Gerard Toh AIFD | CFD | CCF 

Garden Trades Services
Sherman Oaks, California

Gerard has owned and operated three stores over the course of 25 years. As an active member of the Southern California floral community, he has worked in many roles, from serving as president of Teleflora’s Los Angeles Coastal Counties Unit, board member of the San Fernando Valley Floral Association, and The Associated Florist of Southern California. Other positions include the board of the California state Floral Association and the national board of directors of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD). He has also held positions on the education committees of several associations. Gerard is currently on the marketing and PR committee for the Southwest chapter of AIFD.

Gerry’s work has been featured in numerous floral publications, including several covers, features, and editorials in Flowers& magazine, Flora, Blooming News, Town and Country and the Bride and Bloom magazine. As winner of numerous awards for design, including the California State Designer of the year, he has had the honor of judging various floral design competitions across the country. Some projects that have shaped his style include presenting at the annual AIFD international symposium, AIFD across America series for the Northwest and Southwest chapters, and Southern Conference AIFD. He has also conducted workshops in Taiwan.

He served as the creative director for a large silk flower manufacturer in China where his job was to oversee product development and five showrooms in Hong Kong, China, Dallas, Atlanta and Los Angeles, and also as a special projects art director for the magazine, The Bride and Bloom. His latest endeavor was being the floral consultant opening the hotel complex Aria, Vdara and City Center in Las Vegas. One of the fun things he has done is decorated the official cars at the Rose Parade. In July of 2013, he will be one of the many featured designers at AIFD’s National Symposium in Las Vegas.

Gerry is a member of Teleflora’s prestigious team of Educational Specialists. He currently works as a creative director and visual merchandiser for various floral companies and is the publisher for the digital magazine Design in line for the SW Regional chapter of AIFD. His personal agenda is to promote floristry as a viable art form and to showcase the creativity of the American florist.

His life motto states, “Always take life in small steps and enjoy every little miracle along the way.”