Bruce's career in full flower

By Natalie Bridges
To his mum's utter despair, Bruce Topp used to delicately pluck all the best flowers from her garden.
Little did she know it marked the beginning of her son's life-long love affair with the art of floristry, which has seen him create arrangements for the likes of Elton John.
"I could see her working in the garden and all of the colours and flowers that came out of it," said Mr Topp, reminiscing about the farm where he grew up in Huntly with his two musical sisters- the iconic Topp twins.
Now after 30 years of service to international florist group Interflora, Mr Topp, who runs From the Heart at Mount Maunganui, has been appointed president of the company's Pacific section - and it's clear why.
"You're not really selling flowers as such, you're selling emotions because people send flowers when they are in love, sad, having a baby and so on. They are a reflection of what's going on in people's lives. Everything about flowers is human. They represent different emotions for different people- that is what's so special."
Part of the criteria for president is to own your own florist shop - to remain at the source of the business of sending smiles to people around the world. "So we're working with the customers as well as being on the board, which gives us a different perspective from people who are just directors.
"You are at the coal face doing the job everyday and then you get on a plane to go to Christchurch and do the business side of things and see the business profiting overall. I enjoy that and find it exciting," said Mr Topp.
Trips to Interflora conferences in Ireland and Day Dream Island in the Whitsundays are on the cards for Mr Topp this year - all part of the president's day job.
Starting his career at the famous Auckland flower shop, Spiros, in Parnell, Mr Topp had the privilege of creating an all-white arrangement for the greatest bloom-buyer in the world, Elton John.
"It was amazing for a young florist to know that they were doing a bunch for Elton John. I've done flowers for lots of famous people.
Elton chose an all-white arrangement and was in love with the idea of big white lilies and classic flowers."
After two years at Spiros, Mr Topp bought a florist shop with his mother in Huntly, where they remained for 16 years. Then Mr Topp finally moved to Tauranga where he eventually bought his current florist shop.
He was Interflora district chairman for Waikato and the Bay of Plenty for the last three years before his three-year Pacific president appointment.
With the Interflora board at the New Zealand headquarters in Christchurch, Mr Topp has also just finished designing and compiling the Third Edition of the company's international catalogue - a 25 page glossy full of bouquets and arrangements which can be sent to loved ones anywhere in the world.
Mr Topp lives in Te Puke.
"I'm loving it in Te Puke because the soil is so great and we can grow great greenery for the shop. "
As he stood among an array of stunning stems, from sunflowers, to lilies and roses in his florist shop, he said he has learned many things during his life-long career.
"Spiros was opposite the Blind Institute in Parnell and they used to come over to buy flowers, which may seem like a contradiction in terms.
But we looked for the most perfumed flowers for arrangements and their guide dogs used to smell them too. And I realised: flowers are a sensory and emotional thing whoever you are."