Grace & Thorn's Nik Southern: floristry is the new rock and roll

Three years ago she was working in - and hating - IT recruitment. Today, she runs one of the coolest florists in town. Her new-wave approach has earned her a huge cult following and caught the attention of fashionistas and movie-makers

Nik Southern of Grace & Thorn

If floristry is the new rock'n'roll, then London's Grace & Thorn is the band to watch and Nik Southern is its lead singer, marching to her own beat. Southern, 37, opened her first shop on Hackney Road last September, a stone's throw from Columbia Road flower market, in what was once the Kray brothers' tailor.

But it's not the usual twee arrangements of cut flowers you might expect from a florists - Grace & Thorn's concrete-clad, industrial interiors house a cornucopia of magnificent plants, cacti in all shapes and sizes, on-trend hanging planters and design-led pots and vases, thoughtfully sourced from Belgium and Denmark among other places.

"I've always been someone who makes up their own rules," says Southern. "I didn't want to send out just 'nice' flowers in that dome formation you see everywhere. We use a lot of asymmetry, lots of different flowers, foliage and textures - we love clashing colours too. Every bouquet is as unique as the last - it should be a work of art."

Her new-wave, naturalistic approach to floristry has caught the attention of major consumer brands; Estee Lauder is a client and she's collaborated with fashion-forward labels including Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane and House of Holland. Most recently, she worked on Giles Deacon's Gothic fairy-tale show during London Fashion Week.

"It was Hammer Horror movie-themed so we created an archway out of really creepy flowers using lots of air plants, Spanish moss and carnivorous ferns." Her Instagram features a picture of model Kendall Jenner framed by her floral creation. She's also won celebrity fans. Rosamund Pike once sent her an email after an LK Bennett event saying she found her work "really unexpected, cool and off-beat".

Rewind to 2012 and Southern had been working in - and hating - IT recruitment for 13 years. She quit impulsively after taking a psychometric multiple-choice test which told her she should be a florist. Although not previously interested in flowers, she had grown up in Enfield as a self-confessed gardening geek. "My brother and sister would be out, but I'd just be weeding in my mum's garden."

She booked herself on to a month's career course at Jamie Aston's flower school in Marylebone and was bitten by the bug. But after finding it impossible to get a job without any experience, she decided to set up on her own, selling her uniquely random and whimsical posies from home.

Southern's clever combinations of unusual plants and beautiful pots have won her a local cult following, and she's also on a mission to get ordinary people to bring nature into their homes with her call to action: #greenupyourgaff. No house or flat is too small for plants, she insists. She wants people to bring the outside in and claims anyone can have house plants however small their space.

"Wherever there are window sills, cupboards, sidetables and floor - you can get a plant in. They're just so soothing, it's like having a living energy in your home that you can watch grow - like a baby, but cheaper!" she jokes.

She can't stock enough succulents - "everyone wants mini succulents!" - or cacti for her neighbourhood fans. Terrariums, miniature gardens in glass vases, are also high on urban planters' lists. So many people came into the shop asking how to make them that Southern started a "Terrarium Tuesdays" class that sells out in a flash every month.

What's next for Grace & Thorn? She's greening up the gaffs of offices and even schools in her local area and dreams of setting up a proper country-style garden centre in the middle of London. And in true rock'n'roll style, she'd love to put on her own festival complete with a jungle of plants and flowers.

HOW TO MAKE A TERRARIUM

1. PICK YOUR CONTAINER

You can use any glass vessel for a terrarium, including old mason jars, wardian cases and big round vases.

2. DRAINAGE IS KEY

Start with a 1-inch thick layer of small pebbles or gravel or if you're making an enclosed terrarium, use activated charcoal mixed together - this will stop the plants rotting

3. PLANTING

Next add in a 2-3inch layer of moistened potting soil, make a hole and plant your plants in the centre of each. Add finishing touches with pebbles, moss and twigs.

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