Kenneth Malagiere of Narcissus Florals/Mueller’s Historic Florist shares his passion and purpose for a life in bloom.

TOMS RIVER, NJ – From just because to “I Do”, creating beauty through the art of flowers is Kenneth Malagiere’s passion – well, one of his passions. He is also a collected artist. An engaged citizen. The Director of the Ocean County College Foundation. And, of course, he stands ready to inspire as he leads the design team at Narcissus Florals in Toms River and Mueller’s Historic Florist in Spring Lake Heights.
Stimulated by immersive travel experiences and fine art, Malagiere was raised as an artist. “My father owned a small flower shop my entire childhood, and I basically grew up ‘under the counter’,” he said. “I took over the business post-graduation, in anticipation of taking some time off and getting a little small-business experience before law school. Law school never happened, but I did marry a lawyer instead!”
If he’s not hand designing the perfect floral arrangement, Malagiere is a skilled painter putting oil on canvas or dabbling in watercolors to create his own works of art in the Impressionist style made famous by masters August Renoir and Claude Monet.
When it comes to wedding planning, Malagiere has extremely dedicated consultants who meet with brides and grooms to assist in selecting the perfect blooms to bring their vision to life, as well as a professional design team that makes the magic happen. “Flowers inspire everything we do and we hope to bring that inspiration to the world around us,” Malagiere said. “Behind the scenes, it is a sea of Google calendars and Excel spreadsheets to keep us organized and able to execute seamlessly on the big day, a few hundred times a year.”
Malagiere’s experience in the industry has not gone unnoticed. The Narcissus Florals and Mueller’s Historic Florist team has been featured in several publications, including The Knot, Brides Magazine, NJ Bride, numerous featured articles in the Asbury Park Press, as well as Floral Finance, Retail Florist and Flowers and Profits.
Today, Malagiere serves several community-building organizations working to accomplish everything from helping college students pay their tuition at Ocean County College as the Executive Director of the College Foundation, to guiding numerous nonprofit organizations, including the 64-year-old Garden State Philharmonic where he is a board member and past president. “Through these efforts, we are committed to supporting the community we serve through our involvement on numerous community foundation boards and through our contributions to special events and charitable organizations all along the Jersey Shore,” he said.
Grateful for every opportunity that he receives along this journey that he is on, Malagiere adds, “What I really enjoy about my life now is the creativity involved every day. When we founded our business, our driving philosophy was to be where the art of business meets the business of art. We think we are getting there.”
About Narcissus Florals
A second-generation florist, Narcissus Florals in Toms River is proud to have served the […]