COUPEVILLE, Wash. — "We are in the sunflower jungle, we're totally surrounded by sunflowers, tall sunflowers,” explained Alix Roos when asked to describe the current crop on her farm.
Even though this u-pick ‘sunflower jungle' on Whidbey Island is on a farm that's more than a century old, these farmers are growing something that's never blossomed here before.
"So we decided to bring sunflowers to the Prairie for the first time this year,” Roos said.
Sisters Aliz Roos and Corrie Chamberlin are 5th generation farmers at Scenic Isle Farm in the heart of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve in Coupeville.
At first the sisters were not confident about their new crop.
"So as we were planting them. We were like, 'is this gonna work out?' And we had this big rain, and all of a sudden, everything just started popping up everywhere. And it was kind of magic,” Roos said.
The real magic? They grew much more than bright blooms.
“They've brought birds and bees, and now people are coming out," she said.
And everybody that leaves the sunflower patch walks out with a huge smile on their face.
Alix's daughter Zayne – potential 6th generation farmer- sees that yellow magic too.
"I really like the sunflower patch, everyone is always so happy coming out of it.” Zayne said.
"It's so peaceful and beautiful out here, I love it. It's a great way to spend the day,” said a customer.
They grow dozens of varieties of sunflowers at this u-pick flower patch, from a towering bloom called "mammoth" to a bright yellow fringed one called "crazy."
“Every one seems to have kind of its own personality, especially when you're out and about with the plants every day. They’re your little friends. Or your big friends!” Chamberlin said.
These sunflowers are even good for the land - their deep roots help the soil. And this family that also has deep roots here hopes these happy flowers will thrive on their farm, for generations to come.
"I'm fourth generation of the family that came here in the late 1800s, so I've watched this particular piece of land be farmed by the same family my whole lifetime,” said Marilyn Sherman-Clay, the mother of Alix and Corrie. "I'm just so proud of my daughters. And to see that it's being carried on by the next generation it just fills my heart. It's wonderful."
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