This place is the Orchid Forest, the shop of Lydie, Sébastien, and Christophe, enthusiasts of the rare and magnificent flower that has inspired so many poets and writers, among others.
Indeed, since March 31st, the Gioffredo street has adorned itself in its finest attire with the opening of the Orchid Forest, and the enigmatic flower will soon hold no secrets for you, for our hosts are inexhaustible on the subject. They invite you to stroll through the heart of their calming kingdom with its vibrant hues and intoxicating fragrances, while sharing fabulous anecdotes about the history of the flower, its growth secrets, its cultivation conditions, and perhaps even some cooking recipes, as flowers can be edible, and it seems that bulbs can be very well accommodated in original and tasty recipes…
Upon arriving in front of the shop, the eye is caught by the profusion of colors and the beauty of the multiple varieties of the flower that crowd the display window of the Orchid Forest. That scent irresistibly drawing you inside is likely from the magnificent Cattleya, the ancestor of the orchids introduced to Europe by a well-inspired and passionate English Lord, Lord Cattley, who gave it its name. Proust’s favorite flower will no doubt captivate you at first glance… and sniff!
This paradise in the heart of the city will delight both the layman, who comes to treat themselves by admiring the majestic and seductive corollas with sleek lines or chiseled contours, and the collector looking for rare and sometimes unknown varieties of the precious flower. Because at the heart of the Orchid Forest, there is a laboratory where the rarest species are cultivated on-site, sourced directly from the botanical garden of Phuket in Thailand where Sébastien and Christophe traveled, bringing back, among other things, a few dozen glass bottles…
These bottles are none other than the growing places for Keiki, these baby orchids that only ask for a peaceful growth, and, far from their natural environment, find everything they need for their growth within these very particular objects. To help them grow, the light and humidity conditions of their natural environment have been recreated in this laboratory, and once the plants are vigorous enough, it is simply a matter of breaking the bottles to repot the bulbs and watch the orchid grow!
Amateurs and collectors are not mistaken and have already given each other appointments on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Orchid Forest for the repotting courses that the gentle Lydie offers on the shop’s first floor. Her valuable advice, dispensed with her singing South-West accent, will help you, among other things, to cherish your plants. But that’s not all, you can also enjoy the monthly lectures on the living conditions of orchids in their natural environment, for example, that the team gives around a cup of tea, delicious and fragrant, grown in China, in the heart of the orchid fields (by appointment and registration at the shop). The shop also offers plant rentals, terrace and garden planning, flower deliveries, etc… (Information on-site or by phone 09 52 75 45 90).
Be curious, come push the door of the Orchid Forest, and treat yourself for a moment to an exotic journey to the kingdom of this flower that never ceases to amaze. A journey for your senses where everything is designed for total relaxation and where time willingly pauses to allow you to enjoy this relaxing space in the heart of the city. A great pleasure to indulge in without moderation!
The Orchid Forest, 39, rue Gioffredo in Nice, open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm. 09 52 75 45 90
On the internet www.laforetauxorchidees.fr (site under construction) and Facebook: www.facebook.com/laforetauxorchidees.
