Sahshah “Ko Sen” Middleton is a well known floral artist residing in the San Francisco Bay Area. Born in Singapore to Czechoslovakian parents, she started learning Ikebana at the age of 7. As a teenager she interned at the Singapore Botanical Gardens and began making arrangements for florists and hotels, including the Adelphi Hotel, and the Raffles Hotel in Singapore as the resident designer before moving to America in 1976. Sahshah has worked in many floral shops, including Gregories Flowers in San Francisco, Adachies in San Pablo, Ah Sam’s in San Mateo and currently designs for Rosedale Floral Designs in Brisbane by special appointment.  She holds a first grade “Riji ” certificate, the highest level in the Sogetsu School of ikebana, and holds workshops and gives demonstrations throughout California and the US. She has demonstrated and exhibited in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia. New Zealand, and Germany. 

Sahshah belongs to several garden clubs and plant societies. She has also served as the flower show manager for the San Francisco County Fair and is currently serving as the Floral Designer for the San Francisco Landscape and Garden Show in Sacramento .

When asked about her design philosophy, Sahshah always conveys a reverence for nature stating that “flower design does not duplicate nature, but advances its beauty and our appreciation for that beauty using our imaginations and creative thought. Using proper techniques and understanding plant materials allows us to achieve our visions and express our art.”