Floral Fix
Spring has sprung in Paris & I can't get enough of the blossoms around town. I am sharing my favorite secret Parisian gardens & a few other tips to get your floral fix.
Apparently there were only 38 hours of sunlight in Paris in the month of February. Depressing to say the least, so when a shred of sunshine fights its way through the clouds and rain, you will see Parisiens dash out, stand on a street corner with their face tilted toward the sky, eyes closed, and worship the sun as long as it beams.
Thankfully the days are getting longer, warmer and a bit sunnier. Once spring begins its approach, the grisaille Parisian canvas suddenly bursts into a colorful, impressionistic painting. I’ve been gently forcing spring by having a constant weekly rotation of potted indoor plants and cut flowers around the house and I recently replanted our window boxes with my favorite - red geraniums. Not having a garden of my own is a compromise I must make living in the city, but thankfully Paris is full of ebullient gardens on both left and right banks and flowers spill out of window boxes in every quartier.
ANTHOPHILE: a person who loves flowers
The past several months I have been in the postpartum vortex of sleepless nights, around the clock feeding and running after a 2.5 year old when the baby (Eloïse) sleeps, so any margin I do acquire I use it to nap. As a result, my social life has been sparse at the moment. But with the change of seasons and my 5 month old daughter finally showing signs of long stretches of sleep at night, I’m beginning to see the light at the end of tunnel. Filling my apartment with flowers has helped me to find more spring in my step which has led to an intense need to rendezvous and reconnect with friends.
Entertaining and putting together a table-scape with flowers, candles, and linens always gives me a creative rush - my husband takes care of the food and I take care of the ambience. The flower markets in Paris are an explosion of colorful blooms this time of year and like a kid in a candy shop it’s hard to decide which variety to select, which means I need a pipeline of planned dinner parties. Over the Easter holiday weekend, the stars aligned and we found ourselves hosting an Easter apéro for several of our dearest American friends who were visiting Paris along with my mom and sister. This past weekend we hosted some friends for a dinner party chez moi which provided another trip to the Saturday marché to start scheming the floral arrangement for dinner that night.
If the weather is in top mode, it’s never a bad idea to move the dinner party outside and feast en plein air with a good ol’ picnic in the park or just stop for a rest with a coffee and a good book. There are the larger known parks, such as the Tuileries, Jardin du Luxembourg, Parc Monceau all of which are worth a visit, however, I thought I would share my favorite smaller and somewhat hidden corners of floral paradise in the city.
Palais Royal - Hidden behind the Louvre and shielded from the commotion of traffic and tourists that dominate the streets around the museum, the Palais Royal unfolds into a fairly quiet and intimate floral atrium. The verdant tree-lined paths and enclosed rose gardens make a perfect spot to stroll, read a book around the central fountain and people watch. Boutiques dot the perimeter under the colonnades and one of my favorite cafés with barista-approved coffee, Café Kitsune, is located here. Next door to Kitsune is a small salon de thé, Muscade, that serves delicious soft-serve ice cream in case you are on on the hunt.
Petit Palais - A hidden gem located cross from the Grand Palais, this bijou gallery houses a free permanent collection and a beautiful interior garden and café. The city din fades away once inside the garden, and cafe tables and chairs are dotted along the edge inviting you to sit and enjoy un goûter. Aside from the courtyard, this is one of my favorite buildings for the architecture alone. It was originally constructed in 1900 for the World’s Fair and the Beaux-Arts building contains resplendent ceiling frescoes, so be sure to look up!
Jardin du Catherine Labouré - Now I feel like I am giving away one of my best secrets, but it would be selfish not to share this small park behind Le Bon Marché on the Left Bank that feels like an escape to the countryside. The park was originally the potage for a convent dating back to 1633 and still hosts a lovely community garden. During peak picnic months, we always find our way here on the weekend. You can’t beat grabbing a delicious picnic lunch at Le Grand Épicerie right around the corner and spend the rest of your afternoon lazing away on the lawn that you are actually ALLOWED to sit on!
4. Maison de Balzac - I stumbled upon this sublime little garden tucked away in the Passy neighborhood when we were searching for a new apartment. Located in the 16th arrondissement, the home of the novelist was restored in 2019 and sits perched on a hillside overlooking the Eiffel Tower. There is a Rose Bakery on the property as well so you can linger in the garden over a cup of coffee or tea.
Since Paris has a reputable persona of bringing more showers than flowers in an average year, I have had to find other ways to usher in nature when it’s soggy outside and heading off to a park is pas possible. I recently visited a new café that sits within a beautiful floral shop, Cordelia Café. Founded by Cordelia de Castellane, the artistic director of Dior Home, her café and floral shop is inspired by her home in the french countryside and offers a colorful refuge of coffee, tea, baked goods and blooms. Until I can successfully manifest my own french country home, you’ll find me here!
And if you struggle with a green thumb, you can always perpetuate the season of spring through art. I’m not usually a proponent of artificial flowers, but artist Samuel Mazy has truly elevated the concept with his sculptural porcelain flowers. His delicate and quite realistic creations can be found in his shop on the Left Bank, Le Cabinet de Porcelaine. You will find yourself repeating “touche pas!” when your house guests are tempted to brush their fingers over these perennial works of art.
Buying a bouquet of flowers for yourself is un petit plaisir and in my opinion you don’t need a dinner party or holiday to justify picking up some blooms. I’ve started a habit of picking up some fresh flowers on Fridays to help usher in the weekend and then come Monday, I’m starting the week off with an instant mood booster. I’ve built up a small collection of all sizes and designs of vases, and like shoes, I always find a need for a new vase…Below are a few I’ve been eyeing:
The 18th century French political philosopher, Montesquieu, said the French tend to “do frivolous things seriously and serious things frivolously.” Flowers are certainly one thing they take seriously and when you only experience 38 hours of sunlight in a month the art of flowers is serious business.
I adore that little park by Le Bon Marchè and meeting you at the Palais Royale park. I buy myself flowers on Friday as well. I love this time of year. Everything is blooming here in Rome, wisteria for days. Unfortunately, this also means allergies for days as well. Bellissima table setting.
A budget friendly option in Paris is having Millie illegally pick tulips for you from the parks! I'll put her on that for your next dinner party asap.