Today we’d like to introduce you to Allison B. Young.
Hi Allison B., please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Gathered: Storied Botanicals was a school project at the beginning. I returned to school after burning out from work as a floral designer doing wedding flowers, and earned my MFA in Creative Writing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. While there, I took a Writing for Radio class where each student had to write, record, and produce a podcast episode of their own creation. I was struck by how much I loved the process: the narrative design of researching and writing each episode felt aligned with composing a bouquet. Not only that, I loved that I could share the beauty and wisdom of flowers — a privilege I had as a florist but that most people don’t have easy access to—and I did so through storytelling, a medium as inherent to the human experience as plants and flowers themselves. I got to marry my two loves of writing and blooms. I decided to keep it going.
After graduating and returning to my hometown of Middleburg, Virginia I fell back into work as a florist but felt there was something more to grow from this podcast hobby. Cyndie Rinek, a family friend and owner of Blooming Hill Lavender Farm, suggested I teach a flower arranging workshop and offered her farm as a venue. Despite my stage fright and angst at the thought of public speaking, I gave it a try. I ordered flowers from local flower farms and thrifted vases so participants would have flowers from our Virginian “backyard” and a unique vessel to work with. The bucolic setting among the lavender field and the vivid colors of the blooms made for a novel and fun Saturday surrounded by the beauty of nature. People had a chance to work with flowers that they wouldn’t otherwise see, flex their creative muscles, and learn something new while having a good time. The joy is contagious: seeing how happy people were as they arranged flowers reflected back to me. It also gave me a visual (and hands-on) component that I couldn’t achieve with the podcast alone. I began to see Gathered: Storied Botanicals less as a hobby and more as something I might cultivate into a mission: to bring more flowers into people’s lives.
Since then, Blooming Hill has become a kind of home base, and the workshops have branched out to other venues. I’ve guided folks through the floral design techniques among the bookshelves of Middleburg Public Library. And last year, I had the privilege of teaching at Oak Spring Foundation, a place whose dedication to plants, art, and the natural world feels deeply connected to what Gathered: Storied Botanicals aspires to be. I hope to continue to grow and make these floral workshops more available season to season.
Most recently, I started a floral art mail club called The Botanical Post. For those who may not be able to show up to a workshop in person, this mail club is a way to still enjoy flowers in an intimate, analog, and mindful way. Every month, I send members prints of pressed botanicals, cyanotypes, and floral designs I’ve made along with original poetry, a floral postcard, and a letter of reflections on the season and the natural rhythms that we—and flowers—find ourselves in. Starting The Botanical Post has helped me slow down and take a little more time to reflect and simply admire what’s around me. While it’s a small group of members, I have gotten some truly kind words from them expressing how it also brings them grounding and connection.
What started as a school assignment has evolved into a multi-faceted project that strives to illuminate the myriad ways we are connected to the natural world. As a young child, I dreamt of being a great writer and artist. I never thought I’d work with flowers, but as eternal teachers, they’ve shown me the path that my writing and art can follow. I hope I can keep following this path and keep sharing flowers with others. I believe wholeheartedly that being around flowers (or nature more broadly) can make you less stressed, a little happier, and more hopeful. By cultivating a deeper understanding and admiration for flowers, I hope to inspire and empower us to care for nature and each other.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I struggle with chronic pain from endometriosis. While I’ve dealt with the pain and symptoms since childhood, they worsened and became ever-present about a year after graduating from SAIC, and I wouldn’t get a diagnosis for another year and a half. After countless doctor appointments, procedures, medications, and two surgeries, I still struggle with this disease. It’s taken a lot from me, and I’m continually struck by the grief that comes from a chronic illness like endo. But I am grateful for the support I have from my family, my friends, and for the creative work I do with Gathered: Storied Botanicals. It’s easy to feel very lost when navigating a health issue, and Gathered feels like a north star that orients me.
Then in 2024, my childhood home burned down. Thankfully, we made it out safely, pets and all, but it was a devastating loss. Almost all my writing, artwork, and floral work I’d ever made were destroyed. It’s still a process of recovering and rebuilding, but getting to move back into our home a couple of months ago has felt like a big step in the right direction.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My background is in floral design and writing. I’ve worked in the floral industry for about fifteen years, and I’ve taken on various writing roles from blogging to curriculum writing in higher education. I currently work a couple of part-time floral jobs while freelance writing to help support myself as I navigate my health and grow Gathered: Storied Botanicals. My goal is that Gathered will become the full-time job that supports me financially, health-wise, and creatively.
I’m proud of my resilience, but I’m also proud of my ability to do the best with what I have. While I love flowers, I was not a good fit for the wedding industry. I worried I’d have to scrap my experience and years of hard work as a floral designer because it seemed nearly impossible to survive as a florist without weddings. But using the experience from over the years with my writing has motivated me to blaze a new path and hopefully share a new way to think about and enjoy flowers. That resourcefulness is something I’ve worked hard to develop and I’m proud for how it’s carried me this far.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always open to new ideas, but the best way to support my work is to get curious about flowers! I’d love it if you gave my podcast a try, signed up for a floral workshop, or joined my mail club. If you’d like to collaborate on a workshop as someone with a venue, theme idea, floral or writing-related project, I’d love to hear from you, too! One of the highlights of my career has been the people I’ve worked with and met along the way, so I like to stay open to the wonderful folks who also share a love for nature, writing, and art!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gathered-storiedbotanicals.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gathered_storiedbotanicals/
- Other: https://allison367.substack.com/
