On the show, teams of floral designers are challenged to create elaborate structures made of plants.

In an interview with OprahMag.com, Griffith-VanderYacht opened up his career, the show, and what he really thinks of the contestants stealing flowers.

Mary Berry. Ru Paul . Simon Cowell. When it comes to reality competition shows, the judges, with their idiosyncratic personalities and catch-phrases, are as important as the talent. As judge of The Big Flower Fight on Netflix, acclaimed florist Kristen Griffith-VanderYacht, 36, joins that lauded set—but only he knows how to construct a giant recreation of a miniature Schnauzer, made entirely of long grasses (watch the episode “Huge Hairy Beasts ” to see the installation in all its glory).

“It’s more than just shoving flowers into a vase,” Griffith-VanderYacht, the owner of Seattle’s Wild Bloom Florals , whose arrangements have been featured in celebrity weddings and on magazine covers, tells OprahMag.com of The Big Flower Fight .

That’s an understatement. On The Big Flower Fight , 10 teams of two are challenged to create elaborate floral installations, ranging from life-size couture dresses made of cut flowers to super-sized insects crafted with living plants. Along with a guest judge, Griffith-VanderYacht crowns one winning team, and eliminates another. Griffith-VanderYacht’s involvement with The Big Flower Fight started with an Instagram DM. “It was probably the most nontraditional route a person could take to getting on television,” Griffith-VanderYacht jokes.

The Seattle native was dropping his baby son off at daycare when he got a message on Instagram about a mysterious TV project. Griffith-Vanderyacht pulled into a Starbucks parking lot, “because they have that good WiFi, and you can’t mess around with WiFi,” and had a 10-minute video call with strangers.

“I didn’t even know what I was auditioning for. Then I heard back maybe two weeks later, they’re like, ‘Okay, we would like you for this project.’ And I was like, “Well, what’s the project?” And they’re like, ‘It’s for Netflix.’ And then my wig blew off,” Griffith-VanderYacht says.

While The Big Flower Fight came out of nowhere, Griffith-VanderYacht has been “planting the seeds” (sorry!) for a similar opportunity for years, thanks to his illustrious career in the floral industry. According to Wild Bloom Floral’s website , Griffth-VanderYacht’s flowers have been in major publications across the US, including Martha Stewart Weddings , Traditional Home Magazine , and The Knot , and seen on Good Morning America and E! . His flowers for actress Julianne Hough’s wedding were featured on the front cover of People .

This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Wild Bloom Floral is the culmination of Griffith-VanderYacht’s lifelong love of flowers. Growing up in Detroit, he spent summers tending to his mother’s garden in their large backyard. “I was like, yes, this is amazing! I get to play in the dirt, and pull stuff out. Little did I know it was manual […]