Todays floral post is all about reptiles. Specifically frogs and snakes.

Fritillaria meleagris (also known as a Snake Head Flower) is a little spring bulbous flower that arrives in March. It is a petite and fragile beauty – we can’t get enough of them around here. So it was no surprise that Amy brought home a gorgeous bunch of these little snakes from the market this morning.

Today I’d like to use the Fritillaria to demonstrate how to use a flower frog. I’ve got a nice little collection of flower frogs going thanks to my friend Chris (who incidentally sells vintage frogs at the Brooklyn Flea on weekends – find his booth just through the main entrance to the left).

Let me break it down fast – flower foam commonly called Oasis is bad news. It’s made from petroleum and will never break down in a landfill. Flower frogs have always been a great alternative to foam. Plus they offer dual usage: you can prop little notes or business cards in them.

I set out to make two examples this afternoon. For the first I chose a 6″ wide stone urn. I set a 3″ frog down in the bottom and filled it with water.

CLICK HERE for the rest of Sarah’s post and her how-tos for working with floral frogs after the jump!

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Nice to see you again…Shall we?

Lately, when I’m not thinking of you, I’m been thinking about winter… about how it snuck up on me – suddenly I’m unconsciously reaching for a butternut squash at the supermarket, or holing up with 2 pints of B&J, a bottle of wine and astrology paraphernalia. I also have time lately to look around and consider my houseplants. Specifically, my recent obsession with collecting begonias.

Surely a professional astrologer could pinpoint the precise planetary angles in my star chart – a synergy that results in an acute tendency to collect and hoard. Let’s consider my history:

1985, first snowy day: I tell my sister (then aged 3) that winter is fast approaching and we need to gather all the nuts and berries in the yard or else we’re sure to starve. She cries; I console her with a mud pie.

1988 – 1990: I collect every piece of Easter and Halloween candy in a shoebox in the bottom of my closet. I strategically ration the candy – by only consuming small nibbles – so that it lasts all year round. These are the hardest days yet.

1991: I begin meeting with a stamp-collecting group in the back of an aging Roy Rogers restaurant. I wow the other members with my strong showing of the 1952 Helsinki Commemorative Olympic Stamps.

1993: A TJ Max opens in my town, and I begin pillaging the home section; spending my babysitting earnings ($3/hour, can you believe it!) to amass an unruly collection of god-awful candlesticks.

1995: An unfortunate collection of Absolut ads.

Presently: Managing an wayward collection of half eaten pieces of cheese, containers of olives, and…to the point – BEGONIAS.

Begonias come in infinite varieties. They stand up incredibly well as city house plants (requiring relatively low light, rather infrequent waterings (a once-a-week soaking will suffice in a pot with good drainage), and they are undeniably gorgeous.

Propagating is easy – snip a large healthy leaf and place it in a sunny window in a cup of water. When significant roots show up (2-3 weeks) you can pot a new one.

As a floral designer with a penchant for simple adornment of a few key flowers – the leaves are indispensable. I like to clip stems from my plants and mix them into arrangements. Given as a gift to someone armed with this information, such a bouquet can foster a new begonia grower. Now go forth and propagate!!

Great sites for begonias:
http://www.begonias.org/
http://www.peacetreefarm.com/
http://www.robsviolet.com/begonias.htm
http://boomanfloral.com/info_begoniaclassification.htm

CLICK HERE for the rest of Sarah’s post and more images of Begonia varieties after the jump!

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