She allows flowers to express themselves

Elly Lin hosts a flower-art workshop in Park Hyatt Shanghai.[Photo by Gao Erqiang/ China Daily]

Arrangements have migrated toward simplicity.

Yet that makes originality more challenging.

Lin originally wanted to be an interior designer. Zen was trendy during her years in England.

Western interpretations of the art added a touch of restraint and depth.

But she discovered a simple decorative branch could soften marble's hardness.

She returned to Taipei in 1995 and combined what she learned about interior design with floral art.

Western flower arrangements often emphasize color coordination and structure, she says.

"Easterners pay attention to the life in the flowers," she says.

"My father used to say, every flower has different sides. Each reveals a different expression. My job is to ensure each flower displays the right expression."

Traveling the world has enabled her to work with exotic species.

"I feel lucky to touch and arrange flowers that only grow in particular places," she says.

Lin works with not only flowers but also with various botanic materials.

Sliced branches, dried vines and preserved leaves create murals, installations and even a chandelier that hangs in a conference hall.

"I see life in plants," she says.

"Sometimes my friends think I'm nuts to be so obsessed with a dry twig or floating wood. But I see the passage of time. To me, it's priceless."

But working with flowers isn't just about taking time to, well, smell the roses.

It can be exhausting. Time is tight.

Most flowers wither after five days.

Consider the scale of floral arrangements that decorate weddings. And then consider the rush to put them together within hours.

But her golden touch comes from a bit of alchemic tinkering with the flora.

By tweaking lights and temperature, she has, for instance, awakened Sleeping Water Lilies, keeping them open all night.

"Our hard work pays off when the newlyweds bring us candy (a Chinese wedding tradition) and say we gave them dream weddings."