I recently changed my Instagram handle from @thesecretgardenblog to @sophia_kaplan
Still the same photographs of gardens and flowers, but I wanted it to reflect my new branding and website.
Some recent posts…
All images by Sophia Kaplan.
Archives for posts with tag: dahlia
I’ve written about Bloom Series before, so was chuffed to finally attend one of their events last week. It’s an evening filled with flowers run by floral stylist Jardine and photographer Lisa.
We started with champagne and nibbles before Jardine explained a little about each of the flowers from the the rainbow-esque display. We then got a demonstration on how to make a posy in her incredibly beautiful natural style.
It was great having so many different flowers to play with and I enjoyed giving a little bit of help to those around me. It was such a treat to make some new floral friends, namely Amy of Henry Hudson and John from Blooming Lovely, and the talented photographers Lisa and Pete from And a Day. I feel a little like the dorky new kid on the block, but am amazed by the warm welcome you have all given me.
At the end of the night I helped wrap all the bouquets and it was very interesting to see all the different interpretations presented to me. There were beautiful colour combinations and unusual designs. All of them had something special about them.
Check out the Bloom Series website to subscribe and check out more pics from the other events.
All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.
The Jardin des Plantes is one of my favourite gardens in Paris. We visited on the weekend and caught the end of the dahlias and some beautiful autumn scenes. In the grounds is the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. The main hall with huge whale skeletons and taxidermy is reminiscent of the American Museum of Natural History, New York. Very Night at the Museum. We also checked out Alchimies by Sarah Moon – a photographic exploration of the museum and surrounding garden. Well worth a look. Afterwards we headed across the road to la Grande Mosquée de Paris for pastries and mint tea. All in all a pretty excellent day.
Final photograph by Sarah Moon, the rest by Sophia Kaplan.
Jardin des Plants: 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris
Alchimies runs until 24th November in the Grande Galerie de l’Évolution.
Pretty Streets Botanicals is a Brooklyn based floral design studio. They also run a little flower stand at the Bedford Cheese Shop. Owner Kristen Ossmann has her own flower garden and tries to use home grown flowers whenever possible. I love this new movement if florists growing their own or having really direct relationships with small local flower farms.
All photographs by Pretty Streets Botanicals.
I apologise for the lack of posting lately, but it’s because of good news! I have started an apprenticeship with a florist in Paris. A really good one at that! I cannot believe that my dream of working with plants and flowers in Paris has come true. I feel so incredibly happy. Along with the new job I have also moved into a new apartment which has kept me busy and away from my laptop. Hoping to get back into the rhythm starting now…
This past weekend we went to a friends place in the countryside a couple of hours south of Paris. We cooked yummy food, made a bonfire and just relaxed. As usual I spent a lot of time in the garden – picking flowers, cutting herbs for dinner and collecting walnuts to take back to town. It’s beautiful and calm and just what we needed.
All photographs by Sophia Kaplan.
The always gorgeous Tiff visited me in Paris last weekend. We spent one afternoon wandering through le marais where I introduced her to one of my favourite little gardens in the entrance to the Musée Carnavalet.
Swirling hedge designs are bordered by seasonal bright flowers and even some rainbow spinach. I used to live just around the corner and it was a always peaceful spot for me to escape the bustle of the street.
All photographs by Olivia and Sophia Kaplan.
The Secret Garden 