Free greenhouse tours in Carpinteria

Seven Carpinteria greenhouses will be open Saturday for an insider look at the colorful, and growing business that send flowers around the world.

TheCarpinteria Greenhouse and Nursery Tour is in its fifth year.

Last year 1200 visitors came through to see the growing operations from the soil to the shipping docks.

The tour is free.

Visitors can see one greenhouse or all seven.

They include: Ocean Breeze, Westerly, Westland Floral, Ever-Bloom, Pianta Bella Nursery, Farmers West and Myriad.

“As people are getting more and more interested in where their food comes from this event is a great opportunity to see where flowers come from,” said Kasey Cronquist with the California Cut Flower Commission. He said the flower industry in the area has created 4000 jobs.

The tours are given by the farmers personally. “it’s a beautiful experience,” said Cronquist. “We’ve got Gerber daisies, roses, orchids, so many different varieties. We are talking about the most productive region for cut flowers growing in the United States.”

At Westerly Orchids, owner Toine Overgaag stood in the middle of a color burst of flowers and is set to give tours tomorrow. “It’s fun to share,” he said about the inside tour he gives. “What we package here goes to a consumer, so a consumer is buying our orchid and something we designed, we groomed and we put together.”

For further information log on to: www.carpinteriafarmtours.com