Effortless arrangements

Florist Sarah Statham reveals the secret to creating striking natural floral displays: adapting to the shape of your vessel

- SORREL EVERTON

For Sarah Statham, perhaps more widely known through her beguiling Instagram account Simply By Arrangement, buying a bunch of flowers from her local florist on the way home from work was always more than just a colourful purchase. Back in the early 2000s, working in the demanding world of criminal law, these weekly blooms were an important and uplifting marker to the end of the working week. But these regular flower indulgences also nurtured a long-held aspiration to work with flowers, and so when the threat of job losses loomed, the moment seemed right to explore that dream.

Sarah's first step was to dig up the front garden and create raised beds for a range of flowers. She also spent time learning the craft of flower arranging through books and courses, exploring techniques and defining her own aesthetic. As Sarah is based near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, a region with a strong local identity, it was clear that locally grown flowers were an essential choice to work with. When she set up her business in 2013, the groundswell of support for foam-free arranging struck a chord with Sarah's preference for sustainable floristry, which instinctively aligned with her free-flowing and intuitive approach. "I grow flowers, arrange them and teach others to create designs that are natural and always in tune with the season," she explains.