Acre-for-acre, flowers are the most profitable--as well as the most beautiful--crop on the farm. In The Flower Farmer expert flower grower Lynn Byczynski provides a complete introduction to raising a cornucopia of cut flowers for home use and for sale to retail customers, florists, and other markets. The book offers detailed, manageable plans for flower growing on a scale ranging from a backyard border to a half-acre commercial garden. It will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers, including: * Home gardeners who want growing tips from professionals, so that they can enjoy an abundance of flowers year-round in fresh and dried bouquets * Passionate gardeners and small-scale growers who want to raise and sell cut flowers in season for additional income * Small commercial farmers who want to increase farm revenue or even make a living from selling field-grown, specialty cut flowers. The Flower Farmer provides a clear, realistic look at both the benefits and the challenges of growing flowers organically for local markets. Chapters include information on: * The best varieties of cut flowers--an A-Z list of more than one hundred recommended annuals and perennials, spotlighting the cultivars that are grown by professional flower farmers * How to cut, store, and preserve flowers for long-lasting beauty * How to dry flowers for crafting or for a dried-flower business * Flower-arranging basics from a designer's perspective * Extending the season with woody shrubs and trees * Marketing options for commercial growers, including sales at farmer's markets, supermarkets, florists, and wholesalers. Sprinkled throughout are profiles of successful flower farmers--from Vermont to California, Texas to Wisconsin--each of them providing a unique perspective proving that growing flowers can be as profitable as it is satisfying.