I was surprised at the number of florist shops we came across on our walks around Paris. This adorable shop, "the island of flowers" (not to be confused with the avant-garde short film by Jorge Furtado of the same name) was the first.
The sign says Mimosa, the brain says Acacia dealbata. Common names are confusing! Mimosa is an often used common name for Albizia julibrissin, which has similar foliage to this but a very different flower.
Œillet = eyelet or carnation or pink = Dianthus (Dianthus barbatus 'Green Trick')
Note the one light-pink Ranunculus...
Choux = cabbage (of course)
Maison et Fleurs was the next discovery.
Of course it's worth noting that in a dense urban area like Paris there's not room for the huge "everything store" — hence the specialization. We went in several food markets and they didn't have a floral area, unlike most of our grocery stores here in the States. I rather like this specialization approach.
Blanche Fleuers, which had much more than just white flowers.
Even "easy care" succulents and cactus.
This jungley shop, La Cabane/The Shack was a favorite.
Do you like the variegated Selaginella? I must admit I do not.
I do love the cramscaped feel of the place though.
I wasn't sure taking photos inside would be appreciated however, so I only took one.
Christian Collin was quite a fancy shop.
Also selling "Mimosa"...
Inside was sleek, yet full of voluptuous flowers of all sorts.
Les Jardins D'Ilham/The Gardens of Ilham
They had the "real desert mix"...
Five Euro (about $6.25) for those little guys!
I do love me some green Carnations and blue Eryngium...
Sing it with me... "I love Paris in the winter when it drizzles" ...
Weather Diary, Feb 5: Hi 58, Low 43/ Precip 0
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Do love the specialisation of the shops there, and how it is still very much the norm and so strong in their culture.
ReplyDeleteThe chocolate shops were especially dreamy to walk through...
DeleteWhat a fun post! I love this look at flower shops in Paris. Did you buy any to bring back to your hotel room? It's interesting to see they have those colorful grafted cactus in Paris too. No painted succulents? I think I would have liked shopping at La Cabane the best.
ReplyDeleteI planned to, but we were never in a place where going back to the hotel room was imminent. And honestly, the room was so small there wasn't a lot of extra space...
DeleteDo you think it is different in smaller cities that all the shops are still specialized? I remember buying a plant when I first gardened that I had read about in an Eng. garden book. They used the common name and I bought what I thought was the same plant using the common name. Taught me a lesson about why I needed to learn Botanical Latin and so I did. (though I have not kept up with all the name changes).
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what your asking in your first sentence? I do agree, it is very hard to keep up with the name changes!
DeleteI love these jam-packed floral shops. The florists here are almost always disappointing. One in a walk-able area of Manhattan Beach I pass periodically (on my way to my dentist) always has FAKE flowers in the window! It annoys me every time I pass by. However, most local florists seem to be tucked into mini-malls, which is sad for other reasons.
ReplyDeleteUgh. A florist with fake flowers in the window? That is disappointing.
DeleteWonderful places. I bet they smelled good too.
ReplyDeleteOh yes...of course.
DeleteWhat a boon for city dwellers (aah, Paris!) Were these in a concentrated area or widely scattered? We have a few wonderful flower shops (Sammy's, Dorcas, etc) but definitely not within walking distance of each other.
ReplyDeleteThese were widely scattered, the photos collected over the length of my visit. There were two areas of garden shops grouped together though. Future posts!
DeleteSpecialized flower stores, baked goods, pastry, meat, cheese, wine... isn't Paris grand?
ReplyDeleteOui!
DeleteWonderful floral shops, each with it's own fab. style.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful armchair tour of Parisian flower shops - thank you!
ReplyDelete