Posted on 21 October 2026
EventsOur LearnersOur QualificationsOpen Polytechnic floristry ākonga (learner) Wajirani Adhihetty has enjoyed learning off one of the best, with a practical placement under the tutelage of Academic Staff Member and Master Florist, Megan Parker, who runs Wild About Flowers in Paraparaumu.
Waji, as she likes to be called, is studying towards the New Zealand Certificate in Floristry (Level 3) and not only worked at Megan’s floristry business, as part of her course, but also helped arrange the flowers for Open Polytechnic’s Wellington graduation ceremony in May.
“I'm very honoured to be a mentee of Megan,” Waji says.
“Megan showed me the world of floristry, not only how to arrange and make a flower arrangement, but the story behind that arrangement, the connection that flowers and why we do these arrangements.”
“It's like connecting our minds with the nature, it’s also giving me energy to go ahead with completing the programme.”
Waji enrolled with Open Polytechnic after losing her job in the public sector and wanted a new activity to complement her master’s in public policy studies which she is currently doing at another learning institution.
“I wanted to put my brain into another challenge, I selected floristry because of the flowers and what flowers bring to relax my mind and focus into my studies, my children and my life,” Waji explains.
“I thought this would be my next challenge to learn and to do the arrangements, learn about flowers, and to learn about the science behind the floristry arrangements.”
While she doesn’t necessarily see herself having a career in floristry, Waji sees floristry as a way to provide balance in her life and help her other “professional path trajectory”.
“So floristry will stay behind me giving me a kind of energy for my life to achieve my professional goals,” Waji exclaims.