Kingsport Farmer-Florist Partners with North Carolina Wholesaler for Valentine's Day

Strawberry Moon Blooms owner Sara Searl sources tulips from Stemz to offer a unique floral option for the holiday.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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Sara Searl, owner of Kingsport-based Strawberry Moon Blooms, is partnering with Stemz, a North Carolina-based flower wholesaler, to source tulips for Valentine's Day. Tulips are typically out of season in Northeast Tennessee, so Searl is making a trip to Asheville to pick up the hydroponically-grown blooms from Stemz's network of regional farmers.

Why it matters

This partnership allows Searl to offer a unique floral option for Valentine's Day, as tulips are not the typical dozen roses that customers expect. It also supports regional flower farmers by connecting them with wholesale buyers like Searl through Stemz's distribution network.

The details

Stemz, founded by CEO Amy Dunlap, helps connect farmers and wholesale buyers in the flower industry, making it easier for florists to access regionally-grown blooms. For this Valentine's Day, Searl is sourcing tulips from Stemz's network of farms in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia that are growing the flowers hydroponically or in heated greenhouses to extend the season.

  • On Wednesday, February 12, 2026, Searl is planning a trip to Asheville to pick up the tulips from Stemz.
  • Tulips typically bloom in Northeast Tennessee from late March through April, but the region's fast-paced warming often causes the flowers to open too quickly to be harvested.

The players

Sara Searl

Owner of Kingsport-based Strawberry Moon Blooms, a local farmer-florist.

Amy Dunlap

Founder and CEO of Stemz, a North Carolina-based flower wholesaler that connects farmers and wholesale buyers.

Stemz

A flower wholesaler that helps connect farmers and wholesale buyers, making it more efficient for farms to sell and easier for florists to access regional blooms.

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What they’re saying

“I've been working so hard to try and figure out how we can incorporate that into our own farm for so many years now, and it's just the infrastructure is just not in the cards yet.”

— Sara Searl, Owner, Strawberry Moon Blooms (timesnews.net)

“I think that [the farmers are] doing okay at this point. They're prepared. A lot of them, what they're growing for spring, are in structures.”

— Amy Dunlap, Founder and CEO, Stemz (timesnews.net)

What’s next

Searl is hopeful that once customers start receiving the tulips, there will be increased excitement and demand for the unique floral option.

The takeaway

This partnership between a local farmer-florist and a regional flower wholesaler demonstrates how small businesses can collaborate to offer customers something different and support local agriculture, even in the face of seasonal challenges.