Tiger Garden was awash with different hues. Fresh greens, cut into neat diagonals, transformed from clipped lines into brilliant bouquets. Petals of red were scattered about the workbenches, counting the years beneath their veins of fuchsia.
Tiger Garden celebrated 10 years as an independent store this August.
Originally a partner of the Mizzou Store, Tiger Garden separated in 2005 and became a part of the Division of Plant Sciences. Beginning with just two students, the shop has since grown to encompass divisions like Special Events and Landscape Design, and it now hosts multiple classes.
“We went from teaching about 50 students a semester to now about 250 students per semester between all of our classes,” floral design instructor Lesleighan Kraft said.
Tiger Garden also holds workshops for the greater Columbia community through their club, the Student Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers.
“The public — whether it’s students here on campus, faculty, staff or people who don’t work at the university — can come into our classroom, purchase the materials, and make their own creation,” retail sales manager Melissa Daniels said.
Students do not have to be involved with the Division of Plant Sciences or affiliated with Tiger Garden to join, special events coordinator Becky Melton said.
Since Tiger Garden contains many facets, it has appeal for students in business, art, sciences and more.
“It’s not just creating an arrangement: It’s the logistics of staffing and budgets and going through the daily tasks of keeping the shop up and running,” Daniels said.
This student-run, small-business atmosphere prepares individuals for future work environments whether they are going into the floral industry or not. Plus, because the shop is centered around students, work schedules are flexible, Melton said.
With 10 years under its belt, Tiger Garden hopes to extend its base to even more students, Melton said. For this year’s celebrations, the shop had specials every day and promoted its name throughout the Columbia area through social media.
“I think that it was eye-opening and definitely an accomplishment,” Melton said of the 10-year anniversary.
