This year the University Florist Shop has many new items offered and floral arrangements to choose from. Their most popular floral arrangements are roses or a spring mix with Gerber daisies, snap dragons and whatever else is in stock.
“The arrangements depend on what we have in for the season,” student manager Melanie Allison said. “In the spring we have daffodils, tulips and irises, and in the fall we have fall daisies, berries and sunflowers in our arrangements.”
The University Florist orders its flowers from California and Holland and their roses from South America. During the holiday season, the University Florist will have special arrangements, including trick-or-treat bags and pumpkins during the Halloween season.
“For Christmas and Thanksgiving, we will have centerpieces that customers can get through our shop,” Allison said.
Also available at Christmas will be trees, ornaments and silk arrangements.
“We can also go to people’s houses and decorate,” Allison said.
She further added that the president’s house is just one of many homes that they decorate. In 1934, MSU became one of the first places in the state to grow chrysanthemums. Although it eventually became cheaper to order chrysanthemums from other places, the Florist Shop remained.
“We still grow poinsettias in the MSU greenhouses, and we sell them through our shop,” Allison said.
The MSU greenhouse will have an open house the second week in November, and the University Florist will sell greenery garlands and wreaths.
Along with floral arrangements and greenery, the University Florist also carries balloons, candy and gifts for every occasion.
Prices range from $30 to $40 for balloons and flowers, $10 for a single flower in a vase, $30 for a mix arrangement and $55 for the traditional dozen roses.
The University Florist also makes funeral floral arrangements, ranging from $55 to $100.
“A lot of parents call and order gifts and arrangements for their college students, along with the faculty who order for coworkers and family,” Allison said. “We are very student-oriented because that is our biggest audience.
“We try to carry things that are trendy and popular so that students can come in after class and don’t have to run around town to get the things they want. We have them right here at their fingertips.”
Some of those popular trendy things include a new line of purses, including sequin formal purses and leather purses.
“We also have a wide variety of jewelry, like turquoise and coral designs that are really popular right now, and necklaces, toe rings and bracelets,” Allison said.
The University Florist now features a new bath and body line with 30 different fragrances that students can mix to create their own scented cologne, bubble bath, body wash and lotion.
Other gift items include Australian crystal vases, picture frames, candles, sorority and fraternity items, baby gifts, stuffed animals and home decorating items like candle chandeliers and lamps.
With no funding from MSU, the University Florist is still the only completely student-operated floral shop in the country.
The University Florist is staffed by 15 students, most of whom are floral management majors, and Lynette McDougald, the business manager. McDougald also teaches floral design and flower shop classes on campus.
For more information on the University Florist, call 325-3585.