Ikebanart

What started out as a decoration agency for events and marriages specialising in the Japanese arts of ikebana (flower arrangement) and kokedama (hanging gardens) is now a public workshop and boutique just next to the Canal Saint-Martin. Far from the a classic florist, the owners blend traditional flower design with contemporary art in all manner of clever yet understated works.

The kokedamas – which are surreal-looking installations of various different-sized hanging pots of moss and soil, from which mini trees and plants sprout upwards – only require 5-10 minutes’ watering a week and will make great affordable presents for plant fans (€17-€97). Other compositions set in glass bowls are equally eye-catching (€61), while you can also get yourself mini cacti planted in mugs (€15) and various suspended agaves, aloes, ferns and orchids. For anyone aspiring to improve their decorative gardening skills, lessons in both flower arrangement (Thursdays and Sundays) and flower suspension (Wednesdays and Saturdays) are available each week at €40 for an hour and a half tutorial (materials and plants are included in the price).

TRANSLATION: HUW OLIVER