Nicole Pitt on Flower Farming, Seed Starting, and Running a Nursery

From Vegetables to Flower Farming

• 🥕 Nicole Pitt began her gardening journey with vegetables like carrots and tomatoes, but later expanded to a full-fledged flower farm in upstate New York (Zone 4B).
• 🌸 Her farm includes several acres of cut flowers, with a focus on establishing perennials like peonies, hydrangeas, and lilacs, alongside rows of annuals like zinnias and dahlias.
• 🏡 She also manages a fifth of an acre dedicated to a vegetable garden, protected by a deer fence, growing a variety of produce including tomatoes and asparagus.

Expanding to a Garden Center

• 🛍️ Nicole purchased the local garden center in 2022, initially viewing it as a retirement project, but found it to be equally physically demanding as farming.
• 🛠️ She is actively renovating the historic 1894 structure, adding new greenhouse space (30x100 ft) while preserving its character.
• 💰 The cost of heating the greenhouses from February to May for early-season crops like hanging baskets can run into thousands of dollars monthly.

Seed Starting and Seasonal Challenges

• ❄️ Despite a challenging climate with heavy snow and late frosts (last frost date around Memorial Day), Nicole starts seeds early, with some crops like eucalyptus needing 10-12 weeks before planting out.
• 🥶 She utilizes hoop houses and frost cloth to protect cool-hardy crops like campanula, nigella, and bachelor buttons planted in early November.
• 🌱 Renunculas and anemones are sprouted in her basement and moved to the hoop house, requiring multiple layers of frost cloth for protection.

"In the Garden with Flower Hill Farm" Podcast

• 🎙️ Nicole hosts the podcast "In the Garden with Flower Hill Farm," sponsored by Botanical Interests, focusing on storytelling in the garden.
• 🍅 The first episode delves into the history of tomatoes, Nicole's first love in gardening, and her Italian family's connection to them.
• 🌻 The podcast features conversations with other growers and garden enthusiasts, covering topics from vegetables and flowers to raised bed gardening and seed origins.

Overcoming Challenges and Finding Joy

• 🐛 Deer have become a significant pest, leading to the installation of extensive deer fencing to protect crops like amaranth and lilies.
• 🌸 Despite challenges like pests and a short growing season, Nicole finds joy in the process of creating and growing, from seed to harvest.
• 💡 She emphasizes the magic of seed starting and the satisfaction of growing one's own food and flowers, even when facing difficulties like a breast cancer diagnosis, which was managed with the help of a team member.

Favorite Color Palettes and Garden Design

• 🍑 Nicole's favorite color palette includes peach, white, and chartreuse, creating a romantic feel in bouquets with flowers like ranunculus and feverfew.
• 🧡 She also loves incorporating orange into her garden, especially during winter, to break up the monotony of green brassicas and add visual contrast.
• 🌻 Mixing flowers into vegetable gardens is highly recommended for visual appeal and to attract beneficial insects, making the garden more alive and inviting.