The Flower Store, 2290 Moores Mill Road, is tucked away in an ivy-covered, red brick building in the Ogletree Village shopping square. The store is a romantic escape from your ordinary flower shop.
From the moment you walk through the door you are bombarded with conflicting textures, hues and scents.
If you have ever made the trip out to Publix or Gigi's Cupcakes, then chances are you have passed by the substantially sized showroom.
Stanley Sistrunk, 54-year-old Society Hill resident and owner of The Flower Store, has been in the floral business since February 1982 when his first variation of the shop conducted business out of a cramped, run-down house on South College Street which has since been demolished.
He moved to the Moores Mill Road location 20 years ago in November 2001.
"It's so nice to drive out here instead of down South College," Sistrunk said. "South College was supposed to be the most beautiful entrance--the gateway to the Loveliest Village of the Plains--and now it's nothing but Goo-Goo car washes."
An Auburn graduate with a degree in horticulture, Sistrunk has worked with flowers and plants for most of his life.
"I worked at a flower shop while I was in college here at Auburn for about five years," Sistrunk said. "I worked for that shop from '75 till about '81 and then graduated in horticulture in '79. I opened the shop in '82.
"We're kind of a destination shop that many students don't know about. Some of our best customers are the parents of students, but we would still like for more people to come out and see what we're really about."
Sistrunk said a good portion of his customers don't even live in Auburn or its surrounding communities.
Some of his best customers live in places such as Montgomery, Columbus and Atlanta and call in orders from out of town\0xAD-- customers who have been loyal patrons of Sistrunk's since his earlier days as a newly established florist.
"The Flower Store is absolutely gorgeous, but probably serves more young adults than students," said Delaney Garvin, sophomore preveterinary major. "Still, the inside of the store is absolutely breathtaking.
"You walk in underneath these dazzling globe chandeliers and are instantly hit with that sweet floral smell. The floor is flooded with stunning arrangements. It's just a very charming environment."
Offering the largest selection of specimens in town, the shop carries an assortment of plants and flowers imported from South America, New Zealand and Holland, as well as California, Indiana and Florida.
The store welcomes deliveries of floral inventory five times a week.
Maintaining an array of lavish dinnerware, fine china, luxury gifts and upscale home decor are also priorities of the shop.
The Flower Store also features its own "truffle bar."
"You have to have a reason to come out here, but people come by because we have one of the largest selections of gift items," Sistrunk said.
"As a business we have always had gifts, but never to the caliber of the store's current state."
They also cater to special events.
"We specialize in weddings and party work," Sistrunk said.
The establishment offers a formal bridal registry and often works alongside special-event planners to organize custom affairs.
One downside is items in the store can get a bit overpriced.
However, many of the gifts are handcrafted and possess an artistic flare beyond Auburn's normal suppliers.
"We strive to make people happy," Sistrunk said, "to make some occasion more special, to make your wedding the most important day of your life, to make funerals more comforting."
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