According to Geralyn, the beautiful thing about flowers is that they make any day special. Her love of flowers can be traced to her childhood when a lady in her church, who grew her own flowers, often gave them to the little girl. "I've kind of always done things with flowers," she said. Before opening Hermann Florist, Geralyn had no formal training in floral design but she had done a lot of work for friends. "I'm one of these people that if I see something, I can usually do it."

Crystal Binkholder, who earned a degree in horticulture with a floraculture emphasis from Northwest Missouri State, is the floral designer. Pat Zwolinski makes all of the silk arrangements. Green plants that are displayed throughout the shop are from greenhouses in Missouri. A specialty of the shop is the Aqua Pac roses that arrive direct from the grower in water.

This something-for-everybody shop is chock full of large and small gifts from country to classics. There is yard art and garden statuary, memorial stones, and stepping stones. There is a large selection of angels and religious pieces. You'll find baby gifts and stuffed animals. And, woodland gifts are great for men. Geralyn commented that her customers come from many towns that surround Hermann. "Once we're discovered, they keep coming back," she said. "They don't have to go all the way to Jefferson City or Columbia. Now they shop in Hermann."

Hermann Florist offers FTD and Teleflora. And it is a Bloomnet provider for customers who call 1-800-FLOWERS. Seasonal cemetery pieces are custom made and can be delivered directly to the cemetery.

Hermann Florist is located at 217 E. First St. The shop is open weekdays from 9-5:30, Saturday from 10-2, and closed on Sunday. You can visit the shop's web site at www.hermannflorist.com to shop online or call 573-486-1800 or the toll-free number, 1-866-486-1800, to place an order. Delivery is available within a 30-mile radius of Hermann.