East End Flower Market

$600 is expensive for a house plant. But it’s a price the devoted are willing to fork out to have the perfect piece of nature inside their home, such as a fiddle leaf fig tree that’s between seven and 10 years old.

East End Flower Market – the name pays tribute to the shop’s original outlet on Grenfell Street – embraces brightness: floral illustrations in pastel colours cover the walls, and a hot-pink neon sign (designed by Imogen Koch) welcomes you upon entry. There’s also an eye-catching terrazzo bench designed by interior architecture student Lauren Main, where you can see the arrangements being made.

Owner Justine Ellbourn, who was raised by a florist mother, has a passion for local plants and flowers, and an instinct for experimentation. She and her team create bouquets that change daily, mixing modern, cultivated plant varieties with wild plants.

When we visited, the range included king proteas, flannel flowers, peace lilies and delphiniums. There’s also the Bambino Everlasting, which is a spray-painted dried flower arrangement inspired by customers asking for “dead bouquets”; plant-care products; scented candles; and self-watering pots.

The sweet smell of flowers isn’t the only aroma coming out of the shop. Former coffee pop-up Day Job, run by partners Antonio Trotta and Jessica Rogers, has moved in. Micro-roaster Kindred is the supplier for their milk-based coffees; there’s a rotating selection of beans for their black coffees. The menu changes weekly to fortnightly, too. Breads are supplied by Dough, and you can find a small selection of pastries from Market Street sitting on the counter.