A growing experience: Blooming Succulents Studio hosts workshops incorporating succulent plants

The owners of Blooming Succulents Studio in Oswego know about the healing nature of plants.

Blooming Succulents founder Markita Young fell in love with succulent plants after building a fairy garden with them with her twin daughters, who are autistic and have sensory issues. Young and her husband, Quinton Young, have five children.

“We had such a good time creating the fairy garden,” she said. “It was just mentally healing for all of us as a family.”

The couple wants to duplicate that experience through the workshops the studio holds throughout the year incorporating succulent plants. For example, Blooming Succulents will hold a Christmas Tree workshop on Dec. 8 where participants will create a holiday succulent centerpiece for their home.

Small Business Saturday celebrates small businesses like Blooming Succulents. Started by American Express in 2010, Small Business Saturday encourages consumers to do their shopping at local businesses. It is held each year on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and after Black Friday.

The store’s biggest workshop every year is its succulent pumpkin workshop.

“We take a real pumpkin, we prep it, we do clippings of succulents and we hot glue them to the top of the pumpkin to decorate it as a centerpiece,” she said. “After two to three months, you can take them off, peel the hot glue off, put them in some soil and they’ll repot just like regular plants. They’re very hardy.”

They opened Blooming Succulents Studio at 52 N. Adams St. in Oswego in November 2022. The business started out of their garage.

“I started doing DIY workshops and sip and paints and wood workshops,” Markita Young said. “And then we added the plants and they kind of took over. And that’s why we knew we needed a bigger space.”

The couple also rents out the space for private events. Their business is scenically located near Hudson Crossing Park and the Fox River.

“We had a wedding here this past summer and it turned out really nice,” she said. “We get a lot of bridal showers and baby showers too.”

Succulent plants are considered low maintenance plants, which might be one reason why they have become so popular.

“I see them more in stores now,” Quinton Young said. “They’re everywhere.”

In the fall and winter, succulent plants only have to be watered sparingly.

“In the fall and winter, you water less,” Markita Young said. “You only water them once a month because they go dormant. They stop growing. So if you keep watering them and they’re not growing, they’re going to get root rot.”

Their plants are from as far away as Korea.

“We import some from Korea for those who would like some type of collectible,” she said. “We are not a big plant shop. We’re more of a plant boutique. We do a lot of creating with our pots. You pick out your pots and your plants and then get creative in one of our workshops,” she said.

As she noted, succulent plants are very hardy.

“You can do a lot of creating with them,” she said.

Quinton Young likes seeing the reactions of people after they have created something.

“I like the surprise and the joy that it brings to people,” he said. “I like creating a smile for customers.”

More information about Blooming Succulents Studio is available at its website, bloomingsucculents.com.