"Garden Tanpopo'' - a relaxing flower shop with gentle flowers and plants in Meito ward, Nagoya

A small florist that adds color to the gentle shopping street with its many flowers and plants.

This time, we would like to introduce "Garden Tanpopo," a store for plants, trees, and flowers located in "NISHIYAMA NAGAYA," a shopping complex in the Nishiyama shopping district in Nagoya's Meito Ward.

NISHIYAMA NAGAYA, a complex facility located in the Nishiyama shopping district

NISHIYAMA NAGAYA opened as a result of a project launched to enliven the Nishiyama shopping district. It is a new store that has just passed one year since its opening last fall.

Life Designs

2021.01.07

名東区 西山商店街の複合施設「NISHIYAMA NAGAYA（ニシヤマナガヤ）」訪れた人の生...

https://life-designs.jp/webmagazine/nishiyama-nagaya

名古屋・星ヶ丘といえば、カフェやレストランなどが集まるおしゃれなエリア。今回はおしゃれスポット 星ヶ丘エリアに昨年の秋にオープンした複合施設「NISHIYAMA NAGAYA（ニシヤマナガヤ）」をご紹介します。 (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push({});星ヶ丘駅から約15分ほど歩いたところに昔ながらのレトロな商店街、西山商店街があります。近くには小学校や公園があり、駅付近の賑やかさとは違ってとてもおだやかな雰囲気。NISHIYAMA NAGAYAはそんな商店街の中心にあります。 （撮影：ToLoLo Studio）NISHIYAMA NAGAYA...

"Garden Tanpopo" has a store in the corner of the first floor, and other stores such as baked goods stores and coffee shops are gathered here to provide a place of relaxation for the people of the city.

The storefront is lined with colorful fresh flowers and lush green plants.

The flowers decorating the store vary with the seasons, but they all have a gentle, natural taste. Looking at the flowers and plants lined up in the store, you will naturally feel at ease in this wonderful space.

I wanted to tell my children that they have a choice to "live with their own shop.
​

Ms Ogawa, owner of Garden Tanpopo

Mr Ogawa is very friendly and charming. I enjoyed talking with her so much that I forgot how time flies. I asked Ms Ogawa why she decided to start a flower shop and what made her decide to do it.

- How did you get started as a florist?

Ms Ogawa: "I always loved flowers and worked part-time at a flower shop on my days off while working at a company. Later, I quit the company and decided to work as a florist in earnest. The florist I worked for at the time was an environment that helped the people working in the store to become independent, so I was able to learn many things, such as going along with them to stock flowers. Also, my seniors had their own stores, so I had no resistance to running my own store.

After that, I took a short break from work after getting married and having a child, but I wanted to show my children that there is a way to run a shop on your own rather than just working for a company... I decided to start my own flower shop. ”

- How did you come to join NISHIYAMA NAGAYA?

Ms Ogawa: "The teacher at the group planting class I was attending advised me to start from the front of my house. So I started from the front of my house. Eventually, I started appearing at marche and was asked to participate in craft fairs held at Tokugawaen. After that, I was allowed to participate in events held by Mitsukoshi. However, I was very concerned about having too much stock, and I felt that I needed to open a store, so I began to think about opening a store in the shopping arcade. I had been renting a corner of the Nishiyama shopping street and opening a store there three times a week, and when the Nishiyama Nagaya Project came up, I was asked to open a flower store there, and I ended up opening my own store.

Thanks to a wonderful relationship, Ms Ogawa was able to achieve her goal of owning her own flower store.

The name "Garden Tanpopo" was derived from her enthusiasm to keep blooming as strongly as the dandelion that blooms in any time of spring, summer, fall, and winter in accordance with its environment.

The time spent stocking up is the most luxurious!
Selecting flowers with an emphasis on "cute".

The store, filled with Ogawa's love, is overflowing with lovely flowers and plants.

Ms Ogawa looks very happy as she selects flowers.

Ms Ogawa only purchases flowers that she honestly thinks are "cute,'" and all of the flowers in the store are selected by her at the market. "The most luxurious time is when I'm purchasing flowers!'' she said happily.

In addition to fresh flowers, Garden Tanpopo offers a wide variety of dried flowers.

In order to keep the flowers as beautiful as possible for as long as possible, they choose flowers that do not lose their color easily even when dried. When customers order bouquets, they often ask for arrangements that can be displayed as dried flowers.

This time, I left it up to her to make a bouquet that could also be enjoyed as dried flowers.

When I saw the process of gradual finishing, I couldn't help but say out loud, "It's so cute!" As if by magic, Ogawa's hands are filled with light and gentle natural colors.

A botanical bouquet based on pretty pink flowers was completed! The wrapping was also selected by Ms Ogawa in pursuit of "cute. Although simple, the colors were chosen to reflect the flowers that would go well with any bouquet. We had such a great conversation, and in no time at all, such a wonderful arrangement was ready.

As a one-man operation, the store is limited in size, so only carefully selected flowers and plants are stocked in the store. This is why Ms Ogawa's warm personality is reflected in the warmth and charm of the space.

Swags, wreaths, arrangements, etc.
Workshops are held to meet customers' requests

Garden Tanpopo offers workshops by the owner, Ms Ogawa.

Ms Ogawa's workshops are very free style. She does not prepare samples, but rather allows customers to create what they want to make together. She asks customers in advance what they would like to make and what flowers they would like to use, and gathers materials that will help them achieve that image. During the Christmas season, she holds workshops in accordance with customers' requests, such as making a wreath with red berries. ......

Every Monday, all stores in NISHIYAMA NAGAYA except Garden Tanpopo are closed, so workshops are often held and can be taken on the spot without reservations. The lessons are free of charge, and you only need to pay for the flowers you use! It is very attractive that you can learn flower arrangement without making a reservation in advance.

Since the store may be crowded at certain times of the year, such as the end of the year, advance reservations may be required. In such cases, please contact through the store's website or Instagram.

Garden Tanpopo is a wonderful florist that brightens up the Nishiyama shopping street.

As I talked through this interview, I became a fan of Ms Ogawa! She is also very open to teaching us various things about plants and flowers, such as how to take care of them and the secret to their longevity.

Please visit there to be healed by the charming Ms Ogawa and her lovely flowers and plants!