Hear Hear for Dyed Leaves and One-of-a-kind Bouquets

Botanical artist Kristen Alpaugh of FLWR PSTL is an expert in it. Creating her perfect floral hues requires guts, good taste, and lots of experimentation.

What’s your earliest memory of iconic flowers or plants?

“My mom used to go to a craft store when I was a little girl and they had aisles of flowers. While my mom was shopping I would just hang out in the flower aisle. I loved all the colors and had never seen most of these flowers in real life – I wondered if they really existed! That’s where my everlasting love for flowers began.”

Which flower reminds you of your mother?

“Bull thistle. I remember my mom seeing it growing next to the side of the highway as a little girl. We would pull over onto the shoulder and she would cut a few stems.”

The smell of fresh flowers makes me feel…

“Thankful. I have so much gratitude for nature and colour palette she provides. The colour gradients, contrasts, and combinations of nature will always be a huge inspiration to my work.”

Which IG’ers inspire you in a flowery/planty way?

“There’s @indg0 – The colors and out of the box imagery keeps my mind open and flexible @neonsaltwater – the color combinations and angles are stunning.”

Without flowers, life would be…

“Less thoughtful with less respect for nature. Flowers speak where words fall short. They also represent millions of years of evolution – did you know that flowers began as leaves? Plants evolved over time to attract the attention of bees using bright colors and alluring scents.”

Which flower reminds you of a beautiful and warm ambiance?

“Honeysuckle. As a child, we used to pick them on our walk home from school and eat the nectar.”

What do you think is an inspiring way to present or wrap your plants/flowers?

“In addition to my signature shape (a long line at a wide-angle), I have started to use fabric, like tulle or organza to drape over an arrangement. It adds some drama which FLWR PSTL is all about.”

In what other way do you like to use flowers/plants?

“My studio is like one big flower laboratory. The scientist in me loves to research and experiment with color and live flowers.”

What’s your favorite bedroom flower/plant?

“Lavender. It’s soothing and promotes sleep and I don’t get much of it, so sleep quality is important to me.”

Which iconic flower symbolizes a sad moment in your life?

“The Bird of Paradise. In college, I lost a very special person in a car accident. He loved Costa Rica and surfing. For his service, I bought birds of paradise.”

What’s your favorite vase or pot to install your flowers/plants?

“Anything opaque. My pieces have a lot of structural scaffolding, so anything opaque. Right now I am loving colored milk glass from the 1950s.”

Public space that knows best how to work with flowers/plants?

“I think we should see more flowers in museums in the form of botanical art.”

Who would you love to see experimenting with flowers/big plants one day?

“Tyler Shields, the photographer. His work is amazing and harnesses so much emotion.”

Who’s FLWR PSTL?

Los Angeles botanical artist Kristen Alpaugh (FLWR PSTL) creates stunning bouquets in a whole new way. Rather than stick with their natural appearance, Kristen hand-dyes leaves with vivid colors— anything from moody teal to peachy pink— to create one-of-a-kind bouquets that look like they were pulled out of a fairy tale.
@flwrpstl