‘Flowers have always inspired me since childhood’ says Samitha Wijayasekara of ‘The Wedding Flowers’, a successful floral designing company. Samitha has always been fascinated with the emotions brought out by flowers and their symbolism. Daily News features Samitha who has blossomed alongside her chosen vocation.
Q: Why are you passionate about flowers?
A: I decided I needed to do something about my passion for flowers and floral décor. Thus here I am - the owner of a successful floral designing company, brightening people's lives every day and bringing joy to newlyweds on their wedding ceremony.
Q: What does floriculture mean?
A: Floriculture, or flower farming, is similar to that of horticulture, the difference being that it is concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for the floral industry. As an event decoration company, we use these flowers in various floral designs and incorporate them into our events.
Q: Tell me a little about this new venture of yours?
A: Academy of Floral Design was launched after much thought and careful effort. It was always my wish to educate students on the concept of flowers and the important role it plays in our lives.
A: Firstly floral design is not at all recognized in Sri Lanka nor is the floral industry. It is believed that floral designing can be attempted by simply anyone; however a floral structure requires a lot of knowledge and careful technique which can only be acquired through learning and experience. It is most difficult to create a structure that fits well into the setting and which is also pleasing to the eye. Due to this I decided that it's time that Sri Lankan students realize the importance of floral designing and launched the first ever Floral Designing Academy which will change the fate and history of the floral industry.
The School academy is important. Involved in so many international workshops, we update our knowledge whenever we learn. I thought of sharing the knowledge I learnt.
There are so many talented people, and nowadays everyone wants to do something creative.
Q: You were an accountant. Why did you change your career?
A: Yes I was an accountant for quite some time at a leading company. I left to start up my own company as I've always had a blazing passion for floristry and floral design and this is the sole reason for my career change. Hence I switched to floral designing from accounting in 1995 and I haven’t looked back since.
I chose to be an accountant in the beginning as I was unsure whether my love for flowers would really take me anywhere, so I unwillingly became an accountant to support my family. However had I started my path then, I would have been even more successful than I already am. But I guess everything happens for a reason and this probably happened so that I re-discovered my passion for flowers.
Q: Would you encourage any youth to join the floral industry? Is it a lucrative field?
A: The sole reason of launching the Academy of Floral Design is to educate young minds and for all those interested and to improve the floral industry. By doing this not only will the industry be recognized but it'll also open up many new startups and will lead to more entrepreneurs to support our economy. At the moment the floral industry is rather dull, however when more students recognize its value, the industry will thrive and flourish. The aim of creating such an academy is to discover the potential of this field hence it's certainly a successful line to be in.
Q: What is the floral industry like in Sri Lanka and how do you compare it to the west?
A: The floral industry in Sri Lanka is steady but not extremely successful as in the West. This is due to lack of awareness as most people want to take on a more professional job in fear of not doing well in terms of progress and finance. Also the floral industry has received minimal support from the government and less funds to encourage young entrepreneurs to break into the market. This in turn makes it a least favorable job among youngsters. However it is being recognized since the past 6 to 8 years and the number of entrepreneurs emerging in the market has also increased. With the introduction of the academy there will definitely be an increase of entrepreneurs in the floral industry.
Q: Tell me a little bit about the awards that you have won.
A: I was awarded The Woman Entrepreneur of the year 2015 under the Bronze category organized by WCIC, Merit award for Entrepreneur Awards Western Province 2016 organized by NEDA and my company was also recently placed 2nd runner up in The National Business Excellence Awards 2016 organized The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka.
Q: As a person do you feel you have that flair for floral designing because you need to deal with customers?
A: Well of course as with experience comes great expertise. I believe that I have that extra spark when it comes to dealing with customers. The uniqueness and style of my floral structure is what gives me that advantage.
Q: What are your future plans?
A: Well for now I'm focusing mostly on the company and the academy, and I'm currently working on introducing more courses so that our students have different courses to select from.
Q: Your message to the society?
A: I would like to call out to everyone out there who have a passion for everything floral. Please nurture the talent you have. Always look to expand knowledge and understanding.
This is entirely why I launched my floral academy as I want youngsters to hope for something beyond a desk job, something that would make them happy and keep them content in the long run. I would like those interested to take this step forward to create something exciting and new.
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