Poppies and Petals with Stephanie Chow
Santa Rosa Sunrise had the pleasure to learn about Poppies and Petals U-Pick Flower Farm this past Thursday. Nestled off of Highway 12 towards Sebastopol, guests have the opportunity to visit owner Stephanie Chow's flower farm and create their own floral masterpieces.
Stephanie has lived all over the world, and has held multiple high-level corporate positions to successful start-ups throughout her career. When her husband sustained a traumatic brain injury, they decided to leave the fast-paced lives they were leading and create a new home in Santa Rosa. They acquired this magical plot of land that was perfect for farming.
When the Pandemic shut the world down, Stephanie spent most of her days tending her vegetable garden. She felt immense joy sharing her bounty with her family, friends, and the community. Her love for growing vegetables quickly evolved into a passion for growing flowers.
Stephanie expressed that if a person had to choose between a vegetable or a freshly picked flower, the flower almost always is the choice. Stephanie stated that being a flower farmer is the toughest job she has had, and it has proven to be the most rewarding.
As her flower garden grew, so did the smiles from her guests who picked her flowers. Stephanie and her team get the pleasure of hearing stories about how flowers touch each of their guests. Whether it is celebrating an upcoming wedding, a baby on the way, or celebrating the memory of one who has passed away, Poppies and Petals' positive impact resonates with all her guests. Stephanie sees that flowers have the power to heal and nourish our hearts.
She carefully selects rare flowers only found in high-end floral shops. She has had to navigate the ever-changing Sonoma microclimate. She astutely pointed out that Mother Nature is her boss and calls the shots.
Stephanie educated us that locally grown flowers, when tended to properly, can outlive mass farmed, store-bought flowers by two weeks. She expressed the importance of changing out the water in fresh cut flowers once a day, and to make sure leaves do not fall into the vase water-this creates a bacterial breeding ground and the flowers can lose their freshness quicker.
Stephanie is expanding! She sells fresh cut flower arrangements at farmers markets. She is now able to host private events at her farm, and she also has a green house where guests can purchase their own starts and plant them in their gardens.
Poppies and Petals had a bountiful harvest in 2023. Their season has ended, but we expect to see extraordinary floral arrangements and plenty of smiles in Spring of 2024.
Click HERE for a limited-time recording of both Stephanie and Denys' presentations.
