In Bloom

Fawns Leap botanical design studio takes the art of floral arranging to new heights 

By Kalene McCort  »  Photos by Avery Krenzke

Within the basement of The Montgomery House—a late 19th century Victorian on Boulder’s West Pearl Street—Tara Huston can be found trimming leaves off sturdy stems, giving various blooms necessary misting and sorting robust herbs to incorporate into show-stopping bouquets and centerpieces. 

As the owner of Fawns Leap—a botanical arts studio run within the female and nonbinary artists’ nonprofit The New Local—Huston has transformed how people view and interact with the time-honored craft of floral arranging. Her sought-out work remains a favorite among those seeking to express heartfelt sentiments with ombre-hued ranunculus, sweet peonies, grape hyacinths and dramatic lilies. 

“I’ve been interested in plants and flowers since I was really little,” Huston says. “Since I can remember, I would play landscaping, dig with sticks around rocks, make a rock garden and make piles of leaves into something interesting.”

Her childhood inclination to work with nature grew into a love of gardening, nurtured when she was tasked with helping restore bygone garden beds in the yard of her family’s New Jersey Tudor home. In her teen years, Huston and her mother began a floral design business, where she was submerged in the evolving industry. 

Huston’s fragrant Boulder workshop smells of roses and citrus—a mix of plant products and notes of her perfume, Orange Blossom by Jo Malone, that she wears in the spring. A cushioned window seat provides a place where she can dream up new designs. Vintage posters of botanical drawings hang on the walls. A dried wasp’s nest, various ceramic vessels, pieces of smooth driftwood, antique vases and flower frogs dot the magical quarters with inspiration and vegetation. 

“Appreciating beauty and slowing down to enjoy it for a moment is a spiritual practice,” Huston says. “Flowers connect us to each other, to the landscape and to the seasons. Flowers are ephemeral. They don’t last. I get the privilege of working with them all the time.”

While Fawns Leap has operated out of other locations in Boulder, such as Cedar & Hyde and the now-shuttered Cured, Huston is ecstatic to have landed in The New Local.

“Being in community with other people is such a gift,” Huston says. “It keeps me going. It’s so incredible to have the mutual support. In The New Local, there are so many women artists together in one space. How it all cross-pollinates is so fun and rewarding.”

Huston has participated in many of the organization’s community events. From inviting community members to create their own mini bouquets to setting up a floral cart on the historic front lawn, she seeks ways to bring her passion to others. In May and June, Huston is excited to offer classes where participants can learn the detailed art of creating a distinguished tablescape and more. 

Fawns Leap has taken on many incarnations in its 10 years of business, but at the center is Huston’s desire to bring her best work to clients. Whenever possible, she sources the freshest flowers she hand-selects locally. Sporadically, she will bring buds to a random locale and create a flower installation for passersby to savor. 

“I get such joy when my work is so well received, and people really light up about it,” Huston said. “That fills my cup.”

Huston tends to add a bit of whimsy when the occasion calls for playful zest. Whether placing a mushroom on a flower pick or incorporating antlers into an arrangement, her ability to bring an element of surprise to her work keeps people coming back for more. Intoxicating mint, calming lavender and earthy rosemary sometimes surface in her layered creations. 

In addition to providing centerpieces and bouquets for intimate elopements and doing all the florals for Historic Boulder’s Home Tours, Huston stays booked, creating pieces for dozens of regulars who enlist her to warm up their interiors with stimulating flora a couple of times a month. For some of her long-time clients, Huston brings a bucket of blooms and arranges on location in a vessel of their choosing. 

 “Sending flowers is one of the ways people choose to show up for each other when they know nothing else will do,” Huston says. “Whether it’s for a joyful occasion or in sorrow, it’s such a privilege to be able to send that love message between people. It has always felt deeply important.”

Fawns Leap at The New Local
741 Pearl St.
Boulder
fawnsleap.com