Gathered: Storied Botanicals Allison B. Young

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

The Oscars are tonight, and I thought I'd reflect on the powerful ways two of the nominated films used flowers to help tell their stories and how they urge us to remember lessons from history.

“Life sprang […] from the lotus.” In this first episode of Season 3, I delve into a flower that’s closely tied to divinity and many Eastern faiths: the lotus flower. It’s an integral part of many creation stories, whether Hinduism, Buddhism, or the imagery of ancient Egypt. Let’s wade in together to take a closer look at a flower that not only offers spiritual guidance but informs one country’s rich culture and even the creative process.Gathered: Storied Botanicals is a monthly podcast w...

Introducing Gathered: Storied BotanicalsGathered: Storied Botanicals is a monthly podcast—with room and the will to grow. In each episode, I delve into the world of flowers weaving my experiences as a floral designer and writer with a flower’s depth and significance. By putting each bloom under a historic, scientific, literary, folkloric, or artistic lens we can better see this fascinating world as fertile ground for teaching us how we relate to and understand the world around us.If you’re lo...

On the final day of the year, the season's final episode of Gathered: Storied Botanicals delves into the story of the Poinsettia. It goes by many names and its intricate history illuminates all the many gifts it offers during the Christmas season.

Some unexpected heartbreak has had me change my initial plans for this month's episode and revisit a lyric essay I wrote in Chicago called, "Girlish Notions." It's a departure from past episodes and it's a bit more personal than what I'm comfortable with, but felt compelled to create something as an offer of catharsis. Because of some language geared toward sexual assault, listener discretion is advised for this episode.