I was raised in Central Illinois and have lived in Marion since 2006. I am married to my wonderful and supportive husband, Mark, and we have four great children. We currently have 3 of the 4 in college, with the youngest being a sophomore at Marion High School. I am a nurse practitioner and work 2-3 days per week, and spend the rest of my time in the flower beds.

My love for flowers started at a very young age. My grandparents owned a flower shop, and after selling, my grandma continued to do the payroll at a flower shop. I remember watching the new owner build bouquets and loved the feel and smell of the flower shop! I was surrounded by flowers at my home and my grandparents home, and I really lived a charmed early life with flowers everywhere.

In 2020, I started growing flowers in our landscape beds. My sweet husband built a raised bed for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. After the first year of veggies, I started growing flowers in the raised bed and tilled up a 12 x 20 space to make a flower garden. I grew sunflowers, zinnias, snapdragons, gladiolas and a few other flowers. By the end of that summer, I asked my husband to build another 5' x 10' raised bed for cool hardy annuals and Amy's Backyard Blooms was officially born.

In the last 3 years, I have added 5 raised beds and converted another landscape bed into my flower business. I started with the Marion Farmer's Market in 2022, and I love to visit with my Farmer's Market friends! I really enjoy making specialty bouquets for those ordering for family and friends. I also love to deliver those flowers and see the smile on the face of those receiving the flowers. I have ventured into the world of wedding flowers, and I look forward to more weddings in the future.

As we move into the future, I will continue to grow my space and more flowers to share with those in the Marion area. Marion is home, and I want to provide flowers for my neighbors. If you are new to the page or Marion, welcome and please stop by and say "Hi" at the Marion Farmer's Market starting in April 2025.