This week on the show we welcome back Diederick de Jongh, the owner of Flora Magnifica, which sells the finest faux flowers in France.
He was last on the show in 2021, but since then he has changed locations of his shop to be further north in the Marais by a famous bistro.
We chatted about business, Paris, and his new project supplying flowers to cultural heritage institutions around France. We also talk about what happens to a small shop in the Marais after it features on The Earful Tower podcast!
The Earful Tower podcast
Listen below, or wherever you get your podcasts.
The man behind Flora Magnifica
Diederick de Jongh is a Dutchman who left his previous office job to open up this unique flower store in the Marais. The store, Flora Magnifica, opened initially on Rue de Turenne but is now located on Rue des Tournelles.
What are faux flowers?
Diederick said on the podcast that faux (or false) flowers are “flowers made from a synthetic silk. They’re made to look absolutely natural with their little faults as natural flowers would have. There are two collections a year which are limited editions and we try to surprise the Parisians with a the quality that they haven’t seen before.”
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What is it like to work with the Centre des monuments nationaux?
Diederick’s store has progressed in many ways since we last spoke with him. One of the biggest changes is that he’s now working with the National Monuments of France to add flower displays to their properties. According to Diederick, these places rarely have floral decoration because living flowers need water and attract insects, two factors that don’t match well with priceless art on the walls of national institutions.
One day a woman working for the Centre des monuments nationaux came by the shop intrigued by what Diederick produced and he has since become their official supplier. He said that “the idea is that one by one all of these national historic sites will be flowered, and I get to play a part in that.”
How to visit Flora Magnifica
Address: 58 rue des Tournelles, 75003 Paris
Hours: Open Tuesday – Sundays
For more information visit the official website here and follow on Instagram here. You can even purchase from the official e-shop right here.
The Earful Tower podcast episode
Once again, here’s The Earful Tower’s podcast episode in case you missed it.
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Glad to have the new location!