Over the last year Molly Knochenmus’ business has been blooming in Hayden, and now the longtime Routt County resident is hoping her thriving plant shop will plant roots in her hometown.

Knochenmus followed her passion when she opened Bloom Plants at 117 W. Jefferson Ave. in Hayden last October. Since then the plant and flower shop has found a home on main street in the Hayden community.

“I’ve always been in flower shops, and there’s always been plants in flower shops, so I always kind of gravitated more toward plants,” said Knochenmus, whose mother has had plant shops in Grand Lake and Steamboat Springs — including Steamboat Floral. “This is the first flower shop ever, in Hayden.”

Knochenmus grew up in Grand Lake where she frequented her mother’s flower shop and graduated from Middle Park High School. After that she came to Steamboat Springs in 2008 “to do the whole ski bum thing.”

She lived in The Ponds, worked at Steamboat Resort and attended Colorado Mountain College. She was working for Cathy Vogelaar when she learned the flower shop on 435 Lincoln Ave. was for sale. Her mom purchased the business in 2014.

Knochenmus points out that when she first opened the doors of Bloom in October 2024, her intention was to focus strictly on plants. However, she soon discovered her new customers wanted more and that Hayden needed its own flower shop.

These days customers walking through the door will be greeted by sansevierias, pothos and bird of paradise. The front of the shop is also normally filled with a variety of cactus and succulents.

“I had the idea in the back of my mind to open up a flower shop in Hayden because it’s clearly growing,” Knochenmus said. “I just kind of felt like the timing was right, and then this space came available, and it just happened.”

A month after leaving her full-tome job in mental health, Knochenmus is now right at home in her new shop in the heart of downtown Hayden.

At first the shop focused on plants, but she has since added flowers to the mix.

“It became clear that there was a need and a desire for a flower shop in Hayden,” Knochenmus said. “So I’ve kind of pivoted, and now I’m also a full-service florist, and I can do weddings, events, funerals, birthdays … you name it, I can do it.”

The shop is open from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday during the school year, when Knochenmus also works as a school counselor. In the summer, she plans to expand her hours at Bloom.

In addition to a wide selection of plants and flowers, Bloom offers several locally produced goods that can be found on the shelves. In addition, Knochenmus is offering workshops with plants or flower themes including one scheduled for 6 p.m. on Dec. 5. Those interested can reach out to Knochenmus through the Bloom Plants website or call 970-531-9444.

“We have a full-service florist, we do plant shop workshops, and I do repotting,” Knochenmus said. “If people are having trouble with their plants, they can bring them to me — I’m the plant doctor.”