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“I spent a week with a florist and I loved it. I loved being there. Everyday I’d get up and think ‘this is for me.”
As an apprentice florist, Kylie Peachey is passionate about two things: flowers and the environment.
It was this attitude that saw Kylie nominated as a finalist in the 2007 Outstanding Student of the Year Awards – Apprentice Awards.
The Certificate III in Floristry graduate said the industry was beginning to experience the affects of climate change.
“The growers are starting to become affected by the changing weather. Recently we weren’t able to get any moss because they dried out during the bushfires in summer—what would we do without moss?” she said.
“It’s such a scary issue and it needs to be addressed quickly before it becomes too late.”
Kylie said she had noticed lots of changes at her workplace because of global warming.
“We are selling a lot more native potted plants rather than things that need to be watered frequently. We have to use more drought tolerant and hardy flowers like waratahs, proteas and kangaroos paws which are beautiful,” she said.
Working at Strathmore Flowers, Kylie said she puts together arrangements for all the airport lounges, the Grand Prix and various Australian Rules Football Clubs.
She said she wanted to be a florist after completing work experience in high school.
“I spent a week with a florist and I loved it. I loved being there. Everyday I’d get up and think ‘this is for me’,” she said.
Kylie said it was important to work in the industry while learning the skills at TAFE.
“If you are learning it at school and not at work you can be a little bit lost, it’s like a jigsaw, everything falls into your place,” she said.
29 June 2007
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