FORECAST: 70 DEGREES AND SUNSHINE. The greenhouses at May’s Floral are kept at the perfect temperature year-round for comfortable plants and cozy shoppers.

Working in the floral business isn’t all sweet smells and soft-petaled daisies. It’s a mad dash from holiday to holiday, with poinsettias and evergreens for Christmas, roses for Valentine’s Day, lilies for Easter – and everything that happens in between. Angie Reit, whose parents started May’s Floral (3424 Jeffers Road) in 1974, will help a woman choose just the right look for her bridal boquet one moment, and attend to a family that just lost a loved one next. She is always wondering who will come through their door next and how to meet their needs with creative spark, expertise, and compassion.

“All plants bloom in the perfect condition ... This IS the perfect condition.” – Angie Wright, May’s Floral

Customers bring in precious objects to incorporate into arrangements. A beloved father’s tackle box can become the vessel for a floral ensemble true to the man’s memory.

“We as employees really feel that roller coaster, but that’s what makes it fun,” Angie said.

Well, that and working in what is essentially a year-round paradise.

“I get to smell earth, I get to work in 70-degree weather every single day,” Angie said. In addition to floral arranging, the store offers a massive selection of locally grown houseplants in a football field-sized greenhouse, including tiny potted plants and large hanging baskets. She reached out to touch a yellow succulent blossom. Many people who visit May’s Floral say they’ve never seen a succulent in bloom. 

“All plants bloom in the perfect condition,” Angie said. “This IS the perfect condition.”

The sun glows through the ceiling and the air is comfortably humid even when the weather outside is frigid. People often visit just to stroll around the building, browsing the inventory of fun gifts such as soaps, chocolates, home décor, garden art, jewelry, and statuettes, wandering through a room filled with wind chimes in every tone, and during the holiday season, exploring a forest of lush, velvety poinsettias. May’s Floral is a “destination greenhouse,” according to Angie, so students and families are welcome to visit just to look or perhaps to take Instagram-worthy selfies or family portraits.

May’s Floral hosts a number of annual events, including seasonal workshops where attendees can build their own wintry evergreen porch pot, and a Girls Night Out shopping extravaganza where the entire store is 35% off. 

There is truly something for every occasion and every person among the treasures at May’s. Garden tools, cards, treats and sweets wait at every turn. Classes run regularly during November and December, and Girls Night Out hits the scene Friday, Nov. 22, starting at 5pm. Their annual Christmas Open House, bursting with red, green, and gold decorations amongst the most amazing displays, runs Nov. 15, 16, and 17. But of course, the store is open any time for a peaceful stroll or a quest for the perfect gift.

May's Floral is located at 3424 Jeffers Road, Eau Claire, WI. They can be reached by phone at (715) 836-8220, online at maysfloralgarden.com, or on facebook at May's Floral