Which character did Susan Batten portray on General Hospital? Everything you need to know

General Hospital is one of the most beloved daytime soap operas in the United States. With its compelling storylines, dramatic twists, and impactful characters, this show has created a separate fanbase. 

On General Hospital, Susan Batten portrayed the character of Flora Gardens, a star seller for the company Home & Heart. She first appeared on July 5, 2022, as a surprise guest on Haven De Havilland's show, "A Little Bit of Haven." Flora's larger-than-life personality in the show makes her a special character.

Susan Batten’s character on General Hospital

The first time Flora Gardens was seen on General Hospital was on Haven De Havilland's live show on July 5, 2022. Flora is introduced as a top salesperson for the Home & Heart company who is known for her lively personality and skill at closing deals. In her first scene, she shows up on the show out of the blue and causes a stir by introducing a new line of products. But her appearance takes a strange turn when Flora's actions cause Sasha Corbin to have an emotional breakdown because of the baby-themed items she sells. 

Flora's story takes place over several appearances. Flora's presence during Sasha's breakdown makes other characters, like Lucy Coe and Selina Wu, more worried about what will happen because of Flora's actions. Later, Flora felt sorry for her part, though it's true that she didn't know about Sasha's sad past. Flora's character keeps changing. 
Flora comes back to General Hospital in May 2023 to promote another product. She now talks about "Change Your Moody" baby bath salts. When Flora comes back, the story takes a new turn, and she helps find out about a plot involving Deception and its staff. Even though Flora was involved in the plot against Sasha at first, she ends up pulling away from the drama, storming off the set after a heated argument.

On July 21, 2025, Flora Gardens went back to General Hospital, but this time she was the host of her own show called Flora's Garden. Flora's character on General Hospital shows how she went from being a simple product pitchwoman to a major player in the storyline. 

About Susan Batten

Susan Batten is an actress, producer, and writer from the United States. Her most famous role is as Luna Moody Holden on the long-running soap opera One Life to Live. Batten grew up in Clayton, North Carolina. She followed her love of the arts by graduating from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts and then getting a Master of Fine Arts in screenwriting and directing from Columbia University School of the Arts. She joined The Edge Theatre company while she was in New York City. Some of the actors in the company are Mary-Louise Parker, Peter Hedges and Joe Mantello.

Batten has been acting for many years. Some of her most famous roles are on CBS's As The World Turns and as a guest on popular sitcoms and dramas. People knew her for her role as Luna Moody on One Life to Live from 1991 to 1995. Batten moved on from acting to writing and producing. She worked on the movie Showing Roots, which starred Maggie Grace and Uzo Aduba, and co-wrote the Hallmark Channel movie Love, Once and Always.

General Hospital episodes are available to stream on ABC.