One year ago, Tony and Heather Niccoli sat on the garage floor of their home, furiously trying to save a University of Idaho tradition.
In the absence of the age old Scott’s House of Flowers, the Niccoli’s took on the task of preserving I Mums, a UI homecoming tradition dating back to 1921.
“It’s something we really want to preserve, to keep the tradition alive,” said Heather, who cofounded Little Shop of Florals with her husband.
I Mums, or large chrysanthemums decorated with UI colored ribbons, have donned the jackets and dresses of the Vandal faithful for decades. Scott’s House of Flowers, a staple of downtown Moscow, held the title of I Mum manufacturer since the 1940s, according to Heather.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
However, she said the aging owners had considered retirement for years, placing the tradition in jeopardy. That’s when Heather and Tony decided to chase a passion of their own.
“It was always something I thought we would do,” Heather said. “I never thought I would own my own shop. I thought it was a dream that couldn’t be. But then my husband and I made it happen.”
After working for the local Tidyman’s in Moscow as a florist, Heather said she left her hometown on the Palouse and ventured overseas.
Tony said she traveled to Germany as a florist before eventually coming back to the states, where she served as a magazine managing editor in California.
Tony, who worked for Mercedes-Benz at the time, said it wasn’t long into his relationship with his future wife that he discovered her passion for creating floral arrangements.
“When we were first dating, I would buy her flowers,” he said. “Sometimes, I would just get a paper-wrapped bouquet to-go from the florist, and come home and be amazed as she was rapid-fire making this incredible arrangement.”
Tony said Heather encouraged him to try the craft for himself, and after several failed attempts — and some successful ones — he was hooked.
The couple then made their way back to Moscow. Heather said her return came with an added challenge: revitalizing the town she had grown up in.
With plans to take over Scott’s House on Main Street, Heather and Tony began planning their business. Unfortunately, those plans fell through, as the owners of Scott’s House ended their time as Moscow vendors before Little Shop of Florals was ready to get off the ground.
This left the I Mum tradition in a free-fall, with no established Moscow floral shop ready to carry the torch.
Undeterred, Tony said he and Heather put their noses to the grindstone, determined to not let the tradition die.
Heather and Tony had already leased their new location on East 2nd Street, but the inside of the building was far from suitable for constructing dozens of intricate mums.
Instead, the couple did most of the work from home, creating the I Mums in their garage, living room and dining room.
Then, they sold their completed arrangments out of their halfway-constructed shop, complete with a card table and refrigerator.
“We had already bought the cooler and signed the lease on this place, but it was gutted down to the studs,” Tony said. “We were sitting here with two little folding chairs and two refrigerators plugged into the only wall socket that worked.”
Despite the adversity, Little Shop of Florals managed to stay on par with previous I Mum sales.
This year, with the shop fully functional, Heather has received 70 preorders.
Olivia Heersink | Argonaut
With 120 I Mums planned, she said those interested should reach out as soon as possible.
“Personally, it’s my mission to bring back all the old traditions,” she said. “We want to make the town alive.”
Heather said any leftover I Mums can be purchased in front of the Kibbie Dome before Saturday’s game. One dollar from every $15 flower will be donated to the UI Alumni Association, specifically the production of the homecoming fireworks show.
“It’s awesome to be a part of this community. It’s what we really wanted when we decided to settle down,” Tony said. “We’re super excited to be the ones carrying on the tradition and making sure it never ends.”
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected]