The resurgence of the Garden of the Angel,
We couldn't believe it last year when the Angel's Garden , the famous flower shop on Calle Huertas in Madrid, surprised everyone by placing at the door the "Liquidation by Closing" sign. The disagreements between the former owner of the flower shop and the Church, owner of the land, made it clear that sooner or later this war would end like this.
One of the most iconic flower shops in the center of Madrid
The lease is up and the former owner went on a war footing against the institution. Something did not fit, it was hard to believe that souvenirs and other types of objects unrelated to the flower business were sold in the century-old flower shop.
One way or another the Garden of the Angel closed and one day we woke up with a handful of masons fixing the numerous damages that were observed from the gate.
Except for the neighbors, nobody wanted to say a word. But the Archbishopric of Madrid was right: the flower business would survive and in the place of our favorite flower shop there would not nest a pub or a food and souvenir shop.
Looking for a gift? Here you will find the perfect bouquet
TWO EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN BRING THE FLOWERS BACK TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD
We have had to move to Madrid Canillejas neighborhood to meet with Elsa Valverde and Mercedes Rodriguez, the intrepid florists who have dared with such a crusade. They are very excited about the adventure, although, between paperwork and works, they have come a long way to get here, to arrive and open the garden angel , as they have renamed the space.
Mercedes she comes from a family dedicated to the world of flowers, although she, one can almost say, ended up here by rebound: she started at her sister's flower shop where her entrepreneurial spirit would be awakened.
Pure beauty
“I have always been in this world. I come from a family dedicated to the world of florists and in the end I ended up here too”, narrates Mercedes while Elsa attends to the counter.
Elsa, on the other hand, dedicated 20 years of her life to working in the Madrid Botanical Garden. This biologist specialized in Botany, who defines herself as a real restless ass, ended up meeting Mercedes with whom she would not only end up working in her store but with whom she decided to associate.
The spirit of the most beloved florist in Madrid will not be forgotten
“When we found out that the Jardín del Ángel was closing, we got in touch to see how we could get involved. We visited the store and I told Elsa that this was the business destined for us, it could not be any other”, Mercedes explains.
However, they were not the only ones to bid, there were more people interested and this was something that dynamited their expectations. When they were called with the award, Elsa says that she almost gave them a heart attack:
“I answered the phone and started screaming. Everyone in the flower shop at that time was looking at me because a scandal was created. It was an immense joy."
Elsa Valverde and Mercedes Rodríguez are in charge of the business
Upon entering the store, which was already theirs, they had to deal with the damage of a little more than dismantled place but, despite what has been commented by the gossips of Madrid, the store was not in bad condition.
THE GARDEN ANGEL
What Mercedes and Elsa have done is a renaissance of the flower shop, fixing the facilities to be able to have heating inside (because temperature is crucial for plants and, in the past, the heating system was very rudimentary, barely supporting itself with radiators).
A place, to say the least, hypnotic
His idea is to create a more diaphanous store, where the plants have the leading role and where everyone can see them work, without parapets. Inside they have installed a new vertical garden and, little by little, they are going to introduce new species so that the mythical floristry shines again as it has always done.
In addition, Elsa's experience at the Botanical Garden flourishes (pun intended) with new ideas such as the possibility of working with seeds and plants that are not so easy to buy and maintain.
The fountain, the great protagonist of the interior space
“Imagine what you are looking for baobab seeds and you want to know how to care for and maintain that plant. Now you can have that in El Jardín del Ángel and I will take care of explaining everything you need to know”, says Elsa with an almost nervous smile, they know that a lot is at stake with this bet.
Today, and after having a bad time with Filomena, they are open to the public again, although they will continue to modify and add details. What we do know is that the spirit of the most beloved florist in Madrid will not be forgotten or, that we will once again get intoxicated with the aroma of flowers as we pass through Huertas Street in what was once a rather controversial cemetery. We have learned that illusions move mountains and that Madrid did not want to bury its most precious garden. Today that dream has come true and we could not be more grateful.
The famous flower shop on Calle Huertas is worth a visit