Flower arranging is not usually synonymous with the passions of teenagers, let alone teenaged boys, but 17-year-old Shane Antonition is unfazed.He is, after all, a six-time prize winner at the Annual Exhibition, and sees no reason why a hobby he has been avidly pursuing since he was six years old should be considered odd by virtue of his sex.“My mum and sister were doing flower arranging, so it was a natural curiosity for me,” he said.“Once I got into it I started enjoying it a lot, and although I have never had lessons, I have done really well so far. From 2001, and again in 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2011 I competed in various categories in the Junior Flower Arranging Division at the Ag Show [as it was formerly known] and I have won six times.”Now Shane is going for the big time in Boston, and is eagerly looking forward to the experience and all he will take from it.The theme for his class is ‘Caterpillar’, and he will be required to work within set dimensions and to specific rules. In interpreting the theme, he will be allowed to incorporate accents, but plant material must dominate the arrangement. In finished form it must also look like a caterpillar rather than some fanciful interpretation of one.As with all of Shane’s designs, the creative process began with “brainstorming” for ideas. Once a few were stored in his head, depending on their complexity, he would either run them by his mother and sister for a second opinion, or sketch them out.“Sometimes my ideas are over-complicated, and sometimes they are way out there, so they help to refine them,” he said of the family input.“I have a habit of over-using plant material. If you gave me a bucket full of flowers I would use them all. Most designs have a flow to them, so too many components might not mesh, and will interrupt the flow.”Unlike most competitors, who rehearse their entire arrangements in advance, Shane’s typical modus operandi is to sort out the larger components and refine their positioning in advance, while adding the flowers “on the first go”.For his first overseas competition, however, he decided not to take any chances.“Because the WAFA competition is at a higher level, I took a slightly different approach as I wanted to make sure I had it all planned out before I actually went,” he said. “I have my main components, and am now tweaking their positioning, and deciding what kind of flowers I want. I want to keep it simple and colourful.”Not until he actually visits the Boston Flower Market, however, will Shane make his final selection, based on what blooms he considers will go well together.“Sometimes flowers I had in mind don’t work well, and might mess up the arrangement,” he said.Without giving away any secrets, Shane revealed that his entry will include a piece of Bermuda cedar root. Once on location, with his components at the ready, the talented teenager will have just two hours to complete his creation before the judges descend.“It is the first time WAFA has had a youth division and I am really excited about it. It is going to be a really enjoyable experience for me.”Asked if he could envisage owning his own flower shop one day, the Mount Saint Agnes student confessed that, while he loves a challenge and solving problems, maths and science are his favourite subjects, so he plans to study for a career in engineering.