A flowering of imagination
Plant arrangement and making bouquets are rooted in Chinese culture, and one practitioner is carrying on the tradition, Yang Feiyue reports.
Inheritor of craft
Liang got a job offer at Zizhuyuan Park (Purple Bamboo Park) in 1978, and made a career there for over four decades.
He started off building infrastructure, laying concrete, plastering walls and taking care of maintenance work. All these paved the way for the flower artwork afterward.
"In the past, the flower terrace framework needs to be made on-site by park staff, so a qualified horticultural worker is required to be equipped with both art and various technical skills, such as civil engineering, and water and electricity supply," Liang says.
He was then sent to the horticulture division, where he studied flower cultivation and management from experienced staff members.
"I saw how they took care of the flowers like their children and tried to understand the flowers' growth and habits," he recalls.
"I was deeply impressed."
Liang got good measure of the craftsmanship involved as his teachers meticulously watered and applied fertilizers to plants in the park and then pruned them into their best shape.
He also saw how the trade brought joy to the public.
"That was when I was determined to make a go of it," he says.
