Interview With Christin Knight of Blooming Blossoms: Small Business Ownership and More

There are many small businesses close to Blake that are underrated and considered local gems. The Blake Beat sat down with Christin Knight, the founder of Blooming Blossoms, a local florist located at 15430 New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20905, right across the street from Cloverly Towne Center, a staple hangout spot for Blake students.

Christin Knight started Blooming Blossoms as a side hustle. She previously worked full-time in a corporate job, and the shutdown gave her a chance to start dreaming about owning a business one day. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Knight started watching an HBO show called Full Bloom. She was fascinated by the program. “I thought to myself, what if we could create a flower studio or a place in the community where people could go [and] learn how to build bouquets,” Knight reminisced. She didn’t know much about building bouquets yet, so she partnered with local wedding florists. “I took a whole bunch of little side jobs at other flower shops to be able to learn the art of floristry,” Knight said. “Since April of 2021, we’ve built the company to where it is today,” she stated.

Knight recently opened her first Blooming Blossoms location on September 6th, 2025. “We’re pretty new, but that means that we get to be really involved with the community,” Knight commented. “People book workshops and spend almost two hours with us, learning how to build bouquets,” she said. Blooming Blossoms also helps people with things like weddings and “thank you” or “surprise” bouquets. “It’s been really great. I love it,” Knight said.

When told about students at Blake who started making flower bouquets and selling them, Knight agreed that it’s “definitely a handy skill to have, but it’s not as easy as it looks.” Blake student florist Andrea Henrriquez Martinez (@bloomin_treats on Instagram) says, “the best part [about being a florist] is being able to work around [her] academic schedule.” “[Allowing myself] to gain experience in the [world of business] has taught me valuable lessons and has helped me grow in many ways,” she stated. Andrea noted that the hardest part “was going through all [her] failures and learning how to manage a business on [her] own.” Knight says, “Running a business is hard because you have to know literally everything about running a business.” She wears many “hats” in her business, including being the salesperson, HR manager, and client manager. Knight says you have to be ambitious and “you’re your own boss” as a small business owner. 

Knight wants to inspire students to bring a bit of nature into their lives. She grew up in South Dakota’s Black Hills. “I would say most of America doesn’t even know where South Dakota is,” she joked. The Black Hills are “this beautiful, nature-filled backyard where I basically spent my whole childhood outside.” She was skiing, snowboarding, playing soccer, swimming, hiking in the canyon, riding bikes, camping, and spending time outside year-round. She spent her whole childhood spending “every minute that [she] could [being] outside.” “I think that flowers are a way to bring nature from outside inside,” Knight stated. “[Owning a flower shop] is a way that I can help deliver a little bit of that happiness that makes me so happy to other people,” she said. 

When asked if Blooming Blossoms offers opportunities for students to get involved, Knight said, “People can book workshops right on our website.” “We also do private parties,” she said, where Blooming Blossoms can host a private flower workshop for a birthday or other celebration. “I would love for high schoolers who are interested in owning a small business [to participate], and I would love to eventually create an apprenticeship program where people could learn,” she suggested. Knight says, “It would be great to get experience in a small business for a high school student.” 

Knight says her piece of advice to students is to “dream big.” “If you put in hard work every single day and you align your values and your priorities towards this really big goal, you’ll be able to, step by step, brick by brick, be able to accomplish that goal,” she claims.

The Blake Beat thanks Christin Knight of Blooming Blossoms for an incredible interview! We would also like to thank student florist Andrea Henrriquez Martinez for providing insight as a small business owner from a Blake student perspective. Bengals, please make sure you check out Blooming Blossoms right down the street from our school.