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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1. Box of chocolates? As in I don’t really know what you like, so here’s an assortment? There is a map on the back of the lid! You can pick the ones you like, but save me the maple creams.

2. Lingerie? You have to be very very very very careful with this option. One word: Sizing.

3. Dinner out? Oh, perhaps at Chez Jardin de Olive? NEXT!

4. Teddy Bear? As in OH HELL NO. Girls don’t want teddy bears, unless it’s dressed like snoop dog and stuffed with cash and diamonds. And, oh, maybe you squeeze it and it plays “Gin and Juice.” I’d take that bear actually…

5. Flowers? [Jumping up and down fingers pointing, 21 gun salute, fireworks exploding in the sky] Proven to be your best option, in part because getting flowers says :
- you, unlike lots of men, DID NOT dismiss the fact that every girl LOVES TO GET FLOWERS. EVERY. GIRL.
- you braved it all the way out to Red Hook to stand in a studio full of girls listening to Ace of Base
- you navigated what may have been perhaps an uncomfortable conversation about something very beautiful and delicate. {awww, like you…}

God Speed, and Good Luck -Sarah

Got your pencil?…and excuse me, but is that gum you’re chewing?!

The average floral arrangement consists of what we describe as a string of “moments,” (clusters of 3 or 5 flowers that relate tonally or structurally and serve as general focal points) suspended – if you will – in the spacetime-floral-continuum, and illustrated in diagram 1.1. These moments can be seen from any given angle, and change as the perspective of the viewer rotates around the axis given as the center of the arrangement and are subject to infinite interpretation depending on the history and aesthetic predispositions of the onlooker [ex. 1: Carnations may remind some of a wrist corsage given at a first dance, velvet lycra, and C&C Music Factory. ex. 2: Lilly of the valley elicits memories of grandmothers in 79% of American women].

Such moments in general follow an organizational process that can be categorized simply by a theory of Triangles (as illustrated in diagram 1.0, and not to be confused with the concept of “love triangle” or with Robert Sternberg’s Triangular Theory of Love ), the eye generally is drawn first to the widest base angle which we’ll call a, travels up along the a-b axis, pauses at the highest point or gesture B (a flower that perhaps extends a bit beyond), and then glides down the b-c axis. As illustrated in diagram 1.2, the arc formed between the…You know what, PASS THAT NOTE UP HERE RIGHT NOW.

Summing up, we remember that flowers grouped in odd numbers are generally easier on the eye. If you’re purchasing stems at a flower shop, buy 3 or 5 stems of ranunculus. Two stems grouped together often resemble antenna, unless you cut one significantly shorter than the other, thus mimicking the way flowers tend to grow in nature.

Now go forth and triangulate!

Note: Study arrangement contained: French Anemones, Lichen covered branches, Ranunculus, Yellow Cypress, Dusty Miller, Pine cones (wired), Astrantia, Seeded Eucalyptus, and Ranunculus buds.

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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i’m a massive, massive fan of saipua (and owners sarah and eric) and was so thrilled to not only visit the shop, but get to use the gorgeous new space as a backdrop for the shoot. after we finished the work part of the day i took a few minutes just to sit at gawk at the new space. designed by architect jeremy barbour of tacklebox, the new space feels like walking into the most beautiful weathered wooden box you’ve ever seen. every corner holds some beautiful surprise tucked into a wooden cubbyhole and the smell of saipua soap fills the air.

if you’re in the nyc area, the brand new shop will officially open its doors this saturday, august 22nd. if you are in town i highly suggest heading over and checking things out (and then grabbing a sweet treat at baked and something pretty from erie basin on the way out). until then, click here to check out the new images on sarah’s blog (and here to check out more photos on jeremy’s site) congrats to sarah and eric on their gorgeous new shop! [all images from saipua]

This year I have some nice looking tomatoes. How are your tomatoes? Really? Wow. That big already huh…
OK FINE! I have a few problems – namely powdery mildew. It’s common enough. My plants look healthy with lots of blossoms and small fruits, but there’s a dusty white film in small circles on the leaves. Innocent enough looking – if left untreated the leaves will start to yellow and corrode…by the end of August the whole lot will be a crispy mess with stunted fruits. No victory in that garden.

I’ve mentioned home remedy’s for bug infestations here before – I really feel like most every plant ailment can be treated with simple concoctions of pantry items – especially if you’re growing on a smaller scale. I’m treating my mold with a homemade fungicide:

1 Tablespoon of baking soda
2 Tablespoons of canola oil
1 Teaspoon of liquid-soap like Dr. Bronners
1 Gallon of water

Hose off your infected plants first, then give a good spray. I spray the leaves and the soil. Always spray in the evening, after the sun has set so you’re treated leaves don’t “burn” in the heat of mid-day sun.

If you’re tomatoes have other ailments maybe we can sort out a good remedy for you in the comments…and also I want to mention something a bit more serious called Late Blight that seems to be affecting tomatoes in the North East. Characterized by “white, powdery spores; large olive green or brown spots on leaves; and brown or open lesions on the stems.” Read about it here.

Some powdery mildew on leaves

Healthy rooftop tomatoes

Advanced mildew