Join me for a visit to one of my favorite flower shops in Lisbon! Pequeno Jardim, located in the bustling Chiado district, translates to “little flower garden”. The building dates back to 1864 and the business to 1922! Fitted with an historic sign and overflowing with flowers and plants, the spot is unmissable as you wander through Chiado. I stopped in a few days ago as I noticed they were selling fresh cut violets (my favorite flower). More on that story, later. Step inside this enchanting little shop with me!
Plants line the gogeous mosiac sidewalk begging to be added to your little city balcony garden! I stop and stare, touching the lavender and rosemary, dreaming of adding a seasonal camellia to my little patch. Roses, cyclamen, pansies, geranium! The seasons are a funny mix here for flowers and I am learning what I can grow in this new-to-me climate. I love that some type of flower is always in season, due to our mild weather.
With your flower purchase, you can add on a “flower tale”. Stories, poems, quotes about flowers! I can’t resist a Tennessee Williams line about violets. I adore this idea of selling flower stories! Elisabete, the owner has worked with flowers since she was a young child. “I LOVE my work and of course work with flowers is wonderful, since I was a little one, I picked flowers and made little bouquets for playing. My inspiration are the flowers and music that I love as well and I think that Lisbon also is a very inspiring city.” The store is located in Chiado, a bustling center of town filled with locals and many tourists. Elisabete says they get many different kinds of requests from the tourists and new people constantly popping in, and it’s always something different, pushing them to arrange in a variety of styles.
The walk-in cooler, located at the front of the long, narrow shop, can be seen from the street and as you enter the shop, you practically enter the cooler. It’s always perfectly full and I often stop for a bunch of feverfew, my favorite, easy, at-home, arrangement of choice.