From Bloom to Decay: A Floral Installation

“Foraged art is making art with what you find and finding art in what you see.” Bloom and Decay transforms an industrial space into a lush, immersive garden using floral sculptures crafted from botanicals and found materials. Inspired by Flower House Mexico, this project brings together San Francisco-based floral designers & multi-media artists to reimagine space, the natural world, and community. Embracing the ephemeral nature of plants, the work celebrates the full lifecycle of botanical material—from bloom to decay—encouraging a deeper appreciation for the fleeting yet powerful presence of nature in our everyday lives. 

Leslie Jonath is curator, book packager and event producer. She works with floral designers to create books and events including Floret Flower Farm, Ariella Chezar, and artist Mary Jo Hoffman. She was a featured artist with Peter Cole for San Francisco Park Alliance Heart Your Parks Day in which she co-created a 50-foot heart using reclaimed wood and rose petals for Earth Day in 2021. She is the co-author of Foraged Art: Creating Projects Using Blooms, Branches and Elements in Nature published by Blue Sky .

Madge McCulloch is an Oakland-based stylist, event producer and chef working at the intersection of food and art. For over a decade, they have catered and curated interactive pop-ups, mixed-media experiential events, and large-scale edible installations. 

Rooted in collaboration, community, and sustainability, their creative process reimagines food as a dynamic art form. Through interdisciplinary partnerships and a deep appreciation for shared experiences, they explore new ways to connect, create, and inspire.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madge.pie/

Lela Quirós is a floral artist who explores nature and flowers through design, installations and photography. She earned an MA in art direction in Paris, studied photography on scholarship in Barcelona and co-founded an event photography business. 

Her work centers on identity and a strong need for belonging. Using colourful combinations and experimenting with different mediums are essential parts of her creative process. Her work is sustainable, sourced from foraging, local flower markets, and farms, and is based on building structures with reusable materials.

Instagram: @lelaquiros

Margaux Axelrod is a San Francisco–based floral designer and creative producer with a lifelong passion for art, music, and design. She creates immersive, nature-inspired work that reflects her artistic roots and love of storytelling. A naturally creative spirit, Margaux sees flowers as her current medium—favoring bold textures, layered movement, and seasonal color, with a deep commitment to sourcing locally whenever possible.​

Instagram: @margaux_axelrod_design

Maggie is a floral artist who loves all kinds of flora and is passionate about uncovering the unique elegance in everyday surroundings. She believes flowering is not just making something beautiful, it’s making something powerful.

Instagram: @mflora.design

Molly DeCoudreaux is a producer and photographer based in San Francisco with deep connections to the Northern California food, farm, flower, and art communities.  She thrives on collaborating with small business owners, designers, artists, & restaurants, and people who cultivate, create, and transform food through love With  BFA  from SFAI she has photographed and produced many books,  including Feed Your People, Sharp, Designing with Dried Flowers, Italy by Ingredient and Serious New Cook.  

https://www.mollydecoudreaux.com