L'Orangerie

L'Orangerie

Ottawa Floral Pop-Up Shop

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Ottawa Makers Market: June Edition


June 13th marked L'Orangerie's very first public show at Ottawa Makers Market! The June Edition took place in the Ice Shed at the Rideau Curling Club at 715 Cooper Street in Centretown. We had such a great time chatting with customers and getting to know our fellow vendors.

One thing that you may not know is that we are actually the planners and organizers behind OMM. When we started looking for markets to sell our flowers and plants, we were disappointed that table prices seemed to be high ($200+ is a lot on a student/start-up budget...) and frequency was low. We kept finding ourselves saying that we wished there was one market that we could apply to for the summer that was a regular occurrence. Small businesses and start-ups need that in the months and years before establishing themselves with a shopfront of their own, but there just wasn't anywhere in the city that could provide us with these things. While sitting on campus after class one afternoon (Algonquin Business Management & Entrepreneurship Program shoutout!), we said screw it, let's do it ourselves.

Logo Design by the amazing Ben Jensen (Way Bad!)

That all sounds very inspiring, but it was NOT that simple, trust us. Organizing the market has been one of the most exhausting and crazy things we've ever done. It is a lot of work, especially when you both work whole other full-time jobs! But the proof came in the amount of response we got back from other makers and entrepreneurs in the same situation. The June Edition ended up exceeding our expectations and being one of the scariest and most fun experiences for both of us. We raised $1,050 and some equipment for For Pivots Sake, a local charity run by Antique Skate Shop that donates skateboarding equipment and recreational programs for underprivileged youth in Ottawa. L'Orangerie sold out of everything except for a couple of air plants and one lonely teacup planter. We had several vendors approach us saying that OMM was the first time they ever broke even at a market, which is a real risk for new businesses and why we charge a subsidized table fee. Best of all, we got to meet a huge group of rad likeminded business owners, makers and artisans

Here are some photos of the products we were selling at the June Edition, if you'd like to see...

A sweet little arrangement...
Jenna at work

Our table set up with some hand-tieds!
Close-up of a sweet little bouquet
Notice our faithful helper Ciaran in the background :)
We sold succulents and little succulent gardens planted in vintage tea sets, hand-tied bouquets, copper and gold herb planters, arrangements and air plants. A HUGE thank you to our volunteers/friends Corey, Amanda and Jenna for running the show at the front door, Ciaran, David, Nigel and Ben for their help with set-up, take-down, food runs and photos, and  especially to everyone who came out and checked out the June Edition. We will be back at 715 Cooper Street on July 11th for the July Edition with some new stuff and a bunch of new vendors! See you then...

xx Jenna & Jess

(All photos taken by Ben Lewis. Property of Ottawa Makers Market.)




Monday 4 May 2015

Jennifer & Matt's Spring Wedding


We had the opportunity to work with our lovely friend Jennifer in designing the flowers for her beautiful spring wedding this past weekend. We did a dreamy spring garden theme with tulips as the focal point for the bouquets and arrangements, and added an array of greens and berries for texture and colour variation. Our good friend Jenna Smith dropped by the studio to take some photos right as we were finishing up the final touches, if you’d like to see…







We wish Jennifer and Matt so much love and success for the future! What a beautiful couple.

xx Jenna & Jess

Monday 30 March 2015

Coming Soon...

Welcome! L'Orangerie is a floral pop-up shop located in Ottawa, Canada. We draw inspiration from the romance and simplicity of old Parisian gardens and greenhouses. Our design aesthetic is refined, whimsical and versatile.
A little about us... We met 7 years ago and immediately bonded over our shared obsession with Harry Potter, Wes Anderson movies and all things Parisian. After finishing university and feeling unfulfilled in our respective fields, we decided to stop working towards a future that was uninspiring and team up on our business. Between us, we have over 10 years floral design experience, and we are learning more everyday. We have both spent a lot of time in France, and have developed a deep appreciation for the simple, less-is-more French lifestyle, which is reflected in our design aesthetic.

We are currently attending Algonquin College for Business Management and Entrepreneurship and are starting our floral design business alongside our other project Ottawa Makers Market (www.facebook.com/ottawamakersmarket), a bi-weekly artisanal market also located in Ottawa. We are driven by a passion for nature and design.

We are currently selling small arrangements, plants and accoutrements at local markets (including Ottawa Makers Market), as well as taking orders for larger events. Stay tuned for an upcoming post on Jennifer & Matt's spring wedding!

xx Jenna & Jess