Warm-Season Cut Flower Workshop at Crabtree Farms in Chattanooga

Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga sits at 1000 E 30th Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the Warm Season Cut Flowers workshop offers practical flower-growing skills just outside the city. On February 21, join Lia Rhodey of Raccoon Mountain Blooms for two hours of hands-on instruction in bed preparation, direct sowing, and variety selection tailored to this region’s long warm season. The experience begins in the farm’s working fields in Lookout Valley, where the slope of the valley and views toward nearby ridgelines shape the microclimates that determine bloom timing. Lia focuses on heirloom, native, and specialty cut flowers and regenerative soil practices that enrich the farm’s beds rather than strip them. The workshop balances technique with plant knowledge: you’ll learn seed spacing, soil amendment, succession sowing, and how to choose varieties that extend the display from early summer through fall. This session is ideal for gardeners, small-scale flower farmers, florists, and curious beginners. Small group sizes—up to 20 participants—mean each attendee gets time to plant seed directly into prepared beds and ask situational questions about pest pressures, mulching, and watering strategies specific to Chattanooga’s humid summers. Lia’s approach is regional; expect recommendations for varieties that perform well in Lookout Valley’s conditions and tips to stage seasonal bouquets for market or home. Crabtree Farms is more than a classroom: it’s a community hub where CSA subscribers, local vendors, and event florists find seasonal material. Lia’s arrangements and CSA offerings are distributed through a farmstand at Lookout Lake and area partners—so the skills you learn can feed local markets. Practical takeaways include a simple sowing calendar for Chattanooga, plant pairing suggestions for continuous blooms, and low-cost soil mixes for raised beds. During the workshop Lia demonstrates practical harvest windows and stem handling to maximize vase life, explains mulching and drip irrigation basics suited for Chattanooga’s humidity, and shares sourcing tips for seed and cut-flower varieties. Attendees receive a sowing schedule keyed to local frost dates and a checklist for establishing a rotation to keep buckets full. For questions, contact Chloe Watts at 423-493-9155 or [email protected]. Logistics are straightforward—check in at the farm’s address in Chattanooga and plan for two hours on the calendar. The workshop allows refunds up to seven days before the event with a 10% cancellation fee. Attendees should be prepared for light gardening work outdoors: wear sturdy shoes and bring gloves. If you want to turn a yard into a reliable cutting garden or begin selling specialty stems, this warm-season workshop offers region-specific guidance from a practitioner who farms and arranges for her community. It’s practical, local, and tailored to the microclimates that make Chattanooga’s flower seasons distinctive.