Florists create enclaves of bliss and bloom
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, February 19, 2016
Once again, this festival season that has seen Chinese Spring Festival and Western Valentine's Day fall in the same week has proven that a beautiful bouquet of flowers always makes for a great gift.
Retail stores and whole-sale markets offer flowers at low prices, and the old-fashioned street vendors that sell kitschy bouquets from their bicycles are even more affordable. But, in a city where the luxe is always preferred, more and more boutique florists have set up shops and studios in a bid to turn the craft of bouquet tying into an art. Stepping into these little studios feels like entering a world of floral bliss, and even if you're not sure what type of bouquet you're looking for, the trained florists working there will be able to advise you and work within your budget.
On a sunny winter afternoon during the holidays, I took a walk to check out some of the city's best flower shops.
Cicada
Kiki Zhang, the founder of Cicada, started an online flower shop in 2014, initially because she said she couldn't find the flowers she was looking for for the events she was organizing through her primary business. Zhang now owns a flower studio where she creates bouquets that she hopes will touch people at a special moment in life.
"Anywhere and anytime, flowers are making people happy. More so than any words," Zhang said.
"First, I will ask about their requirements. Is it for a birthday? An anniversary? For whom is it, and what kind of flowers or colors do they like most?," she said. "In a word, I hope to know about the person who will receive the flowers as much as possible, and bring him or her a memorable bouquet."
Many of the orders are placed online through Wechat "cicadaflora," but the studio deserves a visit as well. Classes are offered where customers can learn about the art of flower arrangement.
Flowers are one of the most easy-to-get ingredients that can bring a beautiful surprise," Zhang said.
Address: No. 12, Lane 930, Yan'an Rd M.
Opening hours: 9:30am-6:30pm (Monday-Friday); Reservation needed on Saturdays and Sundays
Tel: 6256-5977
Clusteria
I was able to find this flower studio hidden in an old lane on Taiyuan Road because I am a big fan of AKK Cui, a gardener and blogger known as AKKLematis with several thousand fans on Sina Weibo. As an architect, Cui reconstructed a single room with a small garden in the old lane to be his floral studio, and this tiny space has became a "Land of Peach Blossom‚" to many of his fans and clients who hope to find something special.
Clusteria is a mix-and-match space. "In the past 10 years, I have spent almost all my leisure time with gardening, from my own house to the studio," the Shanghai native said.
When I walked into the garden in front of the small room, various herbs caught my eyes.
"Sometimes, I love these colorful leaves more than flowers," he told me.
From time to time, he teaches his clients how to make their home and life more colorful — even a single rose in a recycled coffee cup can add beauty to your home, and may do so even more than a heavy bouquet of red roses that cost a fortune.
"Every creative idea makes life beautiful," he added.
Address: No. 8, Lane 25 Taiyuan Rd
Opening hours: Reservation needed
Tel: 6418-1208
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