Lean thinking for time-poor flower growers

I used to think I needed more hours in the day.

More energy. Better discipline. Perhaps a clone who could handle the invoicing whilst I was elbow-deep in dahlias.

Then I realised: I didn't need more capacity. I needed to use the capacity I already had better.

That's when I started using lean thinking and stopped feeling like I was constantly in survival mode.

The time value trap

If you're growing flowers commercially on a small scale you already know the feeling: too much to do, never enough time. More beds to prepare, more seeds to sow, more flowers to harvest, more customers to serve.

The instinct is to work harder. Move faster. Squeeze in one more task.

But here’s what lean thinking taught me: when you’re time-poor, it’s less about doing more, and more about doing what matters most.

Because even if you’re getting things done efficiently, if those things don’t create real value, you’re leaking time and profit.

What lean actually means for flower farmers

Lean thinking isn’t about having colour-coded spreadsheets or a perfectly organised shed (though if that’s your thing, go for it).

At its core, lean is a mindset. One that asks a single question, over and over:

Not “Can I do this faster?”

Not “Can I do this better?”

But: Does this task create value for my customers—or for my business—right now?

If the answer is no? Simplify it. Stop doing it.

This month in the Floral Business Activator, we’re diving deep into lean production—not as abstract theory, but as a practical tool for hands-on flower growers. So we're talking a lot about what creates value in a floral business.

The value choice framework

Not all tasks are created equal. Lean thinking helps you choose what matters—to your customers and to you.

Here's how I think about it:

1. High-value activities (the ones that directly generate revenue or prevent major losses):

• Harvesting at peak quality

• Seeding and transplanting on schedule

• Customer communication

• Core sales processes

These deserve your best systems, sharpest thinking, and most consistent routines.

2. Medium-value activities (important but not immediately revenue-generating):

• Bed preparation

• Tool maintenance

• Record keeping

• Planning

Good-enough systems are fine here. They don’t need to be perfect—just functional and repeatable.

3. Low-value activities (everything else):

• Excessive packaging details

• Social media perfectionism

• Complicated pricing tiers

• Over-processing flowers for wholesale

These are prime for elimination or radical simplification.

The real revelation?

It’s not that some things matter less—it’s that treating everything as equally important ensures you’ll waste time on what doesn’t.

One strategy that changed everything

Let me give you a specific example of lean thinking in action—and how it works differently depending on what customers value.

I sell flowers through two main channels: market bouquets and gift bouquets.

💐 Market bouquets are grab-and-go. People want fresh, seasonal flowers at a fair price—not fancy packaging. So I keep them lean: clean stems, simple wrap, efficient assembly. I can make and wrap one ready in 2–3 minutes.

🎁 Gift bouquets? Totally different. Customers are buying the presentation. They want thoughtful design, a sense of occasion, and elegant packaging. Here, spending 10–15 minutes per bouquet adds value.

Same flowers. Completely different treatment.

Both are “lean”—because both are tailored to what the customer values.

Here’s where I used to go wrong:

• I was spending gift-bouquet time on market bouquets—adding flourishes no one was paying for. That was a waste.

• I was rushing gift bouquets to save time, skimping on packaging. That meant I was under-delivering on what those customers cared most about.

When I finally aligned the process with price point and customer expectation, everything clicked.

Market bouquets became more profitable because I could make more, faster.

Gift bouquets became more profitable because I charged fairly for the time and care I was actually putting in.

That’s lean thinking.

Not “do everything faster.”

Not “make everything simpler.”

But: Match your effort to the value created.

One powerful question to ask

Want to kickstart lean thinking in your own business?

Ask: Am I spending time on things that create real value?

Maybe that means:

• A minimal approach to market bouquet assembly

• A second set of tools if you work across multiple sites

• A simple order form template

• A consistent bouquet presentation style

• A clear order cut-off time.

Now pick one to work on.

Time poverty isn’t a personal failing. It’s a constraint that demands smarter strategy.

And lean strategy starts by asking: What actually matters?

Written by: Julie Treanor - Owner of The Pickery and co-creator of The Floral Business Activator.  A seasonal flower grower who discovered that doing less of what doesn't matter creates space to do more of what does.

Follow Julie on Instagram @thepickery