How to Sell Flowers Online: A Complete Guide for Small Growers

Want to sell flowers online and reach more buyers? Selling bare roots, tubers, seeds, and fresh blooms online can grow your business and connect you with flower lovers across the country. However, selling flowers isn't as simple as just posting a few pictures and waiting for orders to roll in. Successful online flower sales require strategic planning and professional execution.

1. Seasonal Timing

Timing is everything when it comes to selling flowers online. Understanding seasonal demand helps you maximize sales:

• Spring and Summer: Best for fresh-cut flowers and perennials. Gardeners are actively planting and looking for new additions.
• Fall: Prime time for bulbs, tubers, and bare roots. Many plants need fall planting for spring blooms.
• Winter: Great for gift products, pre-orders, and planning next season's inventory.

Plan your inventory and marketing around these seasonal patterns to meet buyer demand.

2. Platform Selection

Choosing the right platform matters. Here's how the options compare:

• Facebook Groups: Good for community building and local sales, but limited buyer protection and professional tools.
• Instagram: Excellent for showcasing beautiful blooms, but requires directing traffic elsewhere to complete sales.
• Etsy: Established marketplace with traffic, but high fees and not specialized for plants.
• BloomHub: Purpose-built for flower and plant sellers. Offers buyer/seller protection, integrated shipping labels, and a community of plant enthusiasts.

Dedicated marketplaces like BloomHub provide buyer/seller protection and professional order management—advantages general platforms lack.

3. Social Media Promotion

Social media drives discovery and builds trust with potential buyers:

• Post high-quality photographs: Natural lighting and clean backgrounds make your flowers stand out.
• Write engaging captions: Share growing tips, plant stories, and care instructions.
• Cross-post across platforms: Reach different audiences on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.
• Respond promptly: Quick responses build trust and close sales.
• Announce new inventory early: Build anticipation for rare varieties or limited quantities.

4. Effective Listings

Quality listings convert browsers into buyers. Include:

• Scientific name and common name: Helps buyers find exactly what they want.
• Growing conditions: Sun requirements, water needs, and soil preferences.
• Size specifications: Tuber size, cutting length, or plant maturity.
• Hardiness zones: Help buyers know if it will thrive in their area.
• Special features: Fragrance, color variations, or bloom time.
• Shipping details: How you package and when you ship.

Example listing:

Dahlia 'Cafe au Lait' Tubers
Premium-sized tubers (4-6 inches). Full sun, zones 8-10 (dig in colder zones). Blooms mid-summer through fall with dinner-plate sized creamy pink flowers. Ships wrapped in peat moss, Monday-Wednesday only.

5. Order Fulfillment

Professional shipping keeps customers happy and coming back:

• Moisture-retaining packaging: Wrap tubers and roots in damp peat moss or paper towels.
• Clear labeling: Include plant name, care instructions, and your business info.
• Reliable carriers: USPS Priority or UPS for tracked, timely delivery.
• Strategic timing: Ship Monday-Wednesday to avoid weekend delays.
• Weather awareness: Add heat packs in winter, delay shipping during extreme heat.

6. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Learn from others' mistakes:

• Unclear expectations: Be specific about what buyers receive (size, quantity, condition).
• Slow communication: Respond within 24 hours to inquiries and order updates.
• Underpricing: Factor in your time, materials, and shipping costs. Quality plants deserve fair prices.
• Overcommitting: Don't sell more than you can reliably produce and ship.

Start Selling on BloomHub

Ready to reach more flower lovers? Join BloomHub and access tools designed specifically for flower and plant sellers:

• Built-in shipping label printing
• Buyer and seller protection
• Sales dashboard and analytics
• Community of passionate growers and collectors

Visit the BloomHub Journal for more tips on growing and selling flowers successfully.