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• Fleurish’s Sarah Compratt gives flower arranging pointers

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Flowers found in Fleurish of downtown Urbana. Photo by James Kyung

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Sarah Compratt opened her flower shop, Fleurish, in downtown Urbana in February. After spending 14 years managing a flower shop in Los Angeles, Compratt has developed a lot of signature styles. Upon entering Fleurish, you can begin to get a feel for Compratt’s aesthetic. When describing her own style, Compratt calls it, “tight, clean and simple.”

“I’m also really interested in the scientific aspect of flowers,” says Compratt. An avid collector of containers of all types, Compratt sometimes arranges flowers in old beakers and lab equipment.

Compratt also collects, and has available at her store, salvaged glass bottles that are aged and worn. “You can make them look really modern,” explains Compratt. “These bottles lend themselves well to a field flower,” suggests Compratt.

While Fleurish creates lovely arrangements, you can also buy individual or bunches of wrapped flowers. Compratt is happy to offer advice or pointers to anyone looking to make an arrangement for themselves.

Roses, which along with orchids are Fleurish’s top sellers, can look really great in a big mass. When you first purchase a rose at Fleurish, the bud will be pretty tight and closed so it will last longer. Before an event or occasion, put the rose outside in the sun for a bit so it can breathe, puff up and become very full.

Compratt works with farms in California and Oregon to get some of her more unusual flowers, but this time of year, she explains, you can get all types of local flowers. Lilies, hydrangeas, dianthus, begonias and snapdragons, just to name a few, are all in bloom right now. Gladiolas are also readily available this time of year and do well in one color on their own. “You can see really unusual colors of gladiolas too, like dark, dark purple and chartreuse green,” says Compratt. “It’s a really pretty and long lasting summer flower,” she explains further.

Whether you want to buy a beautiful arrangement or try your own hand at flower arranging, hop into Fleurish for some lovely flowers and lots of inspiration.