Old roots, new growth
Story by JANE FOOTH
Photos courtesy of THE WASHINGTON BULB COMPANY
Brent Roozen stands with his feet firmly apart, planted on the ground. He feels deeply rooted to the fertile soil of Skagit Valley, as one would expect from a third-generation farmer. His grandfather, William Roozen Sr., founder of Washington Bulb Company , came to Washington from Holland in 1947 in search of farmland to continue his passion of tulip bulb farming.
William found that place in Skagit Valley where the mild climate and rich topsoil make for excellent flower and bulb growing. What started as five acres of land he cultivated with his wife Helen Roozen has turned into 2,000 acres of tulips and daffodils and a long-lasting, family-run business.
Today, the Washington Bulb Company distributes 70 million fresh cut flowers and tens of millions of bulbs each year from the Skagit Valley.
Clad in blue jeans and a button-down shirt, Brent is more of a manager than farmer these days. He is in charge of the Roozengaarde, Washington Bulb Company’s display garden, where hundreds of thousands of people from across the country and world travel to Skagit Valley to see the estimated 350,000 bulbs in orderly rows in the Dutch tradition.
The display beds often showcase whimsical patterns in heart shapes or blue rivers of tulips. A pastel green and white windmill stands as symbol of the Roozen’s heritage amid the display garden.
Their family name, Roozen, means “roses” in Dutch. This family is deeply rooted in the bulb industry. Their history of raising tulips spans six generations, from the mid-1700s to today. They are now the biggest distributor of bulbs in the country.
“It makes you proud. Especially in the spring, when you have people traveling all across the country to come visit Roozengaarde,” Brent said. “We can reach people who a lot of times need a smile or need flowers for whatever reason. We take pride in growing the best product possible.”
When the fields of bulbs bloom, seeming to run forever to the foot of Mount Baker, they create an impressionist landscape of flowers.
“This is a one-of-a-kind business as far as spring tourism goes,” Brent says. “It’s really the only place outside of Holland and a few other places that you can go to see this.”
Flower-loving tourists drive to Skagit Valley in cars and buses to admire the display garden. Tourists take photos, buy bouquets and bags of bulbs. Sightseers capture the moment when winter grays burst into spring color.
Washington Bulb Company is a vital part of the Skagit Valley community and helps boost the tourism economy.
“It’s a huge influx of money. The tourists come and the hotels get full. We get between 300,000 and 400,000 people every year,” says Marinus Rouw, former Tulip Festival president. “People come from all over.”
Brent is amazed by the amount of people who come and how far they travel, he says. People come from Japan, China and across Europe to see his family’s tulips. Having grown up in Skagit Valley, it was easy for him to take the magical quality of the area for granted.
“Originally, growing up, I wanted to get out from here and go see other places. I had no intention of working here,” Brent says. “I worked here from a young age doing the worst jobs they could find. We always joke around that we did the stuff that no one else wanted to do or they couldn’t get anyone else to do.”
Brent graduated from college thinking he would avoid joining the family business. While job searching, he worked a three month spring season to help his family during their busiest time of the year.
When the three months were up, Brent still had a few projects he wanted to finish before resuming his job search. These projects bled into another season, then another, until Brent had stayed in the family business for over 10 years. He has no plans to go anywhere else anytime soon, he says with a smile.
Brent’s grandfather, William Roozen Sr., passed the company down to his five sons and one daughter in 1985. It is now run by his four sons: John, Leo, Richard and William Roozen.
As a family who cares deeply about flowers and bulb farming, the Roozen family and Washington Bulb Company strive to create happiness, console sorrow and brighten days. Brent says they hope to bring a smile to those who need it with beautiful flowers grown with care and dedication.