When students walk into MizzouRec, they expect the hum of treadmills, the splash of the pool and the energy of campus life. What they might not expect is a jungle, but, tucked inside the rec center is a lush indoor green space created by Mizzou’s student-run floral shop Tiger Garden. The space has been transforming the way students experience wellness.
“The space is so unexpected, and it makes you actually want to slow down and relax for a minute,” says Durdona Tolibjonova, a sophomore studying biological sciences. “I have never seen such a real garden inside a rec center anywhere else before! I always take a deep breath when I walk past – it’s like a mini-escape.”
This past summer, the rec green space underwent a transformation by Hanna Souther, wedding and event coordinator at Tiger Garden, and one of her students.
“The original vision for the Tiger Garden display was ambitious: bring the outdoors indoors,” explained Souther. Faculty and staff imagined a space that would be more than decorative – it would be restorative. Located in the heart of a recreation facility, the garden could provide students with a moment of calm, a place to gather or even just a glimpse of green to brighten their routine. While the rec did have some jungle elements originally, Tiger Garden refurbished the lobby section with faux materials, allowing the look to last.
The entire refresh was completed in just one week. They carefully selected plant varieties, rearranged the space to highlight both height and texture and added new touches to make the environment feel more immersive. The goal was to recreate the feeling of walking through a jungle – a space where students could slow down, look around and enjoy a pocket of nature in the middle of their workout routine.
While the Rec Center installation is arguably Tiger Garden’s most visible feature, the program has grown and extended in remarkable ways since its founding in 2005. The student-powered floral business connected to CAFNR’s Division of Plant Science and Technology is now a staple of many Mizzou students’ experiences.
- Tiger Garden provides floral arrangements for nearly 300 events each year, from weddings and university ceremonies to local celebrations.
- The shop employs and trains dozens of students annually, giving them hands-on experience in horticulture, floral design and business operations.
- Courses tied to Tiger Garden give students real-world opportunities to apply what they’re learning in the classroom.
Over the years, Tiger Garden has been featured by CAFNR as an example of hands-on student business operation. The floral shop is operated by students, gives them opportunities to gain real-world retail, design, event management and business experience, and serves the campus and broader community. Its longevity is itself a mark of success – a student-run operation that has thrived for nearly two decades, continuously adapting to new trends in wellness, design and sustainability.
“With its fresh redesign in the rec and ongoing growth, Tiger Garden continues to flourish,” said Souther.
For anyone stepping into MizzouRec, it’s more than a garden. It’s a reminder that nature can thrive anywhere – even in the heart of campus.
This story was written by a student enrolled in Sci Ag Comm 2150, which gives students the opportunity to explore public relations and journalistic writing with real-world experience in CAFNR.