Hudson’s Warren Street is home to a number of unique shops and boutiques, one of which is the town’s beloved The Quiet Botanist. Inspired by the apothecaries of a bygone era, the botanical shop specializes in chocolates, candles, and flowers. With an emphasis on nature, The Quiet Botanist partners with Williamsburg Brand to create a collection of luxurious chocolate bars and candles that celebrates the intersection of nature and history.
As a brand that’s dedicated to slow living, the artisanal Hudson shop is excited about the collaboration with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation on The Quiet Botanist X Williamsburg Collection.
“The most incredible visit to Colonial Williamsburg kicked off this project. Working with inspiring people and visiting all the different areas and archives was truly amazing. Based on the incredible resources in the archives and gardens, I honestly could have kept on designing and designing. The team was lovely, knowledgeable, and willing to share their wisdom and history,” says Rebecca O’Donnell, founder of The Quiet Botanist.
Each chocolate bar is inspired by 18th-century life in Colonial Williamsburg, with intricate packaging that features art found in the rare book archives. After being crafted from the highest quality ingredients, the chocolate bars are then adorned with hand-harvested botanicals from neighboring Hudson Valley farms and O’Donnell’s garden. As for the collection’s candle, it’s crafted from hand-poured natural coconut wax and a bespoke beeswax blend, ensuring that the final product is free from carcinogens, phthalates, toxins, and other hazardous chemicals.
When it comes to designing, O’Donnell is typically influenced by her natural surroundings in the region. “The beauty of the Hudson Valley is a constant source of inspiration for me. I love to get out into nature as often as possible and forage for design references. As an Australian in upstate New York, I think I appreciate the seasons and local foliage in a different way. To me, some of the local wildflowers and fauna are the best in the world and unique and inspiring. Combined with the beautiful valleys and the Hudson River itself, there is no place I would rather be,” she says.
The Quiet Botanist X Williamsburg Collection features three luxury chocolate bars and one bespoke candle. The Bee’s Banquet is a milk chocolate bar sweetened with dates and decorated with a selection of the bee’s favorite blooms and a scattering of bee pollen. The Plant Hunter is a dark chocolate bar that celebrates the adventurous spirit of 18th-century plant collectors and the exotics they sought. Also sweetened with dates, this bar is decorated with orange rind, figs, and blossoms. Lastly, the Language of Flowers is another dark chocolate bar inspired by the 18th century’s reverence for botanicals and understanding of the garden’s medicinal properties. The bar is infused with skullcap and decorated with calming, restorative flowers and herbs.
As for the collection’s sole candle, Heritage Florals, a warming bayberry and moss scent celebrates the history and botanical archives of Colonial Williamsburg. Hand-poured and free of toxins, the candle’s top note is bayberry, while moss, jasmine, and lily are middle notes, and fir, mint oil, and patchouli are base notes. Each candle is decorated with a floral exterior and arrives in a reusable drawstring cotton bag.
“The partnership between Williamsburg Brand and The Quiet Botanist has been a wonderfully natural collaboration,” says Kiri Franco, director of brand and licensing at Williamsburg Brand. “It was truly inspiring to watch Rebecca bring this collection to life. She absorbed everything we encountered; her keen eye for detail and deep appreciation for nature, history, and design stood out. We loved how she took this inspiration and crafted three themes that beautifully illustrated the story of 18th-century botanicals.”
The Quiet Botanist X Williamsburg Collection is available now on TheQuietBotanist.com and at the store located at 426 Warren Street in Hudson.
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