After speaking with Christophe at the Bastille Market, I realized how important flowers are to the French art de vivre. Christophe explained that this is a typically Parisian experience, as outside of the major city, residents in small villages tend to have gardens, which means access to nature and beauty. Two things that Parisians relish.
I asked him who shops at his stall, and he told me just about everyone! You’ll find locals who buy on a weekly basis—very much a part of their market shopping experience—to those visiting the city and staying in apartments—and even those staying in a hotel and wanting to enjoy a beautiful bouquet. So don't discount the experience of buying a stunning bouquet on your next visit to Paris!
Shopping at the flower stand can be as intimidating as shopping at the Fromager! You see these beautiful products but don’t know what to select. So, how do you choose?
Like any other stand, if you know exactly what you are looking for, you can get just that. But, like your other market shopping, similar to every other stand, you can leave it to the experts! At Christophe’s stand, they will happily tell you what is in season and work with you to compose based on colors you like, shapes you like, etc.
Just like you would tell your verger what you want to do with those peaches (will you eat them now? Eat them in a couple of days? Cook with them?), you should do the same thing with your florist.
Let them know the occasion; is it for a special event, a birthday, an anniversary, or a holiday table? You’ll also want to tell them where you are planning to display the bouquet. A bouquet for a dinner table will likely have a different shape than one for a coffee table.
Things you’ll want to tell your florist:
-Your budget
-Any particular variety you love
-Any colors you enjoy
-The occasion (any special event…which could just be celebrating you!)
-Where you will display them
And voila!
