Paris Blooms

Over the years I’ve done a fair amount of traveling and I have to say that I always make a point of seeking out notable florists in the big cities. They give me a sense of place, (no pun intended) of artistry, and a visual memory that lingers long after I have returned to San Francisco.


A beautiful Winter display in a shoppe around the corner from our hotel.

I included my cousin Wendy in the shot for scale.

On a trip to Paris last winter I made a point of visiting some of the famed florists there. They were glorious, as glorious as I had imagined them to be, and when I entered the threshold of each shop I felt as though I had been enveloped in a beautiful blanket of color. The shops are like little Faberge eggs, each one bejeweled and sparkling. They reminded me of the old Podesta Baldocchi on Grant Avenue in the 1960s. Now that was a florist!

Beauty en masse as seen in the shop around the corner from our hotel.

A few of my favorites from the City of Lights are Christian Tortu in the 6th, Marianne Robin in the 7th, and Flamant in the 8th.

The window display at Christian Tortu.

Mares eat oats, and Does eat oats, but little lambs eat daffodils at Christian Tortu.

Beautiful Ranunculus at Christian Tortu.

I am looking forward my next adventure – destination as yet unknown, but I do know that the great florists of THAT city will be on my list of things to see.

Barbara Ashfield