Owner and creator of Jungle Botanics Rose Lawson in her studio. Photo / Rosalie Willis
Drawing, picking, playing and planting flowers from a young age, Rose Lawson is using this year's Kāpiti Arts Trail to declare that she is indeed an artist, and a successful one at that.
Creating terrariums of all scales, Rose creates living oases that last for years with little maintenance.
"My grandad ran the teahouse at the Wellington Botanical Gardens, which has the big glasshouse next to it.
"So when I was a kid I spent a lot of time in there in absolute paradise."
Moving to Melbourne and working for a couple of big florists over there after studying floristry, one of them asked Rose if she wanted to start making terrariums to sell.
"I just became fully obsessed and couldn't stop doing it."
Leaving Melbourne, Rose went on a jungle expedition travelling around the world visiting jungles from the Amazon to Costa Rica, Borneo and Panama.
"That was mind-bogglingly awesome - it couldn't have been more my jam, it was really cool.
"After that, we decided to move back to New Zealand even though I was pretty sure I was never going to move back to New Zealand.
"Melbourne was so easy to get work, you got paid more, I thought there were so many opportunities, and I thought was does New Zealand have for me?
"But I got back and I was like New Zealand has everything for me - I wasn't expecting it.
"I've found there are heaps of opportunities in New Zealand."
After her experience creating terrariums in Melbourne and visiting jungles overflowing with nature and wildlife, Rose started up Jungle Botanics a small business selling terrariums in New Zealand part-time.
"I thought I'd see how it goes and found that no one else was doing it, so it grew from there."
She soon found starting off in her spare room was a terrible idea as dirt and smashed glass got everywhere, so after a team effort renovating the garage, Rose now works from her garage studio on Robert Grove, Paraparaumu.
"The timing of opening Jungle Botanics was really good.
"I opened in New Zealand over two years ago, just as everyone was becoming obsessed with house plants."
Not only has she started a successful business, but opening up her studio for the first time to the Kāpiti Arts Trail is Rose proving to herself that she is an artist.
"I dropped out of art school after a year and a half.
"I had really bad imposter syndrome so I dropped out and became a florist.
"From then I've felt a bit like a creative failure.
"The Kāpiti Arts Trail is my chance to be recognised as an artist.
"I make money from my creative endeavours and I should let go of my feelings of being a failure.
"Art comes in lots of different forms - this is floral art in a longer-lasting way."
Opening up her studio to the public for the first time, Rose said, "I'm looking forward to having two weekends of people coming and hanging out.
Rose also works at The Wilderness, a florist in Paraparaumu Beach twice a week, just because she loves it.
"I could probably do Jungle Botanics full time but it's a really nice place to work, and cool people.
"It's nice to have the variety and balance."
Jungle Botanics will be open during the Kāpiti Arts Trail in November at 3 Robert Grove, Paraparaumu.
Corporal Manu Smith has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
