Azusa Farm was founded in 1995 by plant collector/propagator Everett Chu and his wife Miriam. The original focus was on medium and low-growing shrubs and perennials adaptable to the local climate; but product offerings have steadily broadened to include shade trees and edible landscape.  The business mission has always been to provide a wide selection of outstanding products to customers at the highest quality and value.

In 2007, during the expansion of Highway 20 between Burlington and Fredonia, Azusa also went through a series of expansion and diversification.  By spring 2009, a 4,000 square-foot retail store was constructed to better market the products directly to the customers.  Today, the farm is a full service garden center and farm stand treasured by the local community, as well as a tourist destination for the Puget Sound area.  As a sponsor of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, Azusa offers a range of family-friendly activities, including farm tours and u-pick gardens.  Many display gardens are in various stages of completion and will be open for classes and workshops in coming years.

The name “Azusa” invokes nostalgia in many elder Japanese, because of its intimate connection with the traditional Japanese martial art of archery.  The Azusa tree (a species of the genus Catalpa) has been the source of the choice wood for the mystic bow in ancient history.  In direct translation, the Japanese name of the archery, Kyudo, is “the way of the bow” – “kyo” means the bow, and “do” means the way.  Azusa Farm as a place would strive to emulate the simple elegance and quiet dignity associated with the Japanese archery. According to Shinto beliefs, Azusa is the mystic Catalpa tree from which the magical (and uniquely asymmetrical) bow in Japanese Kyudo was made and used to ward off evil spirits during the standing meditation.  Strongly influenced by Zen-Buddhism but not a religious practice, the mastery of the archery requires the complete wellness of the heart-mind-body continuum.  Therefore, Azusa Farm as a place would strive to emulate the simple elegance and quiet dignity associated with the Japanese archery.  And the spiritual Azusa name would represent the intense focus of the business to provide a broad product line that enhances the holistic wellness of its customers, be it from healthful produce, nutritious fruiting plants, or harmonious garden settings.

So come see us and allow us to serve you.  We really mean it when we say customer satisfaction is our utmost priority!