Gathered: Storied Botanicals

Flowers of Decay

Send us a textAfter lots of tech issues, the final podcast episode of the year is here! In this episode, I offer a strange harbinger of hope: the mushroom. Across the globe, folklore casts these fruiting bodies as symbols of mystery, death, and decay. But what if they can stand in for something more uplifting in our collective understanding of them?I reference "Mycoremeditation: The Under-Utilized Art of Fungi Clean Ups" by Jacob Dykes in this episode, an article worth checking out!

Halloween Special: The Flower Shop (of Horrors)

Send us a textOn this special Halloween episode of Gathered: Storied Botanicals, we wander into the woods at dusk, where strange things grow underfoot and fairy tales turn dark at the edges.Before the night is through, you’ll encounter a glowing forest floor, something watching from the darkness, and a flower shop humming with beauty, precision, and something far more unsettling.Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Mouse, the Bird, and the Sausage,” this modern variation, “The Flower Shop,” brings together floristry, folklore, and the fragility of balance and harmony when doubt germinates. What begins as a portrait of craftsmanship and care unfurls into a cautionary folktale of envy, doubt, and unraveling—a fairy tale transplanted into the world of a busy, modern floral studio.So settle in as the October wind rises, the last leaves fall, and the night glows faintly. This Halloween, Gathered: Storied Botanicals offers something both haunting and oddly human: the ways we bloom, grow together, and sometimes let doubt devour us.

I Hope You'll Gather 'Round

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The Botanical Artifact

Send us a textWhen was the last time you discovered something? The experience of discovery comes with a wide range of emotions. In this episode, I share a personal essay on discovering mementos from my family's house fire.Gathered: Storied Botanicals is a monthly podcast with room and the will to grow. It's the podcast that brings more flowers into your life through story. Wherever you are, wherever you come from I hope you'll gather 'round.For more flowers in your life:Gathered: Storied BotanicalsGathered by Allison B. Young: the Substack of Gathered: Storied BotanicalsThe Bountiful Centerpiece: September 2024 Floral Design Workshop Registration

Ephemeral

Send us a textI had hoped to release an episode about spring ephemerals for the month of April, but I am at a loss...