After being placed second in the junior section in 2013, and with six years’ industry experience under her belt, the 21-year-old is keen to compete in the senior section in 2014.

“I learned a lot last time,” says Olivia Smith. “My least favourite category was the surprise box, which really threw me. I found working in front of the public very daunting to start with but by the end of the week I didn’t really notice.”

The experience and confidence gained from the contest helped her decide to open her own business, ‘The Villa Florist’ in Hokitika next year, while she continues studying advanced floristry through the Primary ITO.

She is looking forward to competing against thirteen other florists on next year’s theme ‘Flowers in the Attic’ – based on the best-selling Virginia Andrews novel about a group of siblings locked away by their greedy mother and evil grandmother.

The contestants will spend five days competing in fourteen categories that may include, for example, preparing wedding arrangements, creating a table display and decorating a live model. They start the week designing their own floral shop on the theme ‘A Novel Affair’.

Contest organiser Joy Knight, founder of Florists New Zealand Incorporated (FLONZI), says the judges will be looking for interesting and intriguing displays that show the contestants are adventurous and imaginative.

The winner can represent New Zealand in international floristry competitions and the current title holder, Ashburton’s Nicole Hazlehurst, came 15^th at the Worldskills event in Germany in July.

The five-day florist competition is open to the public during the Ellerslie International Flower Show 2014 in the floral art marquee. There also are 16 major gardens on show at Ellerslie in 2014 for visitors to enjoy, twice as many as this year and more than ever before.

The Ellerslie International Flower Show is in Christchurch’s North Hagley Park from 26 February to 2 March 2014.