A florist is someone who works in a flower shop and whose duties encompass floral design, flower care and floral arrangement. They generally work with plants in the retail level, selling all types of flowers to customers on a daily basis. Floral design is a major specialty of a typical florist. Many consider floral design a type of art form referring to the arrangement of flowers in a special and unique pattern in baskets, bouquets, bowls and other types of containers. This specialty is particularly important during wedding planning as flowers and floral arrangements make up the majority of a wedding's decor.

On any given day, a florist is engaged in several important work duties, including flower maintenance and floral arrangement. A very important part of a florist's job is to make sure all the flowers in the shop are fresh and ready to be sold. Most of the flowers are refrigerated to prevent wilting and maintain freshness. A florist must make sure that the vases in which the flowers are stored have fresh water, and that the temperature in the refrigerators is not too hot or too cold. The rest of the day is spent arranging bouquets for walk-in customers as well as taking special orders for birthdays, weddings and other special occasions.

A professional florist may also be hired to prepare the floral arrangements for a major occasion such as a wedding or funeral service. This job entails choosing flowers to be in all the floral arrangements, locating or ordering the flowers from wholesale companies, and designing and creating all of the floral arrangements needed for the occasion. A major project like this may take several days or even weeks to complete.