My Can't-Live-Without Flower Farm Tools and Supplies

I promised you a list of flower farm tools under $50. I lied. Sort of.

The truth is, when I sat down to write this post honestly, I couldn't keep it under $50 — because some of the things I reach for every single day on this farm are worth every penny over that limit, and I'd be doing you a disservice by leaving them out.

So here is my real list. The tools and supplies I actually use at Sugar Flower Farm, season after season, with honest thoughts on each one and links to everything so you can shop without the guesswork. 

Let's get into it.

Planning and Documenting

A Good Journal

Every single growing season, I sit down with a lined journal and document everything: my seed choices, my ideas, my to-do lists, my dahlia planting map. A journal is your farm's memory, and I genuinely don't know how I'd keep things straight without one.

My favourite option is a simple, lightweight lined notebook — something I'm not afraid to drop in the field or get dirty. I've tried the fancy Garden Organizers with tabs and sections, and while they're beautifully organized, I always end up feeling like they're too heavy and cumbersome. Give me something light that I can clip to a clipboard and take anywhere.

Find a journal like mine here: Botanicals Notebook

Pro tip: never leave your only copy of your dahlia planting map in paper form. I always photograph my journal pages at the end of each season, just in case. Learn from me on this one.

An Inspiration Book

Pinterest and Instagram are wonderful for visual inspiration, but there is something really special about having a beautiful book to read over a cup of coffee in the sunshine. The Cut Flower Garden by Erin Benzakein of Floret Flowers has been a favourite of mine since the very beginning. I continue to be inspired by Erin every single day, and this book takes you from the very beginning — seed starting and field prep — all the way to the beautiful finish line of cut flowers.

Around $50 new, but I've spotted copies in secondhand bookshops too, so don't be shy about looking around.

Find it here: The Cut Flower Garden

Seed Starting

A Heat Mat

If there is one piece of equipment that genuinely changed my seed starting game, it's a heat mat. Heat mats speed up the germination process significantly — I've had zinnias pop up in just over a day with one running. If you're trying to get seeds germinated and under lights or into a greenhouse quickly, this is an essential tool.

I use the large size at the farm, which holds four trays and has plenty of capacity for a serious seed starting operation. If you're just getting started, the small size holds one tray and is a great entry point.

Large size (holds 4 trays) around $50: Vivosun Heat Mat 48" x 20" (link)
Small size (holds 1 tray) around $20: also available from Vivosun (link)

One thing I want to flag as hype: heat mat thermostats. I own two of them and have never once used them. Just plug in your heat mat and walk away. Save your money.

Field Work

Garden Gloves

If you have small hands, you already know the struggle of finding gloves that actually fit. These are my absolute favourite field gloves and the only ones I use: Watson Homegrown Gloves in size small, which actually fit like a glove. They're also biodegradable!

Around $15: Watson Homegrown Gloves

A Leather Tool Belt

My husband bought me the Floret Tool Belt the first year I started the farm. It was his way of saying he believed in me — I had just finished the Floret Workshop and was ready to put everything I'd learned into practice. I have been wearing it in the field since 2021 and it is still going strong.

I want to address something directly here: tool buckets, bags, and carts are, in my opinion, completely overrated for field work. As someone who is constantly moving around the rows, I need my essential tools — my snips, my Sharpie, my phone — on me at all times. The tool belt is light, it sits at your hip, and it gives you the freedom to carry bundles of weeds, push a wheelbarrow, and make notes without ever having to put something down and go looking for it.

If you want the original Floret Tool Belt, you can find it through Wheeler Munroe for around $300 CAD — it is a beautiful, lasting investment. If you're looking for something more economical to start, Amazon carries similar leather florist belts for under $70.

Find an economical option here: Leather Florist Tool Belt

Field Preparation

Groundcover

There is a lot of debate in the flower farming world about whether to use landscape fabric, and I'm not going to pretend there isn't. But if you are going to use it, use this one: Dewitt Sunbelt. I am still using the same landscape fabric I laid down in my very first season, and aside from being a little dusty, it is in excellent condition.

Please do not be fooled by cheap ground covers. I have seen them disintegrate in a single season — literally breaking apart in the field. It is a false economy. Buy quality once and you won't be replacing it every year.

Around $100 for a 4' x 200' roll: Dewitt Sunbelt Ground Cover

Ground Staples

If you're using ground cover, you need ground staples to hold it in place. I put them through the fabric and into the ground every six feet. Simple, essential, and not something to skip.

Around $25: Steel Ground Staples

Hortonova Netting

If you are growing zinnias, snapdragons, Bells of Ireland, cosmos, or Queen Anne's Lace — or really any tall flower that is vulnerable to wind and rain — netting is an absolute must. You have put so much work into germinating those seeds, nurturing your seedlings, and caring for your plants as they grow. Don't lose an entire row in a single storm because you skipped the netting.

Around $40 for a 4' x 100' roll: Tenax Hortonova Netting

Planting

A Dinner Knife

Here is my favourite thing on this entire list, and the one that surprises people the most: every single seedling at Sugar Flower Farm is planted using a regular dinner knife. Just like the ones in your kitchen drawer right now.

I use it to open up the soil, set the transplant in place, and firm everything back around the roots. It is perfectly sized, perfectly shaped, and I have never found anything that works better. There are plenty of transplanting tools on the market and I'm sure many of them are excellent — but for me, it is a dinner knife, every single time.

Cost: free. You already own one. Or pick one up at the thrift shop for about twenty-five cents.

Pest Control

Organza Bags

There is nothing more disheartening than discovering your dahlia bloom has been ruined by earwigs. Organza bags have been my solution. When I notice pest pressure in my dahlia rows, I bag the buds before they crack open. This keeps insects out and ensures that when that bloom opens, it is perfect all the way to the end of the stem.

They are small, reusable, and genuinely effective.

Around $15 for a pack of 50: Organza Bags 6" x 9" 

The Bottom Line

You don't need a lot of fancy equipment to grow beautiful flowers. Most of what I use is simple, practical, and built to last. The dinner knife in my back pocket has probably done more work on this farm than any specialized tool I own.

Invest in the things that will genuinely make your days easier and your crops healthier.

Next up in this series: How to read a seed packet — everything you need to decode before you sow a single seed.

I'm Jen, the owner and grower at Sugar Flower Farm — a small flower farm in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia. Follow along on Instagram @sugar_flowerfarm for behind-the-scenes farm content, arrangement inspiration, and seasonal growing tips.