Erin Barzen has been pushing petals her entire life, starting when she was a little girl gifting her mom hand-picked dandelions.

Today, she owns a 16-acre flower farm and floral business in Carnation, where her eye for arrangement design earned her Best Florist in 425 Magazine’s Best of 425 in 2024.

Barzen and her husband purchased the farm in 2020 and have been building Barzen’s Blooms ever since. She had a ribbon cutting in Carnation on Feb. 14, celebrating her lifelong passion officially becoming her business. She also introduced guests to Miss Daisy, her vintage pastel yellow Mazda truck that serves as both a bouquet-building station and delivery truck.

Sarah Perry, King County Councilmember for District 3, attended the ribbon cutting and thanked Barzen for drawing business to the Snoqualmie Valley.

“I want to thank you very much for shining your light here because you could take this anywhere, and you’ve chosen to put it here,” Perry said. “It just really helps our visibility.”

Barzen’s Blooms has been a long time coming for Barzen, who worked her first wedding 20 years ago for her best friend. Since then, floral arrangement has been a “side passion project,” she said.

Before moving to Carnation, Barzen and her husband had a half-acre urban farm in West Seattle. There, they grew 500 pounds of tomatoes, kept bees and had a pollinator-friendly garden. Once Barzen began planting dahlias, she “got the bug” — and she needed more space.

From there, it was an easy decision for Barzen and her family to settle in the Snoqualmie Valley.

“I think it’s the most beautiful place on the planet,” she said. “Every time we came to visit, we didn’t want to leave.”

Plus, she said, it’s hard to beat being a flower farmer in a town called Carnation.

Barzen’s flower studio is made up of two stalls in her barn. She plants as many flowers as she possibly can to use for her arrangements, and whatever she can’t, she sources locally.

She also hosts regular workshops around the Snoqualmie Valley, teaching others the art of arrangement. Barzen has a background in education and said teaching is another passion of hers.

“I love teaching, and I love sharing the joy of flowers with others,” she said.

Barzen Bloom’s services and upcoming events are listed at barzensblooms.com.

Barzen, also the vice president of the Carnation Chamber of Commerce, said she wants to grow the community engagement aspect of her business, along with the business itself. She is currently working to form a collective with other local flower farmers to share their passion and ideas.

“My kind of tagline, my motto, is about creating joy,” she said. “[I want to] use flowers as a way to connect people in a really positive way.”

Streamers fly after owner of Barzen’s Blooms Erin Barzen cuts the ribbon with her family, Feb. 14, 2025. From left: Barzen’s mother, Nancy Barzen; Erin Barzen; Barzen’s daughter, Lucie; Barzen’s husband, Cory Dochow; Carnation Mayor Adair Hawkins. Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record

The Barzen’s Blooms flower truck, Miss Daisy, Feb. 14, 2025. (Grace Gorenflo/Valley Record)