My Husband Flew Me to Paris to Buy Flowers For My Birthday
I had a birthday in October and my wonderful husband flew me all the way to Paris to buy me flowers from the oldest flower shop in Paris! And it was everything you would expect it to be— very hallmark movie experience!
Ok- so we didn’t fly to Paris just to buy flowers. We are farmers remember- we can’t afford to jet off to Paris just for flowers! But sometimes when you get the chance to write a really fantastical headline, you have to take it.
Here’s the real story. We have 11 wonderful nieces and nephews and over the past few years, we have been taking them on an international trip when they graduate high school. This year it was my nieces turn. She chose Paris (we also went to Iceland -24 hr stopover, London, and Scotland). So the running joke in our household was that my husband was flying me to Paris for my birthday since we were going in October.
For years, I’ve been following L’arrosoir on Instagram- I think I first heard about them on the Flower Podcast. The shop is owned by Adrienne Ryser, an American. I had to take advantage of the opportunity. On our first day in Paris, we struck out to visit the oldest flower shop in Paris.
As you approach, there are flowers spilling out on the sidewalk. It’s a display that will definitely stop you in your tracks. This display is created fresh each morning, the process is called La Vitrine.
As you enter the shop, you encounter the most sumptuous flower displays. So many textures and colors, all displayed beautifully!
I wondered for a few moments, just enjoying the beauty of it all. There was so much to choose from- lots of seasonal goodies. Rose hips, dahlias, hydrangeas, asters, cress, roses, scabiosa and amaranth. I even saw some aconitum- first time I’ve ever seen it in a floral shop. Makes a good cut flower but not commonly seen. It’s the tall blue flower seen through the window in the photo below.
After browsing for awhile, I began working with one of the florists to design a bouquet. We began chatting as flower people do. They enjoyed hearing about my flower farm and I enjoyed hearing about working in a florist in Paris. I chose a bouquet of warm fall colors which included some roses, lisianthus, crocosmia pods, eucalyptus, delphinium, pink clematis, rosehips, amaranth and astilbe. I actually declined the dahlias- I told her I had a few 1000 at home. I kinda wanted something different! After I chose my stems, the florist whipped it up into a beautiful bouquet! We enjoyed it in our air-bnb all week.
The shop is truly beautiful and everything you dream of in a Parisian flower shop. The light streaming through the windows is gorgeous! The smells are lovely and floral and the people are kind and welcoming.
If you ever get the chance, you absolutely must go! L’arrosoir- a flower lovers dream come true!
All photos by aforementioned wonderful husband, Joshua Smith.