Donna McCollister and Diana Gallagher, who normally work midnight and afternoon shifts in Facilities Management, undergo a Cinderella-like transformation between the last week in April and Labor Day. For the second year in a row, the two women are in charge of weeding, mulching, fertilizing, trimming, designing and flower planting on the Livonia campus.

Although they both work very hard and sometimes put in 12-hour days depending on the vagaries of Mother Nature, they love their job. They choose the plants, make special buying trips to nurseries and Eastern Market, plant more than 100 flats, move hostas and day lilies, and expand beds so they can plant even more flowers.

McCollister and Gallagher bring a new imagination to their gardening. This year they will enlarge last year’s SC created from red and white flowers that grew in front of the Administration Building. And the floral bell tower, planted near the southwest corner of the Waterman Wing last year, will be replaced this year with a blue and white ocelot logo, matching the one on the gym floor.

Look for both of these special floral creations the week of June 11 — and please, don’t step on the flowers.