and use of sound are so professional and just hit the spot for me. Enough waffling. I had a great question for you but I’ve forgotten it. Sorry. Thanks for breathing and I’m really looking forward to your input throughout this year. Judging by past experience it’s going to be fantastic!
Oh Daphne, thats been a rough road for you, im sorry to hear that :( Do you still see yourself with a garden? The thing with gardening is once you get started it takes off and the motivation kicks in. I kind of feel like it's one of those hobbies where you don't even have to worry about motivation (not like exercise!). Forget about going big and start small. Some really nice things growing near your door, or outside a window. So you can see them often and enjoy them. You've got all the materials! The seeds will eventually go off though and loose their viability. It might be an idea to sell those before you loose their value (if you aren't going to plant them). Wishing you all the best!
@ thank you so much for your great advice. I’ve mostly been keeping my perennials alive just to feel like I have my hand in, but having a colour boost at my front and back door is a great idea. I’m a gardener with every fibre of my being. I just have to pivot and be sensible I think. I mean it’s not like I have no plants but just not enough! And it’s funny (ha ha funny) looking at my perennials and seeing how well they’re doing because I actually pay attention to them now!
Phaedra, I've been watching for ages and love all the videos you make. As someone with a small business myself i was hit HARD with burnout two years ago and things have never been the same for me and my business but in a good way! Keep making the videos you love, I hope you get that new computer to make your life easier and i cant wait to be here for all the beautiful things you grow, and videos you share in the coming months and years! Happy new year to you and your family from Virginia 💕
Leila! (is that how you spell your name???) Ive just checked out your channel and it's beautiful!! I want to make a rug! So does my daughter! Is it a pain to edit on the laptop though?
I love your kindness- Wish we were neighbors. . . I have done landscaping for over 20 years, also an isolated occupation Certainly can relate to a ‘rough’ year here’s praying 25 will be great
Hello and thankyou!! My neighbours and I have gates between our properties so we can come and go. It's so nice to have nice neighbours!! 3 of us are big into gardening
Phaedra Ive only just had time to sit and watch your chat. These hot days have had me scattered, then with wind and then lightening storms, a few little fires popping up here and there my anxiety is in the toilet. When you spoke about the gum trees and the vapours and them exploding it took me straight back to what we saw here during the Black Summer bushfires. We’d evacuated (not allowed to remove more trees than we had done in 2017, house is timber, raised off the ground and at the top of the hill) but when they told us we could go home that day when the southerly finally came, no one realised that our properties were being hit a second time by the fire and we arrived here to gas bottles exploding, trees exploding, buildings on fire, our neighbours homes burning down, our tanks had melted and here we were trying to tie wet tea towels over our faces racing around with buckets trying to put out fires….it still feels like yesterday. I was Thankful on New Year’s Eve to have a cool day, but that’s been short lived just 24 hours. I am sitting out on our deck and the wind tonight is erratic and tomorrow is supposed to be around 34-36 degrees again. The gardens are drier than they have ever been, fear of dropping our water tanks too low means we are now sacrificing what we hoped would be our first market season. It is what it is. Im kind of grateful that I still have a 9 hour a week job to help cover our bills. Im not on the dahlia train, I have really enjoyed growing from seed and experiencing my own new blooms. My proudest at the moment are Matilda (named after my great grandmother) and Kaylees Sunshine (named after my grand daughter) I brought some Pom Pom dahlia seed this year and have been really delighted by what has grown so far. I begin my Floret scholarship in a few days which Im excited to be a part of. Ive grown many of her dahlias, zinnias and celosia and have been thrilled at what is coming through, sadly though the bouquets sit in our flower stand and Im lucky if a sell a couple of $15 bunches each week. Sad to see them end up in the compost heap, but that’s just the reality of it. Your content is valuable, the things I have learned from watching your videos always inspire me to just keep going. There’s a time in our life for everything…..your newest journey is just beginning xx Theresa
Theresa you poor thing, you'd be so on edge in this weather especially after what you've already been through. I can't even imagine. You are the second aussie I know of about to start Floret! YAYAYAYA, the @floretflowerfarm team are among the most amazing humans. So kind. Wishing you all of the best with this course and I know you'll be so inspired! Our new neighbour offered us to put a farm stand on their property. they are right by the road... but now I don't think the flowers would sell! How ironic is the timing! xx
@@phaedragardeness I built the farm stand over 3 days in the heat to have it open for the two weeks prior to Christmas. Today Ive had to pt up on our local facebook notice board that all bouquets were $5 each. Thank heavens for our strawberries and our fresh produce otherwise there would be nothing coming in from the stand. Ive just finished work and having a coffee before heading out to pick the strawberries. I cut and watered flowers at 6am before heading off to work, sadly the rain that we’ve had at work this afternoon did its usual thing and split on the mountain and went straight around us 🙃 Im super dooper excited about the floret course. Have you participated in it before?
I found your channel in December and those videos got me to subscribe, loved them! I typically enjoy channels that are a mix of authentic vlog type videos as well as the more time consuming higher production videos. So ..... I am here for all of it!! I look forward to seeing your garden develop over the next while, it is refreshing to watch someone in a similar climate in the same hemisphere for a change :)) Happy New Year and best wishes from Nth Canterbury, NZ.
Hello!! Wow welcome and thankyou! Ok, your comments are making me feel like im fine to have a mix on the channel. Which for me keeps things interesting with weekly projects and some bigger ones to work on.
Lovely hearing about where you are at. I hope your health really improves this year. I was really unwell in 2023 and didn't get sick in 2024 at all - worked hard on building my immune system with herbalism. I would think about committing to vlogging every day on a month or weekly basis, then you aren't putting the pressure on yourself to vlog everyday of the year or something large like that. I know how hard it is to keep up with the editing! Thank you for your honesty. All the best for 2025! Amy x
Your plans to collaborate with large and small creators sounds amazing. Perhaps reach out to other smaller channels and then use that success and support to reach out to bigger creators. Keep pushing!
Yes, I really liked your latest video's, it was great! II really noticed the extra wok, enjoyed it a lot! Would prefer them over one video a day. I'm starting to comment on each video of you to help with the algorithm. Maybe ask your subscribers to do so at the end of every video. (If you want to support me for free, please give a comment because that helps me the most... or something like that) Please reach out to these flower farmers again, maybe they were to busy of something... Now they have had some time to think about it. Just be bold, I think you could do a really good job at this! Good luck! Ideas for a video: if you still enjoy making bouquets, make them for yourself and film it. Love to see that.
Hello! Ok good idea to ask about a comment. I plan to put some sort of floral project (or floral related) into each weekend video so hopefully that is nice for everyone! I know pretty much everyone loves that, and it's nice for me to slow down and keep up my skills!!
Always love your videos. Re your health - have you had your thyroids checked? You sound exactly what I was going through! My tsh came back normal but the T3 and T4 were sooooo low. Weight is now moving and fatigue has lessened since getting treatment. Crazy!
@@phaedragardeness glad you had it tested, hopefully the nodule is okay. Hopefully your naturopath finds out what’s going on so you can feel a million bucks again this year. This is our year!
Hi Phaedra. Take a look at Common Farm Flowers (UK). She does weekly (usually I think) videos. She has a club where she shares information etc. Not sure of the cost.😘
I did exactly what you suggested and had this video in my EarPods while I put together my brand new Mr Stacky, and so many things you say I resonated with!!! I was a professional photographer but went on maternity leave and my baby girl just turned 2 and I’m reluctant to go back just yet as I feel like the industry is really struggling atm 😢 I have a purpose built beautiful home studio, and I too planted out my garden to be able to use as a backdrop for client photos, so not sure what the future holds, but you hit the nail on the head! It is such an isolating industry!!! I went to a workshop once and met 2 gorgeous fellow photographers but some of the others in the group were that “you can’t shoot in that park that’s MY park” etc 😕 And yes LOVE Gaz Oakley’s set up!!! The way the pathways meander and I even bought his Plant Only Holidays cookbook because he is just so passionate about the home grown garden produce! We are a family of 4 and it’s only myself and my 2 year old that love veggies. So no point growing multiple of each variety. I’m sorry the creators didn’t reply to you. I feel everyone is just time poor and don’t want to commit to something that could actually be an amazing experience ❤
So good to get things done while you listen! It's so isolating :( I did have a handful of really nice friends but other than those amazing ladies I felt like I couldn't trust anyone. Oh wow how did you find his book? It looked so nice! I made his zucchini cookies the other day and they were delish. With the veggies, ive just learnt to grow the same variety every year of the things we eat. Thats true, everyone is time poor.. it just wouldn't have hurt for someone to reply and at least acknowledge my message/email at least!
@ I haven’t cooked anything from it yet and I think that’s always the real test! I’ve seen mixed reviews on how tasty the recipes are but I just love him and the book is super pretty 😍 I’m very happily married but when the book arrived I joked with my husband that my boyfriend arrived in the mail today! He’s just such a breath of fresh air! Totally agree! It’s not hard to reply thanks for thinking of me but I’m flat out in the foreseeable future etc etc. Can’t wait to see how the “hobbit” inspired landscaping takes shape 💕
I ❤your content. I bet it would benefit you and the other smaller creators to collaborate. Not only would you all benefit from sharing followers it would create a community for you. It would help rise you all up. Win win…
I enjoy all your videos, your honesty, vulnerability and creativity is very inspiring, Phaedra. You’ve achieved amazing things with your flower farm and business from a standing start! 🎉 Wishing you all a healthy, less stressful, fun and *comfortable* 2025, Lucy xx
You have built such a lovely community here by being your honest and authentic self ❤ How about collaborating with fellow Australian and New Zealand flower farmers? I know you did it once with Robyn 🙂 We have such a different climate and seeds availability compared with the flower farmers from the northen hemisphere so that would make such an interesting content.
So with you on the Dahlia hype scenario! I have been guilty of it but you know what, the ones i managed to get did not keep well and rotted the easiest which leads me to believe thats why they are unicorns because they dont produce good tubers . I cant be bothered with that, give me the robust easy to grow ones! Sure i still like certain colours and shapes but if its fussy i dont want it !
Hey Phaedra, I've watched all your videos so you already know how much I like your content :) I'm also an ex-Apple technician! What year and specs is your iMac? I found that most iMacs prior to the M-series to be very slow, so you *may* not necessarily need the specs you're looking at for your new Mac. I know it's a bit of a drive for you but official Apple stores allow you to return for change of mind reasons with receipt and no damage within 14 days. So that's also an option if you're never used an M chip yet with Adobe suite and want to potentially try it out with lesser specs
Hello!! oh thats so cool. I have 2 Macs but the newer one is 2020 3.8GHz 8-core Intel i7. graphics are AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB. I have no idea what that means I just copied the info haha. I didn't know Apple will let you return? I wonder if they will do that in Australia?
@@phaedragardeness Oh, no no haha. I think I made that sound cooler than it actually is. I was a retail technician otherwise known as a 'genius', I just thought that term sounded so wanky so I use technician instead. I just troubleshooted issues and did repairs for customers. Yes I'm in Vic and Apple Aus let you return! Your closest is Highpoint or Doncaster. Just make sure not to damage it in any way (no scratches etc), keep the receipt (and ask for it to be emailed to you) and bring your ID and everything in the box if you return. In terms of specs, 8GB refers to the memory RAM and for your purposes I would definitely recommend at least 16GB coz 8GB is too low for running Adobe well. Intel i7 is the processor, which is what the M3/M4/M4 pro chip would be, also known as Apple silicon which you may have already heard about. I don't think the demo Macs in store have Adobe but they may have Final Cut Pro installed. I can check tomorrow as I'll be going to the shopping centre and I can quickly stop by a store :)
I added moremomry into the back of my Mac so it prob has more than 8GB. I full up all the slots with more! I also store nothing on the Mac, it's all on ext HDs. So in that respect, I can operate the MacBook the same way the keep it all on ext HDs which I think will help?
@ Ah yes I always forget you can add extra RAM! And yes you can run it the same way, but do you work on files in Adobe using the external drives as the source? Or copy the files over once you’re finished in Adobe?
I copy over. Especially Lightroom I don't keep anything in the adobe cloud for that. Photoshop I purge and delete from the cloud. Premiere is one I might start using the cloud for if I can switch between desktop and laptop easily!
I'm so sorry the other flower farmers didn't respond to do a collab with you, so disappointed to hear that, don't they care about their followers? Especially in these leaner times, us small farmers would greatly appreciate something like that. Maybe take on the project but with smaller growers? Georgie Newberry from Common Farm Flowers in the UK is always talking about lifestyle businesses, maybe its more important for us to be sustainable than building an empire. It seems to me we are having to pivot our businesses like we did during lockdowns. I'm struggling to sell Flowers this season, I know times are hard. You would definitely be great at teaching classes at your farm.
Hi Margaret! Georgie has such a common sense approach to life and business doesn't she! Id much prefer sustainable. I think the whole pandemic era was an actual era.. so much was different. We pivoted for that and now we have to pivot back out of that era. Interesting times.
Could you open up for orders but with minimum of x days pre-time? Sometimes people need to be asked many times. Could you ask again? - youtubers Please continue with the high quality art rather than daily stuff. Or do whatever you enjoy. That will be best long term.
hello and thankyou! I think this season I won't open up for orders to the wider public. I don't think I can manage it at the moment. Yep I can't see myself doing the daily thing!
I have found sales are low, people are not spending on luxuries or anything not essential. If you look at the economic situation GDP is very low, business growth is very low the only growth is with government spending not business
What a pretty spot to sit for a chat!
It’s lovely, isn’t it.
I’m a new subscriber and I’m binge watching all your videos. I love all of them👍
It would be great to have an Australian gardening channel like the ones in the US and England. I love huw and Charles Dowling, garden answer, dig plant water repeat etc but they don't garden when we do or have the pests we do (Corellas!) lots of ideas and skills are transferable to the southern hemisphere but it would be lovely to watch it here and be able to see plants and ideas I know will work here.
Twice a week videos would be plenty I only watch on the weekend after I've been out in the garden and it's too hot outside 😂
If there are some Australian channels like that I'd love to support them too I just haven't found any that aren't homesteading/farming.
Hi Diahann. Your name is spelt so uniquely! I feel like in time I'll be heading in this direction... thats what im now setting the garden up for now (a teaching garden). Keep your fingers crossed for me!
There is a really good channel run by Mark called @selfsufficientme Have you come across this one? He is the only one I know of similar to the big ones overseas! His focus is food.
That's why I love this channel so much. Australian channels are hard to come by . Not only is Phaedra in Australia but she is in Victoria like me which makes her more relatable.
@@phaedragardeness Mark is great although he is in Qld in a tropical climate. He has many great videos. We have watched him for years and learnt so much.
@@phaedragardeness I have watched mark for some years but as I'm at the very bottom of SA the climate is very different.
All the best with your garden journey I'm sure it will be amazing.
Here are a few of the talking points you had in your video- 1. I'm in the US in the state of Washington and the two grocery stores near me have also had limited flowers for the past month. It could be because of the holidays or maybe our economy. 2. I'm not growing dahlias because it seems like everyone is. I'm trying to stick with things that are unusual and selling flower and vegetable starts. 3. I love all of your videos. I like to "sit" with you while I eat my breakfast and you tell me everything that is going on. 4. I am carrying a few extra pounds too. It happens to the best of us😉
Sue that was a cool way to respond! Interesting for me to read! How lovely you like to listen to me! xx
Love your ideas
I have always loved watching your videos in my down time but the 5 year story you did my husband watched together and loved it so much. I love how you keep it real and and relatable.
40's are tough for women, yet we are still expected to do it all.
I hope you find where you are meant to be and that 2025 is better for you all🌸🌻☀️🕊️
Hi bec! Thats so cool your husband watched with you! 40s are a bit rough! I was pretty excited to reach 40 though! Im using this decade to set myself up for the rest of my life. Im not doing it all anymore :)
Thanks for a great video. Yes flower farming/gardening can be a lonely thing. I think you should try and reach out again to do collaborations when you have healed. Sometimes the timing just isn't right. I am a believer there is enough for everyone and there is a community of us that care.
I might reach out again down the track. Or I might just do my own thing! I'm not sure yet :)
Hi darling girl, I would love seasonal seed and seedling plantings. Happy Gardening stick to it, 😘❤️🌻🌻
Hi Karen!! A few others have requested this also… I better get onto it!!
Shiatsu and Bowen therapy are both brilliant. I highly recommend them 👍💖
I simply love all of your videos !
Awwwwww thankyou Jane!!!!!
@@phaedragardeness you’re welcome….you work so hard but I’m certain it’s a labour of 💗
Always looking forward for your videos.i live in canada and we are snowing here right now. Not much to do outside to garden.😊
I wish we got snow here!! It would be so magical!! I know living in it is a different story.. just a little dusting now and then would be so nice though!
@phaedragardeness it looks magical❄❄❄..today it was freezing. I think your weather is perfect.
Just watching your channel now. Keep your head up, and sometimes people think that if they share their "secrets" 🙄 that heck someone will do it better, and I'll go out of business. I love watching your show. You let people in and have a willingness to teach us. Look after yourself, don't stress, play with your babies, and enjoy life. Life is too short, and time flies. LOVE your work. Know you and your family are going to have a great year.💖💖💖💖
thankyou so much Charmaine! Those are sweet words of advice. Life is too short.. suddenly I hit middle age and I looked back and thought what!!
There you are ! I’ve been absent . Here in the USA, no one can afford food or flowers ! I’ve switched to more food production. It seems what’s in demand. I’ll offer bouquets but not so many. Transitioning. Dahlias are beautiful but the work is insane!
Oh I didn't even get into how much work Dahlias are, you are right.. it's INSANE. I can make a lot of money from them but every time I have to dig up or divide I honestly wonder if it's even worth it! Growing food is one of the most rewarding skills and hobbies on this planet.
I 100% agree on your take on the dahlia hype!
Also 💯 agree. It’s crazy and not profitable.
It's just so much energy if you aren't just growing them because you love them.
G'day. I have a dahlia. Large flower- i am finding so many ladybirds within there petals. Love seeing them just wish they would go on to my roses. Cant wait to see yours.
How good at ladybugs! They will go where the food (insects) are !
Thank you Phaedra...ive been following you from almost the beginning....i really enjoy how down to earth and honest you are...warts n all, i love it...i started growing flowers a couple of years ago, but my health took a turn for the worst, several injuries and i am carer for my 85 yr old mum who has alzheimers....needless to say, its not been easy ,however i found i COULD grow beautiful flowers. So all this being said, ive definitely left my run too late ,im 67. What you said about the economy is so true...its hard enough to buy groceries and pay for utilities etc, who is going to buy flowers....I want to thank you for your vids, love them and keep em coming as you are able...yall should be so proud of what. youve achieved. Be kind to yourself...recover hun, it will take as long as it takes. And as for being a mumma, they days are long but the years are oh so short..😢.all the best , debz
Im so glad your been growing flowers! It's never too late though. I graduated university in 2007 and graduated with another woman who was in her 70s at the time! she went on and had a lovely career after that. Shorter, but she was fulfilled.
The years really are short.. even the days are feeling short. xx
Loved your 4 years of flower farming video....watched it twice😊...obviously you're gardening in a different Country/climate to me so I find that fascinating ...how you cope with the challenges....Take it easy ....having a goal/dream is great and I will enjoy following the journey along with you at a pace that you can cope with...maybe include some more info on the wildlife and creatures you encounter and which live in your area.
Thanks again for all your hard work and enjoyable videos🎉👍
Hi Claire! Thankyou! Wow you watched it twice thats a compliment!! More on the animals is a good idea, I'll work on that :)
Thanks for your lovely honesty. I been watching your journey and can so relate. Im in NZ and same economy issues. Sometimes I feel like flowers are not meant to be sold but given. I get such joy from the growing process and for some reason just feel weird about selling them for money. I get it for weddings and events as this is a lot of design work but I don't want to do floristry, I just want to grow flowers. Problem is, I end up with a tonne of flowers and don't want to undermine other flower farmers by offering my extras for free. It's a tough one.
That is such a tricky conundrum. I don't know the answer. I think it's ok to give things away, and it's lovely. Maybe just advertise in different spaces to the florists who might feel deflated by that? A while ago I had an idea to make bouquets for the local food bank. So people could go get their groceries but also a nice bunch of flowers too. I could even get back onto that idea! Loving that I have so many watching and sharing from NZ!!! Can't wait to go back to NZ!
❤❤❤ and a big hug. I really enjoyed watching your video. You are so honest and down to earth. This helps me with my life and dreams, if that makes sense. I think Your viewers all appreciate your content, and support you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Oh Karen that is a lovely comment, thankyou xx
Hi! I’ve been following you since almost the very beginning and watch every video. I don’t create content for TH-cam, but I do use social media with over 4000 followers. I’ve been flower farming since 2018 in Nova Scotia, Canada and I’d love to be apart of your community. Just want you to know you’re not alone and hearing how 2024 has been I felt like you were telling my story!! Thank you so much for your honesty, bravery, and vulnerability. You’ve helped me so much! Thank you 😊
Hello!! Steve or Jess! what is your social media account? You should let us know! I feel like this has been a rough time for so many of us and im telling their stories too. Amazing to find this out!
Love your videos thank you!!
I think people are just focusing on basics, maybe growing veggies to sell ??? So sad because flowers so brighten up our lives. All the best on your future journey 🙏💚🌿
Thanks Ana. It does seem like a big shame about flowers at the moment doesn't it :(. Thankyou for your comment and well wishes!
You feel like a kindred spirit! I have been dealing with my own health issues so I get the frustration, half the battle is recognition and the desire for change for the better. You will get there, have confidence in that. I love your content, garden inspiration and dreams. Don't be disheartened, you touch a lot of green thumbs out there by sharing and just being real. We look forward to seeing what 2025 brings 💚
Thankyou!!
thank you so much for all the work you put into your videos. you clearly are very talented and i am so excited to continue watching to see what you do next. i originally found your channel when searching for content on flower farming and bouquet making; however, i loved all the extras - like when you took us to mexico with you and especially the 5-year retrospective. although it stinks when things don't work out, it is inspiring to watch you follow your instincts and change and grow. so inspiring! if you do decide to take more questions i have one - where did you learn flower farming and floristry? clearly you knew what you were doing when you started this farm a few years ago . . . did you take any formal training or were you exposed to it growing up? thanks again for sharing your life with us.
Hi Pamela! Thankyou for your lovely comments and your awesome questions! Im going to make videos with your questions in them so keep an eye out!! No formal education for me on any of this though!
Really love your input into my life. A couple of years ago, I was trying to set my teenage daughter up to take on flower farming small time. It would be running with sales from home a couple of days a week once she finished high school. And weekly markets at a fairly large shopping centre. Selling flowers and vegetable seedlings. There’s so much scope for selling flowers here. yes there’s a recession but we would initially aim for basic beautiful flowers at a cheap price. Mostly just bunches of the same flower. And some old fashioned flowers that I know would work here if the price is right. I am absolutely crap at flower arranging and making bouquets naturally within myself so I spent months and months and months watching videos and felt I was getting a handle on it. I had never seen the style of bouquets I had in my head and wanted to grow the flowers with my daughter, make the bouquets and both of us could sell them. I just felt confident it would work. You know, start small then have a go at the more creative stuff. We live in the Hunter Valley NSW. BUT the land we were preparing ended up becoming unavailable suddenly thanks to a lousy neighbour. I was so heartbroken. My daughter was relieved but sad. I live on $23k yearly so I had set us up slowly over a couple of years getting everything together, researching and experimenting , just giving things a go. Anyhoo I’m upset just thinking about it. So.., I have seedling pots, trays, larger pots, paper and peat pots, 2 grow tents, grow lights, grow tent exhaust fan and tubing, probably $1500 or more just of seeds, a small forest of bamboo stakes ( I actually grew 2 clumps of bamboo-like plants fir staking as well, 1 thick for trellises and general staking, 1 thin for individual flower staking), organic soil amendments, rolls of shadecloth, weedmats and spikes and pins, blah blah blah. I just gave up. And all that stuff is just sitting in the shed. I’m a compost freak and I also have 500 litres of perfect compost just sitting doing nothing in the bins. It’s like I was so intent on going in one direction and then… absolutely nothing. And then, even better, I realised over about the last 18 months as well that I was slowing down. Not normal slowing down but exhaustion slowing down. Turns out the covid I had at the end of 2022 has damaged my heart, my lungs, my eyes, my adrenal glands, my joints. No pressure. I don’t even like taking Panadol and I’m on 10 prescription medications. Worst of all my metabolism has gifted me with a massive amount of weight. Yay! So you are a bright spot to me. I refuse to wallow and spend a lot of my rest time researching things I am interested in mostly on TH-cam. I really do learn something new at least once a day. Your videography and use of sound are so professional and just hit the spot for me. Enough waffling. I had a great question for you but I’ve forgotten it. Sorry. Thanks for breathing and I’m really looking forward to your input throughout this year. Judging by past experience it’s going to be fantastic!
Oh Daphne, thats been a rough road for you, im sorry to hear that :( Do you still see yourself with a garden? The thing with gardening is once you get started it takes off and the motivation kicks in. I kind of feel like it's one of those hobbies where you don't even have to worry about motivation (not like exercise!). Forget about going big and start small. Some really nice things growing near your door, or outside a window. So you can see them often and enjoy them. You've got all the materials!
The seeds will eventually go off though and loose their viability. It might be an idea to sell those before you loose their value (if you aren't going to plant them). Wishing you all the best!
@ thank you so much for your great advice. I’ve mostly been keeping my perennials alive just to feel like I have my hand in, but having a colour boost at my front and back door is a great idea. I’m a gardener with every fibre of my being. I just have to pivot and be sensible I think. I mean it’s not like I have no plants but just not enough! And it’s funny (ha ha funny) looking at my perennials and seeing how well they’re doing because I actually pay attention to them now!
Maybe thats all it is then, just a pivot! Indoor plants can be very fulfilling too (very time consuming though!).
Phaedra, I've been watching for ages and love all the videos you make. As someone with a small business myself i was hit HARD with burnout two years ago and things have never been the same for me and my business but in a good way! Keep making the videos you love, I hope you get that new computer to make your life easier and i cant wait to be here for all the beautiful things you grow, and videos you share in the coming months and years! Happy new year to you and your family from Virginia 💕
Leila! (is that how you spell your name???) Ive just checked out your channel and it's beautiful!! I want to make a rug! So does my daughter! Is it a pain to edit on the laptop though?
I love your kindness-
Wish we were neighbors. . .
I have done landscaping for over 20 years, also an isolated occupation
Certainly can relate to a ‘rough’ year here’s praying 25 will be great
Hello and thankyou!! My neighbours and I have gates between our properties so we can come and go. It's so nice to have nice neighbours!! 3 of us are big into gardening
Phaedra Ive only just had time to sit and watch your chat. These hot days have had me scattered, then with wind and then lightening storms, a few little fires popping up here and there my anxiety is in the toilet. When you spoke about the gum trees and the vapours and them exploding it took me straight back to what we saw here during the Black Summer bushfires. We’d evacuated (not allowed to remove more trees than we had done in 2017, house is timber, raised off the ground and at the top of the hill) but when they told us we could go home that day when the southerly finally came, no one realised that our properties were being hit a second time by the fire and we arrived here to gas bottles exploding, trees exploding, buildings on fire, our neighbours homes burning down, our tanks had melted and here we were trying to tie wet tea towels over our faces racing around with buckets trying to put out fires….it still feels like yesterday. I was Thankful on New Year’s Eve to have a cool day, but that’s been short lived just 24 hours. I am sitting out on our deck and the wind tonight is erratic and tomorrow is supposed to be around 34-36 degrees again. The gardens are drier than they have ever been, fear of dropping our water tanks too low means we are now sacrificing what we hoped would be our first market season. It is what it is. Im kind of grateful that I still have a 9 hour a week job to help cover our bills. Im not on the dahlia train, I have really enjoyed growing from seed and experiencing my own new blooms. My proudest at the moment are Matilda (named after my great grandmother) and Kaylees Sunshine (named after my grand daughter) I brought some Pom Pom dahlia seed this year and have been really delighted by what has grown so far. I begin my Floret scholarship in a few days which Im excited to be a part of. Ive grown many of her dahlias, zinnias and celosia and have been thrilled at what is coming through, sadly though the bouquets sit in our flower stand and Im lucky if a sell a couple of $15 bunches each week. Sad to see them end up in the compost heap, but that’s just the reality of it. Your content is valuable, the things I have learned from watching your videos always inspire me to just keep going. There’s a time in our life for everything…..your newest journey is just beginning xx Theresa
Theresa you poor thing, you'd be so on edge in this weather especially after what you've already been through. I can't even imagine. You are the second aussie I know of about to start Floret! YAYAYAYA, the @floretflowerfarm team are among the most amazing humans. So kind. Wishing you all of the best with this course and I know you'll be so inspired! Our new neighbour offered us to put a farm stand on their property. they are right by the road... but now I don't think the flowers would sell! How ironic is the timing! xx
@@phaedragardeness I built the farm stand over 3 days in the heat to have it open for the two weeks prior to Christmas. Today Ive had to pt up on our local facebook notice board that all bouquets were $5 each. Thank heavens for our strawberries and our fresh produce otherwise there would be nothing coming in from the stand. Ive just finished work and having a coffee before heading out to pick the strawberries. I cut and watered flowers at 6am before heading off to work, sadly the rain that we’ve had at work this afternoon did its usual thing and split on the mountain and went straight around us 🙃 Im super dooper excited about the floret course. Have you participated in it before?
I haven't, but I know a fair bit about it, follow Floret intently and have had some interactions with some of the team. They are absolutely lovely!
I found your channel in December and those videos got me to subscribe, loved them! I typically enjoy channels that are a mix of authentic vlog type videos as well as the more time consuming higher production videos. So ..... I am here for all of it!! I look forward to seeing your garden develop over the next while, it is refreshing to watch someone in a similar climate in the same hemisphere for a change :))
Happy New Year and best wishes from Nth Canterbury, NZ.
Hello!! Wow welcome and thankyou! Ok, your comments are making me feel like im fine to have a mix on the channel. Which for me keeps things interesting with weekly projects and some bigger ones to work on.
Lovely hearing about where you are at. I hope your health really improves this year. I was really unwell in 2023 and didn't get sick in 2024 at all - worked hard on building my immune system with herbalism. I would think about committing to vlogging every day on a month or weekly basis, then you aren't putting the pressure on yourself to vlog everyday of the year or something large like that. I know how hard it is to keep up with the editing! Thank you for your honesty. All the best for 2025! Amy x
I so get what you mean about Dahlias....
So glad that didn't go down like a lead balloon haha
Hi Amy! I thought I might have healed in 2024 but looks like 2025 will be focused on that too!
Your plans to collaborate with large and small creators sounds amazing. Perhaps reach out to other smaller channels and then use that success and support to reach out to bigger creators. Keep pushing!
I might! Im not sure if I have the energy for it at the moment. But I have a lot of idea!
Yes, I really liked your latest video's, it was great! II really noticed the extra wok, enjoyed it a lot! Would prefer them over one video a day.
I'm starting to comment on each video of you to help with the algorithm. Maybe ask your subscribers to do so at the end of every video. (If you want to support me for free, please give a comment because that helps me the most... or something like that)
Please reach out to these flower farmers again, maybe they were to busy of something... Now they have had some time to think about it. Just be bold, I think you could do a really good job at this! Good luck!
Ideas for a video: if you still enjoy making bouquets, make them for yourself and film it. Love to see that.
Hello! Ok good idea to ask about a comment. I plan to put some sort of floral project (or floral related) into each weekend video so hopefully that is nice for everyone! I know pretty much everyone loves that, and it's nice for me to slow down and keep up my skills!!
Always love your videos.
Re your health - have you had your thyroids checked? You sound exactly what I was going through! My tsh came back normal but the T3 and T4 were sooooo low. Weight is now moving and fatigue has lessened since getting treatment. Crazy!
I second getting thyroid checked, plus possibly perimenopause too. HRT made a big difference for me, wish I’d started it earlier! 😊
Thanks Karen. I've had it checked and tests were apparently all normal (including the reverse T3) but I have a small nodule.
@@phaedragardeness glad you had it tested, hopefully the nodule is okay. Hopefully your naturopath finds out what’s going on so you can feel a million bucks again this year. This is our year!
Hi Phaedra. Take a look at Common Farm Flowers (UK). She does weekly (usually I think) videos. She has a club where she shares information etc. Not sure of the cost.😘
Thankyou :)
You have done so well. Keep doing you. Creatives stop creating when the heaviness is to heavy ❤
Oh goodness isn't that so true xx
I did exactly what you suggested and had this video in my EarPods while I put together my brand new Mr Stacky, and so many things you say I resonated with!!! I was a professional photographer but went on maternity leave and my baby girl just turned 2 and I’m reluctant to go back just yet as I feel like the industry is really struggling atm 😢 I have a purpose built beautiful home studio, and I too planted out my garden to be able to use as a backdrop for client photos, so not sure what the future holds, but you hit the nail on the head! It is such an isolating industry!!! I went to a workshop once and met 2 gorgeous fellow photographers but some of the others in the group were that “you can’t shoot in that park that’s MY park” etc 😕 And yes LOVE Gaz Oakley’s set up!!! The way the pathways meander and I even bought his Plant Only Holidays cookbook because he is just so passionate about the home grown garden produce! We are a family of 4 and it’s only myself and my 2 year old that love veggies. So no point growing multiple of each variety. I’m sorry the creators didn’t reply to you. I feel everyone is just time poor and don’t want to commit to something that could actually be an amazing experience ❤
So good to get things done while you listen! It's so isolating :( I did have a handful of really nice friends but other than those amazing ladies I felt like I couldn't trust anyone. Oh wow how did you find his book? It looked so nice! I made his zucchini cookies the other day and they were delish. With the veggies, ive just learnt to grow the same variety every year of the things we eat. Thats true, everyone is time poor.. it just wouldn't have hurt for someone to reply and at least acknowledge my message/email at least!
@ I haven’t cooked anything from it yet and I think that’s always the real test! I’ve seen mixed reviews on how tasty the recipes are but I just love him and the book is super pretty 😍 I’m very happily married but when the book arrived I joked with my husband that my boyfriend arrived in the mail today! He’s just such a breath of fresh air!
Totally agree! It’s not hard to reply thanks for thinking of me but I’m flat out in the foreseeable future etc etc.
Can’t wait to see how the “hobbit” inspired landscaping takes shape 💕
I ❤your content. I bet it would benefit you and the other smaller creators to collaborate. Not only would you all benefit from sharing followers it would create a community for you. It would help rise you all up. Win win…
Hello!! I think I feel so disheartened about it I'm taking a break from the idea of collaboration at the moment :(
I enjoy all your videos, your honesty, vulnerability and creativity is very inspiring, Phaedra. You’ve achieved amazing things with your flower farm and business from a standing start! 🎉 Wishing you all a healthy, less stressful, fun and *comfortable* 2025, Lucy xx
Thankyou Lucy!! Such a lovely message from you xx
You have built such a lovely community here by being your honest and authentic self ❤ How about collaborating with fellow Australian and New Zealand flower farmers? I know you did it once with Robyn 🙂 We have such a different climate and seeds availability compared with the flower farmers from the northen hemisphere so that would make such an interesting content.
Hello Ms Whoever this is. Haha, great name! Thats a good idea, I like that!! I'll think on it!!
So with you on the Dahlia hype scenario! I have been guilty of it but you know what, the ones i managed to get did not keep well and rotted the easiest which leads me to believe thats why they are unicorns because they dont produce good tubers . I cant be bothered with that, give me the robust easy to grow ones! Sure i still like certain colours and shapes but if its fussy i dont want it !
I’m with you on the Dahlia hype, it’s only with the growers not with the buyers
It's defiantly an "industry". There are some lovely sellers out there... but also some pretty crappy practices.
Our neighbors get surplus veggies and eggs :)
my neighbour gave me eggs yesterday!
Hey Phaedra, I've watched all your videos so you already know how much I like your content :) I'm also an ex-Apple technician! What year and specs is your iMac? I found that most iMacs prior to the M-series to be very slow, so you *may* not necessarily need the specs you're looking at for your new Mac. I know it's a bit of a drive for you but official Apple stores allow you to return for change of mind reasons with receipt and no damage within 14 days. So that's also an option if you're never used an M chip yet with Adobe suite and want to potentially try it out with lesser specs
Hello!! oh thats so cool. I have 2 Macs but the newer one is 2020 3.8GHz 8-core Intel i7. graphics are AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT 8GB. I have no idea what that means I just copied the info haha.
I didn't know Apple will let you return? I wonder if they will do that in Australia?
@@phaedragardeness Oh, no no haha. I think I made that sound cooler than it actually is. I was a retail technician otherwise known as a 'genius', I just thought that term sounded so wanky so I use technician instead. I just troubleshooted issues and did repairs for customers. Yes I'm in Vic and Apple Aus let you return! Your closest is Highpoint or Doncaster. Just make sure not to damage it in any way (no scratches etc), keep the receipt (and ask for it to be emailed to you) and bring your ID and everything in the box if you return. In terms of specs, 8GB refers to the memory RAM and for your purposes I would definitely recommend at least 16GB coz 8GB is too low for running Adobe well. Intel i7 is the processor, which is what the M3/M4/M4 pro chip would be, also known as Apple silicon which you may have already heard about. I don't think the demo Macs in store have Adobe but they may have Final Cut Pro installed. I can check tomorrow as I'll be going to the shopping centre and I can quickly stop by a store :)
I added moremomry into the back of my Mac so it prob has more than 8GB. I full up all the slots with more!
I also store nothing on the Mac, it's all on ext HDs. So in that respect, I can operate the MacBook the same way the keep it all on ext HDs which I think will help?
@ Ah yes I always forget you can add extra RAM! And yes you can run it the same way, but do you work on files in Adobe using the external drives as the source? Or copy the files over once you’re finished in Adobe?
I copy over. Especially Lightroom I don't keep anything in the adobe cloud for that. Photoshop I purge and delete from the cloud. Premiere is one I might start using the cloud for if I can switch between desktop and laptop easily!
I'm so sorry the other flower farmers didn't respond to do a collab with you, so disappointed to hear that, don't they care about their followers? Especially in these leaner times, us small farmers would greatly appreciate something like that. Maybe take on the project but with smaller growers? Georgie Newberry from Common Farm Flowers in the UK is always talking about lifestyle businesses, maybe its more important for us to be sustainable than building an empire. It seems to me we are having to pivot our businesses like we did during lockdowns.
I'm struggling to sell Flowers this season, I know times are hard.
You would definitely be great at teaching classes at your farm.
Hi Margaret! Georgie has such a common sense approach to life and business doesn't she! Id much prefer sustainable. I think the whole pandemic era was an actual era.. so much was different. We pivoted for that and now we have to pivot back out of that era. Interesting times.
Could you open up for orders but with minimum of x days pre-time?
Sometimes people need to be asked many times. Could you ask again? - youtubers
Please continue with the high quality art rather than daily stuff. Or do whatever you enjoy. That will be best long term.
hello and thankyou! I think this season I won't open up for orders to the wider public. I don't think I can manage it at the moment. Yep I can't see myself doing the daily thing!
I have found sales are low, people are not spending on luxuries or anything not essential. If you look at the economic situation GDP is very low, business growth is very low the only growth is with government spending not business
Yep. you are spot on.
So where to now for you guys for money? Back to external employment or do you have another plan?
Hi Phaedra
I have sent you a message in Messenger. Would be keen to connect.