SOME people may have preconceived attitude about occupations. They judge whether certain jobs are more suitable for men or women.
However, florist Lim Shou Xian is not bothered by such occupational stereotypes.
Lim, 27, started to develop interest in floral arrangement when he was very young.
“I learned a lot from my mother who arranged flowers for her customers.
“I worked and I took floral arrangement classes in Taiwan after I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality in Taiwan in 2016.
“Then I returned to Malaysia and ventured into this business which also focus on preserved flowers,” he told Buletin Mutiara during a recent interview at his shop.
Lim currently owns a flower shop in Taman Sintar Indah in Nibong Tebal.
“The most interesting part about preserved flowers is that the flowers are able to maintain their original beauty and appearance for a long time after they had undergone the preservation process.
“Unlike fresh flowers that can only last for a few days, preserved flowers can last between three and five years, or even longer, if they are kept properly.
“This is one of the reasons why many customers prefer preserved flowers for their floral decorations,” he added.
Lim said that he imports his preserved flowers from Japan.
“Japan is known to have the best quality of preserved flowers.
“Currently, my shop has a variety of preserved flowers such as rose, lily, jasmine, Baby’s Breath, carnation or clove pink, as well as hydrangea.
“The bloom that gets the most attention is rose,” Lim said.
He said that he receives a steady flow of orders from his customers although his shop had just started operating last year.
“We do have customers who give brilliant ideas and we do what we can to come up with the floral arrangement.
“One of my floral decoration styles is to showcase the flowers in glass domes. Presenting them in glass domes can enhance the beauty of the flowers,” he said.
Lim said that each floral decoration could take up to five hours to complete, depending on its complexity.
Besides using preserved flowers, Lim also uses artificial or fresh flowers in his work (depending on his customer’s request).
For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/BlissfulFlora19.
Story by Riadz Akmal
Pix by Ahmad Adil Muhamad