Marida Steyn started a new career as a florist at the age of 40. Today, two decades later, she reflects on her journey as single mother and business owner.
Marida founded Paradiso, a flower shop in Somerset West, in 2000. “I have to stay busy and keep moving…I get bored easily,” she says. PHOTO: Mia van der Merwe
“Where are the cutters? I am running late, please people!”
Jazz music fills the busy flower shop, the smell of jasmine hangs in the air and rose petals litter the floor. Florists running and rushing to assist curious customers.
“Coming, Marida! Coming!” answers Antoinette Parnell, a florist who has worked with Marida Steyn for 15 years. Antoinette hands the owner a pair of cutters. The owner cuts five rose stems and perfectly positions them into an antique white pot.
“Your eyes see triangles and look for patterns of three’s and that’s what makes the whole picture come together,” explains Marida. She tweaks the composition in front of her into an elegant arrangement.
Marida founded Paradiso Flowers, a flower shop on the corner of Drama and Caledon Streets in the middle of town in Somerset West, in 2000. At the time, she was 40, and the single mother of a four month old baby.
“I knew I needed to do something that was creative and that kept my hands busy – something that is different every day,” she says.
Marida Steyn always starts her day with a cup of tea, and then enjoys at least 2 more throughout the day.
PHOTO: Mia van der Merwe
From buchu to beautiful blooms
Marida grew up on a farm just outside of Piketberg. Her father farmed mainly with buchu and vegetables, but also kept sheep and bucks.
“After school I thought I wanted to become a food scientist, but I quickly realised that was not going to work,” she says.
She lived in Stellenbosch at the time, and completed her degree in Communications Sciences through Unisa. At the same time, she worked at EikestadNuus fulfilling various roles.
“It was busy… exciting. Rushing deadline after deadline and not going home until the work is finished,” she says about her time at the Stellenbosch community newspaper.
However, Marida remembers always having an interest in beautiful blooms. Before opening her flower shop, she used to make the flower arrangements for friends, cousins or other family member’s events and weddings.
Marida Steyn is an eco-activist, she tries to make her packaging eco-friendly and reuses as much in the shop as she can, from bows to wilted flowers. “I have a dried floral and confetti section, where all the wilted or dying flowers are added to reuse,” she says. PHOTO: Mia van der Merwe
‘Pretty things and good people’
“My granddad was very pedantic about his roses, and my mom is a very pedantic type of lady,” says Mia Steyn, Marida’s daughter. “So, I think she got that from him.”
Marida raised Mia – her only daughter – alone and when she was younger, she often felt guilty for working long hours.
“I couldn’t always be there for the small things, but I tried to communicate with her as best as I can to explain why,” she says.
Mia remembers her childhood fondly, though. “She always tried to make my childhood fun and she always made time for me,” says Mia. “I grew up between pretty things and good people.”
“I knew I needed to do something that was creative and that kept my hands busy – something that is different every day.”
Finding a niche in the flower industry
Marida works hard at driving her shop into a unique place within the industry. She tries to be as eco-friendly as possible. The flower wrapping, for example, doubles as organic bubble wrap, and things in the shop are constantly being reused, from threads to bows.
“I would like to see that change in the industry – active steps to lessen the harm on the planet,” she says.
Marida has been focusing on scaling her business up this year.
“When you start a business you have two choices. You either keep it small or you play it big,” she says. Since her daughter is now much older, Marida is able to start playing it big with Paradiso.
“It feels like I spend my life in this loading zone… waiting for bouquets to be done and rushing to get them delivered. Between deliveries and set ups I’m always here,” she tells SMF News. PHOTO: Mia van der Merwe
Forget-me-not
When Marida was a child, she had to take part in a children’s concert where each child had to introduce themselves as a flower, along with a handmade version.
“There I was on stage saying ‘I am a little forget-me-not, but my flower is bigger than anyone else’s around me’,” she says. Marida laughs. She recalls how she was standing on the stage holding, ironically, a massive flower in her hands to portray the forget-me-not.
Marida’s favourite flower is still the forget-me-not. “I like the little flowers that you would easily walk by and not even see the small delicate, intricate details. Or realise that it’s next to you,” she says.
Unsurprisingly, she enjoys the little things in life. She often reads her daughter’s thrifted books to unwind. She also enjoys knitting after a long day at work, especially during winter
Marida knits little baby booties which she donates for premature babies in hospital. She can easily knit a pair of booties in an evening. She also enjoys pottery.
And whenever her work schedule allows it, Marida and her daughter would make the trip to the family farm in Piketberg, where her love of flowers is rooted.
Marida Steyn enjoys the little things in life, the little flowers with the intricate details and the little moments between reading and knitting. PHOTO: Mia van der Merwe