Flower power

Q. What’s going to happen at the “Revolution’’?

A. We have three days of programming and prior to that, two days of meetings, and two days of testing. To be a member, you have to take written and skills tests on things like wedding bouquets, sympathy work, and corsages. We have people coming from Korea, Singapore, Mexico, and Australia. We have students in floral design colleges coming to compete.

Q. What is floral design besides arranging flowers in a vase?

A. It’s a lot about the great use of color and blending colors artistically. Oprah’s magazine had an article on 100 things that have changed, and floral design made number one.

Q. How has it changed?

A. I would say that the use of a lot of botanical materials means we’re blending a lot of things in with flowers to have an elegant look but still kind of organic looking, like a lot of succulents that are round and full.

Q. Why are flowers important to our lives?

A. I think it goes back to that very first gift ever given in life, picking flowers out of the yard and handing them to Mom. When you give it, it’s alive, it’s still growing, it’s something that’s lush and emotional.

Q. How did you get into the floral business?

A. I was an insurance underwriter and it was kind of boring. I wanted to do something a little bit more creative. I’ve been a florist for 26 years.

Q. Do you have a favorite flower?

A. I would say the flower I bring home the most is roses. I love the orange ones. Of course, the David Austin English garden roses are now available; they’re relatively new to the States. They’re gigantic, they’re huge, they’re enormous and extremely fragrant.

Q. Who is David Austin?

A. He’s the hybridizer of the garden rose. He’s British.

Q. If a man doesn’t want to be a cliche on Valentine’s Day, what is a good alternative to roses?

A. I’d say tulips are the next thing. Who doesn’t love tulips? Roses are still going to be number one because people are traditional and I think men are afraid to make a mistake. But with roses, I think you should get away from red and try some of these new colors that are so special and that last and last and last.

Q. Does your husband dare bring you flowers?

A. I’m on the road a lot teaching floral design. He usually meets me at the airport with a rose. It’s always a single rose and always a different color.

Interview was condensed and edited.

Bella English can be reached at english@globe.com.