Photo: Megan Lu/The Olaf Messenger
Fridays hold a special tradition at St. Olaf. A couple of tables aligned together with a plethora of flowers and other various plants show the weekly commitment of Northfield’s Forget-Me-Not Florist employees to give the opportunity to college students to purchase discounted flowers from a local provider.
Friday Flowers have held their tradition at St. Olaf for over half a century. Forget-Me-Not Florist was developed in 1994 by Jane Williams, who passed the business down generationally to her daughter and current owner, Therese Chapman and her husband Chris. Extended family and coworkers also work diligently to help Chapman. “All my employees run this business, without them, I’d be lost,” said Chapman in a written interview with The Olaf Messenger.
As a business focused on providing eco-friendly services, Chapman said that the business has made efforts to shift focus on local products. “In our cooler, during any season, you will always have Minnesotan-grown flowers to choose from,” said Chapman in a written interview. “Moving forward, we hope to become better at reducing our carbon footprint and focus [more on] growing flowers at 1908 Flower Farm, as well as using more sustainable products.” 1908 Flower Farm is in its second year of operation as a Minnesota-based farm and is one location that Forget-Me-Not Florist sources its products from.
Upon walking into Forget-Me-Not Florist, the assortment of foliage, flowers, pottery, and other locally sourced products are arranged to give a breath of fresh air for a customer walking in. “We want our customers to feel relaxed and calm as they enter our building, especially during gray months and winter season,” said Chapman in a written interview with The Olaf Messenger. “The smell and greenery should give them a sense of retreat.”
What sets Forget-Me-Not Florist apart from other services is the active role that the business takes in the Northfield community. They offer classes occasionally, as well as selling at sponsored events and donating to fundraisers and charities. “We listen and take time with each person who calls, emails, or comes into our shop and develop relationships,” said Chapman in a written interview with The Olaf Messenger “Every single person means something to our small shop and we care deeply about their satisfaction.” When customers leave the shop, Chapman hopes that they have “lighter shoulders” after visiting.
Her favorite part about owning the shop is taking personal responsibility in creating one-of-a-kind pieces for each customer for all types of occasions. With Northfield’s ever-evolving community, the Forget-Me-Not Florist team wants to be intentionally involved in the change to create more buzz for the town.
Friday Flowers is just one of the many things that Forget-Me-Not Florist does to carefully curate products directly for their customers. Each Friday Flower purchase directly supports a local Northfield business, as well as supporting nearby Minnesota plant nurseries and farms. Forget-Me-Not Florist is the perfect place to consider when searching for a greenery haven during Minnesota winters.
