“I am not too particular about my choice of tools, since my job is to handle living organism called flowers,” Shinozaki reflects on her experience with work tools. “Freshness is essential for flowers, so cutting is important; the neater and cleaner the cross-section of the cut is, the easier it is for the plants to absorb water and stay fresh. When using normal scissors, the cut can be brittle, damaging the fibers and making it easier for bacteria to grow there. It may even block water flow; therefore, newer tools are better for the longevity of the flowers. For me what’s more important is technical skill and outcome, rather than tools themselves—that’s why I am an artist.
The moment flowers are removed from the soil, they head towards death. Hence I feel the duty to create something—I want as many people as possible to appreciate the moment before their death. My wish is to elevate the charm that flowers inherently own by acting as the middle person. Apparently, animals and insects can barely make out the colors and shapes of flowers, but we human beings can recognize the different hues and textures of flower petals. If flowers only existed for procreation, then I feel like it wouldn’t be necessary to have such a wide variety of colors or delicate shapes. Yet, we find so many different species of flowers in the world. My mission is to deliver to the people the most beautiful moments in the life of cut flowers and their charm to the fullest potential.” Her love for flowers is hard to beat even in her industry. Since her profession consists of handling living organisms, she says that her work starts from the time she wakes up in the morning to when she goes to bed at night. The act of florists caring for flowers and expanding their potential—perhaps is a mission given to all of us.
 
 
 

Megumi Shinozaki A floral designer who works with everything related to flowers: from in-store decorations to windows, magazines, ads, music videos, and product packaging. She runs the weekend flower shop “edenworks bedroom” along with other shops and projects.