The Floral Dream

‘The Floral Dream’ is a practical and inspiring guide for New Zealand home gardeners who dream of growing their own cut flowers. Whether the reader is new to gardening or already has dirt under their nails, this book offers down-to-earth advice on how to grow beautiful blooms in the backyard.
It begins with preliminary advice on garden layout, soil preparation, a planting calendar and crucially, sowing seeds. At the heart of the book, though, is detailed advice on growing the specific flowers that flourish in New Zealand conditions, with the author’s recommendations on favourite varieties. These include focal flowers that serve as the main attraction in arrangements, filler flowers that add volume and texture, and foliage varieties that provide greenery and structure. The book finishes with advice on how to pick and arrange flowers, as well as instructions for creating spectacular bouquets.
Written by Olivia McCord, a self-taught gardener who began as a novice before running an edible flower farm and now a cut flower seed business, ‘The Floral Dream’ is born from her deep passion for flowers. It is a companion for gardeners of all levels, helping to transform any New Zealand garden into a flourishing space full of life and beauty.

Author Biography

Olivia McCord is a passionate home gardener, freelance writer for gardening magazines, and the founder of Crawford Road, a cut flower seed business. After starting her career in beauty marketing, Olivia discovered her true calling when she transformed a bare land project into an organic kiwifruit orchard and edible flower farm.
A self-taught gardener, Olivia later gained qualifications in horticulture and has built a career around growing and arranging flowers. Now, she shares her knowledge to inspire fellow gardeners. A busy mum of two, Olivia enjoys rural life, growing and cooking with seasonal produce, and studying garden design through the English Gardening School in London.