At her home in the quiet town of Douglas, Alabama, Shandyn Unruh patiently plants rows of ranunculus, pansies, and bearded irises. The autumn days are growing shorter as she places the bulbs into the ground, trusting that the work she does will bear beauty in the spring. 

“Flowers have always been my security, my sanctuary,” Unruh says. As both farmer and floral designer of Sweetbriar Florals, Unruh has mastered what is known as “natural floristry,” a style that celebrates the inherent beauty and personality of each stem. Rather than forcing flowers into rigid arrangements, she lets them bend and take shape as they were meant to—mimicking how they would grow in the garden.

“We let every stem talk to us,” she explains. “The rule comes from the stem, not from me.”

Sowing Seeds

The story of Sweetbriar Florals began with a friendship. “As a teenager, my best friend was growing flowers for a farmers market—zinnias,” Unruh recalls. “One day she said, ‘Let’s grow flowers.’ From that moment, I really fell in love with it. I felt a creative pull to explore that world, and I’ve never looked back.” What started as a shared hobby eventually became a calling–one that would carry her through several moves and life changes.

From her earliest days, Unruh was surrounded by the rhythms of agriculture. The daughter of farmers, she learned to see the quiet beauty in working the land—the patience it teaches, and the faith it requires. “My mom gave me my love and knowledge of flowers,” she says. “It’s been in me since the beginning.”

Her gentle approach extends beyond the garden and into every bouquet she creates. “I give God the glory for the passion and the talent, and I’m so thankful that I’m the one that gets to do this,” she says. Each arrangement reflects her careful observation, her patience, and her willingness to let nature lead. “I love mimicking the garden—how things grow together, how they reach for light. Sometimes the unexpected happens, and that’s what makes it special.”

Courage to Grow

Unruh’s journey has been one of both strength and perseverance. A move to Idaho for her husband’s work pushed her to grow in her craft. “I moved up there with so much courage and energy. My style fit right in, and I met some of my best friends in the industry. The brides there loved the natural floristry style, and I just fell more in love with it.”

Returning to Alabama during COVID meant starting over, but she embraced the challenge. “We went all in when we moved back,” she says. Together with her husband, Logan—a pilot and her greatest supporter—they began rebuilding their farm and growing the specialty flowers that make Sweetbriar’s arrangements so distinctive. “We grow the flowers that make our designs that much more special,” she explains. “Wholesalers can’t always give you the freshness and quality we do, and that next step is what makes our design a cut above.”

Unruh’s artistry has also taken her beyond the United States. One of her most formative experiences came when she had the opportunity to work in England with India Hurst of Vervain Floral Design, one of the UK’s most respected natural florists. “In the fall, I was looking for freelance opportunities, and in March I reached out to see if I could come work for a week in August,” she recalls. “My mom, daughter, and sister went with me, and I’ve never felt so honored in my life. That week was probably one of the best weddings I’ve worked on, and I learned so much about floral mechanics, design flow, and letting flowers lead the arrangement.”

Letting Nature Lead

Even after years of experience, Unruh continues to refine her craft. “I’ve experienced a lot of disappointment, lost opportunities, and challenges along the way,” she says. “But I just love designing weddings. When it’s a bride that resonates with our style—the natural, garden-inspired floristry—it makes all the work worth it. We’re just working hard until we make more connections in the wedding world.”

Even her three-year-old daughter, Naomie Clover, has begun learning the rhythms of the farm, and discovering the joy of growth alongside her mother. For Unruh, floristry is not just work—it’s a way of living, a practice of faith, patience, and attentiveness. “Doing something that is so fully appreciated by the clients…there is nothing more rewarding than armloads of flowers after months of work. I know the work that goes into them, and it feels so special when people recognize that.”

From the fields of Douglas to weddings across the country, Unruh’s work embodies a gentle, observant patience, a reverence for nature, and an unwavering belief in the beauty of nurturing life. And with Sweetbriar Florals, every stem, every bouquet, and every arrangement tells a story of care, artistry and faith—proof that when beauty is allowed to grow in its own time, it flourishes.

Visit Sweetbriar Florals to learn about Unruh’s passion for her craft, and to reserve her floral magic for your own event.