Parisian florists who practice the art of sustainable bouquets

Forget "flower power"; now's the time for "slow flower power"! In Paris, florists with an eco-responsible mission are sowing the seeds of a new bouquet aesthetic, respectful of the seasons and local sourcing. In their hybrid shops, the flowers, all of French origin, bloom against a backdrop of made-in-France decor. Check out these five florists with eco-green thumbs to find something suitable (and beautiful!) to grace your sustainable or local-food table!

Désirée: good enough to eat

At Désirée everything goes hand in hand: the creators, Audrey Venant and Mathilde Bignon, a duo inspired by the French horticultural sector run two shops, one in the 11th arrondissement, the other in the 19th, which function as a florist shop and café! Everything is local and seasonal: the coffee is part of the "eco-friendly" network of sustainable food, and fresh or dried flowers were cultivated by French producers, in Brittany, in the Var, in Ile-de-France, and even in Paris itself (Désirée also sells some of the 200 or so species cultivated organically at Plein Air, the capital's first urban flower farm). With farm's founder, Masami Charlotte Lavault, the duo of florists even wrote a book called "Désirée Pâtisser Cultiver Fleurir" on how to combine the slow food and slow flower movements!

Désirée (External link)

Les Fleurs Sauvages: 100% sustainable

From artistic direction to becoming a florist, the difference lies only in the medium! After working as a freelancer for Cartier, Guerlain and other French luxury brands, Tonia now exercises her creative talents by composing bouquets of flowers for events and for her store in the 18th arrondissement. Her new media: dried flowers from Allier and the south of France, grown from organic farms and selected for their bright colors and hold. After all, bouquets of dried flowers must be like true love, eternal (or nearly)! To enhance them, Tonia works with artisans who provide her with pretty hand-crafted vases. The arrangements are wild, of course, but above all: beautiful!

Les Fleurs Sauvages (External link)

Maison Muscari: a poetic nursery

A stone's throw from the Port-Royal maternity hospital, an unusual boutique opened in early 2020, both a flower shop and a nursery for assorted décor and furniture, all 100% made in France. A poetic and joyful spot where you can pick up artisanal leather goods as well as country-inspired arrangements mixing artichokes, carrot flowers and lilies-of-the-Nile...or even a kiss! By that we mean MuXu ("mouchou," meaning kiss in Basque), the signature bouquet of Maison Muscari, sold in a mini mottled vase! The flowers and foliage come from local producers, cultivated organically or sustainably, without preservatives or additives and delivered by bicycle in recyclable packaging.

Maison Muscari (External link)

Eucalyptus Paris: a journey through the gardens of France

Daughter of an artisan jeweler, working with major brands such as Chanel and Richemont, Mathilde Leblanc has chosen to preserve another ancient know-how: that of florist. In 2019, her eco-responsible vision took over Eucalyptus Paris, the family shop in the 16th arrondissement. Active member of the Collectif de la Fleur Française, advocating the "slow flower" movement, Eucalyptus Paris picks its fresh flowers according to the seasons: anemones from Var, peonies from Seine-et-Marne and Breton hydrangeas, and composes bouquets of landscapes. Still want to travel in the gardens of France out-of-season? You can stock up on dried flowers from responsible horticultural farms in Ile-de-France, Brittany and the Center region.

Eucalyptus Paris (External link)

L’Olive en Fleurs: flowers that make sense

"Say no to flowers that travel more than you do"! The message posted on the slate of the day is clear: in the covered market of La Chapelle, Marie cultivates flowers with meaning and a passion for objects that have a soul. Determined to help preserve French lands and biodiversity, she draws colors and scents from horticulturalists in the Var or Ile-de-France. And because she loves the idea of sharing, she also opens her shop to local artists whose work represent "art in the heart of the blooming olive" or the art of making the beautiful bloom! Her mantra is from the Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry: "it is necessarily useful because it is pretty" ...

L'Olive en Fleurs (External link)

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