Flowers as works of art

Nature has always been an integral part of Marc Sardi’s life. And flowers have taken pride of place in it for several years. The biologist by training reinvented himself in the middle of his life to become a floral designer. Today, he offers his expertise and services during workshops and weddings.

“I am trained in wildlife biology and worked as a field biologist,” explains Marc Sardi. He mainly did bird censuses, and inevitably, he had to learn more about their habitat. So he became more interested in plants. “I developed a passion for plant identification, especially for native plants.”

Flowers had been an object of fascination since his childhood. The floral designer grew up facing a vacant lot where many plants flourished. “There was a field a little wooded and there were lots of wild flowers,” he says. “I made myself a big bouquet of goldenrod, daisies, asters.”

The idea of ​​launching a project related to flowers took shape little by little. In 2005, Marc Sardi enrolled in a DEP in horticulture. “I had the idea of ​​opening a nursery of perennials or native plants or a flower farm,” he says. Ultimately, the scientific side took over again. He became a scientific facilitator and, later, an urban biodiversity project manager for several NPOs and municipalities.

However, professional exhaustion put a stop to his activities. It was at this time that he devoted more time to gardening. The backyard of his apartment was already the object of his experiments. He would plunge his hands even more into the earth.

The Instagram Springboard

He posts several of his bouquets on Instagram. He quickly attracts attention. His floral arrangements, which he takes pictures of, are true works of art. “I appreciate everything that is still life painting, the Dutch and European masters of the 16th century^e in the 18th century^e century, Marc Sardi points out. I try to reproduce that in my photos. I put my flowers on a dramatic background with natural light and a few objects.”

Marc Sardi also began following floral designers who inspired him on the social network. They followed him in turn and he gradually built up a network. “Renowned floral designers told me that I had talent, that I had to do something with it,” he says. “People complimented me, congratulated me, it really encouraged me to move forward.”

Marc Sardi therefore started his floral design business in 2017. Don’t get confused with floristry, he says. “A florist is someone who has a shop. You can shop for your plants, choose your flowers to make a bouquet.” He sells design: “It’s the art of using botanical materials to create sculptural compositions, atmospheres or decors,” he explains.

Eco-responsible values

“Because of my environmental background, I had this environmental fiber that weighed heavily and I scrutinized every action of my company under the eye of an environmentalist,” says the man who briefly worked at a florist and saw the other side of the floral industry. “We threw away about seven garbage bags a day,” and that’s without mentioning the distant origin of the flowers and the chemicals used in their production.

The floral designer tries to be as zero waste as possible and sources local flowers. “I use flowers from flower farms or my garden and I do ethical foraging,” he says. He has a few favorite places to pick wild plants, and he always makes sure his foraging is responsible.

After offering bouquets and floral arrangements on request or for delivery, Marc Sardi specializes in weddings. He also offers workshops to individuals and professionals. And several young florists come to do his training.

“There are more and more floral designers,” Marc Sardi points out. “It’s a booming profession.” He says he’s lucky to be able to make a living from it. “I’ve always looked for this artistic side in my life and now I can put it forward.”

Visit Marc Sardi’s website

Collaboration with Opposite Wall

It can be hard to get your hands on a Marc Sardi bouquet. But since April, you can now adorn your walls with one of his floral arrangements thanks to a collaboration with Opposite Wall. A few photos of Marc Sardi’s floral arrangements are available in poster format on the company’s website. “I like to say it’s making a floral arrangement last on your wall,” he explains, although he encourages people to appreciate the ephemeral nature of flowers. “Having flowers in your home, buying flowers, is an appreciation of life, which is short.”

Visit the Opposite Wall website