A part of the ongoing International Horticultural Expo highlights a booming new industry: floriculture. One Beijing flower shop is among the first to experience the new trend. The shop was opened four years ago by a young woman desperate for a career change, and looking back she says she's glad she made the move.

Zhang Tongshuo, manager of Ten Floral, was born and raised in Beijing. She studied engineering, management and did construction budgets. Her early career was relegated to an office cubicle. She didn't really enjoy it, and calculating numbers for a living felt meaningless. She wanted to do something she enjoys, like making things by hand. So she enrolled herself in a flower school, and later opened her own flower shop.

Basically, her main job each day is to make flowers look nicer. Everyday, she cuts flowers' ends and replenish the water which helps to extend the flowering phase. She also takes customers' orders and get their requests right, while making something uniquely tailored for them. In her spare time, she also puts together some DIY creations like dry flowers, preserved fresh flowers, and tries to create something people can't find in the market.

In the beginning, her flower shop was located in Beijing's Dongzhimen area, where she expected a high inflow of shoppers, but she didn't get what she hoped. So she started working in conjunction with businesses like paint stores, leather shops, restaurants, and coffee houses. She created a space called "the aesthetics of life." 

Things have changed a lot in the last four years. At first, the customer flow wasn't great, only a few people knew about the store, and consuming concepts of flowers hadn't quite developed then. 

In the past, people bought flowers for birthdays, special occasions like family functions, or Valentine's Day. Now flowers have become a part of daily life. People need something beautiful to decorate their desks, dining room tables, or something to just change the mood. 

Now more and more people choose to make their own flower creations, apart from common gifts like bouquets and flower baskets. Dry flowers, preserved fresh flowers, and embossed flower photo frames have all become increasingly popular. 

Zhang also offers floriculture classes. Some parents send their kids to improve their flower-making abilities. Meanwhile, shopping online is of course a growing trend. The flower store has its own online shopping portal. Internet sales are very different from taking care of customers in person at the shop.

"I feel proud of my achievements in my heart when I see this industry getting more and more popular. I hope floriculture industry could bring people enjoyment, and that people learn more about floriculture. More people are able to enjoy the beautiful moods that flowers evoke," Zhang said.