Meet Alison Zapp | Local Florist & ER Nurse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Zapp and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, what inspires you?
My inspiration for this new business endeavor is human connection and our connection to our earth. Spending quality time with my family and friends is incredibly important to me. In the process of starting up my business, I have deepened many friendships and reconnected with old friends while meeting new and interesting people. Seeing how much happiness and joy flowers bring to others is so fulfilling for me! Eventually, I’d like to expand this business to include a micro flower farm in the near future. This idea of having a homestead contributes to a more sustainable practice and reduces the company’s carbon footprint. I also hope for this farm to be a special place where people can come spend a quiet moment and pick their own flowers to take home or for a class held in our studio on the farm. To be able to live in a space that also brings my family away from the couch and the screens and out onto our own farmland would be a dream. There is something so tranquil and revitalizing about being outside and having our hands in the dirt, as it helps brings that vital connection back to each other and the land.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The flower arrangements I create are loosely structured with a balance of both symmetry and asymmetry. I love using flowing greenery and different floral colors and textures. I think that adding dried flowers and stems also adds a special and unique element to most arrangements and gives that extra bit of creative asymmetry. I offer everyday bouquets for any occasion as well as arrangements for subscriptions (weekly, bimonthly, or monthly) and small events. I give the option of a vase, wooden box, or ceramic container for those purchasing subscriptions as way to cater to individual preferences and give each arrangement a unique, creative vibe.

I find so much beauty in flowers and plants and have always been an outdoorsy, nature-loving kind of person. I honestly never thought I would be able to start my own flower business though! It’s something that’s always been in the back of my mind but with the past decade of growing and raising a family with both my spouse and I working, a new business endeavor did not seem feasible. My primary career has been an ER nurse for the past 10 years. Last year, I began thinking about expanding my nursing knowledge to possibly advance my nursing degree and I was thrilled to be accepted into a specialized ICU nurse position at the start of 2023. After 7 months, however, I realized that this was not the right path for me at this time in my life. I missed my time with my family, friends and the outdoors and I knew something needed to change. I had two months off before I returned to my ER family and in that time, Two Dog Blooms was created! I have truly enjoyed the human connection aspect of working in the ER and helping my community in times of need. I am so excited to now have a second profession that helps others feel joy, happiness, and connection to each other through the creative design with flowers. Being a florist with an at home studio also allows for me to be more present with my family and this new work-life balance allows me to be a working mom without sacrificing long hours away.
To all those out there thinking of trying out a new career or profession but having doubts, it’s never too late to start something new! I’ve found that being challenged and sometimes experiencing failure is the only way to grow as a professional and to be the best version of yourself. Reflecting back on 2023, I’ve learned to trust myself and the process and finally follow the path that I’ve yearned to walk down.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Longmont is such a fun little city! It has its own charm and its close proximity to other larger cities like Boulder, Fort Collins, and Denver makes it even more fun to visit. Longmont has a great downtown area on Main Street, which is home to lots of small boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops. Many breweries and other businesses providing fun activities are scattered around town as well. The Prospect neighborhood is another area on the other end of town that is fun to visit and has a really friendly and relaxed vibe. These are the places I would take a friend visiting from out of town:

Food:
Babette’s (Prospect): the BEST croissants and bakery foods
Sugarbeet: Delicious dinner place with a quiet and intimate atmosphere – Oysters and rack of lamb entrée are amazing
West Side Tavern: great brunch and dinner place! Fun drink menu and you can’t go wrong with the Steak Frites or Yellowfin Tuna Melt entrées
Longs Peak Pub (Main Street): great pizza, burgers and beer-great place for kids, families, really nice wait staff
Rosalee’s Pizzeria: such. good. pizza! and a great outdoor eating space in the back of the restaurant

Coffee shops:
Brewing Market, Ozo, Cavegirl Coffee (Prospect), Red Frog, Ziggi’s

Retail shops:
Flower Wild (Prospect): cutest clothing and hat boutique and the owner and manager are the sweetest women!
A florae (Main Street): very cool concept that combines clothing/home goods and floral shop-their flower arrangements are incredible! They also host classes
Happy Day Plants (Main Street): Cool plant shop and they host classes too!

Activities:
Sol19 Yoga Studio: fantastic teachers, heated classes and great studio ambiance
Crack Pots (Main Street): ceramic painting shop in the heart of Main Street- for kids and adults alike!
Shoes and Brews: go for a group run or one of their organized races and return to their shop for a beer afterwards!
The Local Drive: golf simulator and cocktail lounge!
The Longmont Axe House: Axe throwing and bar!
McIntosh Lake, Union Reservoir are great places to visit in the summer for paddle boarding and kayaking. There are also so many bike paths that run through Longmont for running and biking. Taking a quick trip into Boulder one day to hike around Chautauqua and dine at the Chautauqua Dining Hall would also be on the to do list even though that’s not in Longmont;)

Breweries:
Wibby: delicious beer and large outdoor space that has a large covered space, lots of outdoor seating and also fun lawn games
Left Hand: Super nice staff and fun, open green space to drink beer and play corn hole during the warmer months
Breaded Brewer (South Longmont): new brewery, serve delicious ales!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First off, I would like to recognize Jenn Rodriguez from Umma Casa for submitting my name and business to the Shoutout Colorado team! I feel completely honored to have been recognized by a local, successful company created and owned by women entrepreneurs. My biggest thanks goes out to my husband and my rock, Jackson. He has been so supportive through this whole process of me starting up my own flower arrangement business in addition to keeping my position as an ER nurse. Our lives are already crazy busy with 3 young kids at home and Jackson has stood by my side and helped me through a lot of transition in 2023. To my 8 year old daughter for telling me she loves my arrangements and for decorating my workspace with colorful drawings of flowers and ‘I love you, mama, you got this!’ notes. To my 6 year old daughter for pointing out the beauty in all things nature and showing me that being yourself is your greatest gift. To my 2 year old son, for helping me hold more space for patience and making me smile in the toughest of moments. To our two sweet rescue dogs, Aggie and Koda, who LOVE to dig up my backyard flowers and hence became the inspiration for the business name and logo! To family, friends and local community for supporting my newfound passion with words of encouragement and also purchasing a few flower arrangements from my business along the way:) I would be nowhere without this unwavering support group of amazing people!

Website: twodogblooms.com

Instagram: @twodogblooms

Facebook: Two Dog Blooms