Completed Frog Pins and Flower Sins

Shade furthers his education on his business.

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Frog Pins and Flower Sins

Postby Shade on November 30th, 2022, 10:04 pm

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Timestamp: 30th of Fall, 522 A.V.


The two men made their way to the Courtyard Cantina. It was one of Shade’s favorite places to go and Otto had no objections or actual preferences of where they were going to eat. Shade had promised him lunch, and that was exactly what Otto was going to get. Sitting down at a shady table, the two men ordered cold beers, a Platter of the Day, and three fish tacos apiece. The serving girl was left a generous tip to keep them in beer as the two men settled down to talk. With a beer delivered in a chilled ceramic mug, Otto appeared more than willing to talk shop. In fact, he was enjoying the younger man’s company and his interest in floristry. There was no harm in teaching him either, since he was living in Syka and that’s where his flower shop was going to be. There need not be any competition between the two of them. Instead, only a budding strengthening friendship.

The conversation was casual, slipping from people that they’d spotted in the crowds to the weather and to life in general at both The Outpost and Syka. Shade and Otto had a lot in common, both having been orphans and raised away from any sort of family. It made them rather loaners, but not alone enough that they couldn’t relate to one another. On Shadekas’ part, he liked the old man. There was a genuineness to his personality that made him think he could trust Otto – at least in terms of Floristry – to steer him in the correct direction he needed to go. And the old man made it easy on the young man to ask questions and be open about his insecurities about flowers.

With the meal well underway, the two men fell into conversation about some of the things Shade had asked about earlier. Of particular interest was the flower frogs that Shade had never heard of. Digging into his pack, he pulled several of the frogs out that Otto had purchased for him and laid them out across the table among the food. “Tell me about these… you said there was a lot too them.” He added, curious.

Otto looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, taking another bite of his fish taco before he nudged one of the flower frogs closest to his plate. “These are tools, Shade. I’d dare say they are floral mechanics or floral apparatus’… and even can be considered a type of technique. They are always used to construct floral arrangements.” He said thoughtfully.

“Used how?” Shade asked, curious. He’d never seen anything like the flower frogs. Some of them looked like a circular disk of pins sticking straight up in the air an inch or two. Some of them were two inches in diameter disk-wise, while some of them went up to ten inches. The ‘pins’ weren’t sharp like needles or push-pins. But they were still sharp enough to impale plant stems on. Some where flat on the top, while some were actually domed. All of them had solid bottoms that were flat. Shade wasn’t sure if they rested on the bottom of the vessel one used them in or if there was some other way to secure them in a vase, jar, or pot.

“They keep flowers in place. That’s the long and short of it. And to be honest, they are incredibly necessary. If you are making an arrangement of flowers or greenery in a vessel of some sort, you want to secure them in place so they don’t move. You are purposely, artfully, and strategically placing flowers. You want them to stay where you place them. That’s where flower frogs come into play. They come in a wide variety of styles… and I’ll talk about that. But most of them are these flat bottomed and flat topped pin frogs. They have these solid metal circular bases with metal pins sticking straight up from them.” Otto explained.

Shadekas nodded, following the old man’s words. He was finding Otto to be a good teacher and was eager to try out what Otto was showing him. The ex-Monk reached forward, plucked one of the pin frogs up, and examined it closely. “To work right, these need to be affixed somehow, don’t they? You can’t have them just sitting at the bottom of the pot or vase or whatever you are setting them in.” Shade said, turning the thing over and over in his hands as if he could figure out on his own how the thing was affixed in place.

“Florists Clay. It’s hellishly sticky and waterproof. Unlike other clay, it won’t dissolve in water.” Otto explained causing Shade to nod because he knew he had several large blocks of the stuff in his bag as part of his new florists kit. “You just squish a lump of it under the frog and stick it to the container bottom, arrange your flowers in the frog, then fill the container with water. The clay will hold it indefinitely.” Otto said thoughtfully.

“Ahh.” Shade said, nodding, remembering Otto had explained that to him at the time they’d picked up the multiple bricks of clay. As he continued to nibble on the food and enjoy the cold beer, Otto took out more of the flower frogs from the canvas shopping totes at their feet and talked openly about them. “Now, frogs come in a variety of designs. You have these metal pin frogs, metal hairpin frogs, metal case flower frogs, glass flower frogs, and clay or ceramic frogs. The most popular and easily acquired ones are the pin frogs… these metal pins allow for the most variation and adaptability in stem placement. You can skewer them on the pins directly or wedge them between the metal pins, depending on where you want to locate the flowers in the arrangement and based on the type of flower and how sturdy it needs to be held in place. When I give out bouquets that contain these frogs, I always price them with the cost of the frog in mind as well. Then, if they bring the frog back after the bouquet is spent, they can get refunded the value of the frog. I call it a frog deposit. I always explain this to the customers so they know I need to keep getting the frogs back to build more arrangements. If you acquire a bit of metal working or make friends with the local blacksmith, you might get a good supply of them up front at little or no cost.” Otto explained.

Shade laughed. “Our local blacksmith in Syka hasn’t actually lit his forge in two seasons. He’s a bonified drunk. So I think that avenue is closed to me.” He admitted, thinking of the blacksmith and what sort of situation he was in. Shade truthfully couldn’t even remember the man’s name. He’d met him a time or two, but he reminded Shade too much of some of the worst Monks he knew in Nyka, so he steered clear.

Otto nodded. “Then learn to make them yourself or use the sources here, but get the ones you use back from your customers with frog deposits.” He suggested, then went on with his lecture. “You can get your metal pins in different shapes and sizes. You can also pair your pin frogs with appropriately sized pin cups that allow the pin frogs to sit in water so the flowers stems can keep drinking and stay fresh longer.” He said, pulling one of the pin cups from the bags and fitting a frog pin into it.

Shade reached over and pulled it towards him, investigating. “So, pin frogs can go into the bottom of containers, or can be the container themselves.” He said, nodding, understanding what Otto was saying.

“Yes. Some of the prettier glass ones are containers all on their own. I’ll show you in a chime. But first, let’s talk about metal hairpin flower frogs. They are really just a variation of pin frogs, but they have a flexible pin coming out of the base that can be bent open or pinched closed – like a ladies hair pin – and that can be used to establish the shape of the arrangement. They come in different shapes and can be paired with pin cups or planted at the bottom of ornate containers just like regular pin frogs.” He said, pulling one out of the canvas tote and handing it to Shade.

The ex-Monk looked it over and nodded, picking up a normal hair pin and examining them side by side. He nodded, soaking up the information, before Otto took the two types of frog pins back, stowed them back in the tote, and pulled out what looked like a metal palm-sized cage.

“These are little cage flower frogs. I love them for thicker stemmed flowers like iris’ or even some of the older variety of roses. You set them inside the vessels of your arrangement because frankly they are ugly and need to be covered. They allow for side placement of stems in a way that metal pin and hairpin frogs just can’t.” He said, handing one to Shade.

Obediently, between bites of his fish taco, Shade examined the thing and nodded. He knew he had several in the totes. “The tropical flowers back in Syka have thick stems. I suspect I’ll use just as many of these as I will the frog pins themselves. I bet I could make these with a bit of wire and firm bases. I think I could even use chicken wire and pliers to make up several of these.” The aspiring florist said.

Otto grinned. “Now you are thinking. Flower frogs can be honestly made from anything. Even a stone collected at the beach that is full of holes could actually be a flower frog. I know a florist that uses them at The Outpost.” He added. “Or, if your blacksmith is a drunk like you say, you can probably get your local potter to make some out of clay or even your glassblower. Here, look at this.” Otto added, fishing around in the shopping tote and pulling the first thing he came across.

It was a lovely glass flower frog. This one was beautiful, sat on four feet, was circular, and had holes in the top part to insert stems into. There was volume inside the glass looked like it could hold water, and anything from the most delicate orchids cut fresh or even thick stemmed flowers since it was heavy and sat solidly on a table without needing a container or base.

“Do those go in vases?” Shade asked, curiously.

“Sure can. They look fantastic in clear glass vases. But they can and often do sit in the bottom of containers. They are heavy, so they can weigh big containers down and stabilize large large bouquets. Use them when you need weight and size.” Otto said, nodding to Shade.

Shade nodded back, taking a long drink of his beer while Otto quenched his thirst as well. “They have a lot of advantages, but what are the disadvantages?” He asked, curious.

Otto nodded, swallowed his mouthful of beer and nodded. “True, true… they do have a disadvantage. They do not have much flexibility with stem placement so they are most often used in homes and small areas, not for big formal arrays of flowers. Professionals, when they need bigger and stronger, build custom metal cage frogs.” He said, nodding.

Shade understood that. “And the clay or ceramic frogs?” He asked.

Otto raised an eyebrow and nodded. “They are fun, artistic and come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. But they remind me a lot of glass frogs. You can use them alone, without containers, with containers, and all that. But like the glass ones, the holes are fixed sizes and fixed placements, so they limit you as a florist in what you can arrange.” He said simply, then picked up one of the normal pin frogs and sat it front of him. He pushed his food aside and smiled at Shade.

“We don’t need flowers or supplies here to demonstrate how you do this… but we’ll imagine.” He said to Shade, which caused the monk to nod.

“First, you decide what you are going to make, pick your frog, a bit of floral clay, your vessel of choice, your sheers, water, and gather your flowers. Lay your flowers on out. I should warn you too. Be careful when you are handling these frogs. Often they are sharp and can cut you or pierce your skin. So don’t hold them with a lot of pressure, and don’t force flowers onto them when you are trying to secure your stems or make your arrangements. You can also wear a good set of leather gloves to help protect you.” Otto advised, then continued on as Shade nodded. He was learning a great deal from this old man and was happy he had his floristry journal to learn more.

“So, you have your materials assembled. Use the clay to affix the frog to the bottom of your container, then make sure its secure before you begin. Give all your stems a fresh cut and as soon as you do that, start securing stems to the pins of the flower frog one at a time. I like to arrange from the outside of the pin moving inwards. Some people start at the center and move outwards. Its smarter and easier to balance the arrangement if you move from the outside towards the inside. Try it both ways and you’ll see what I’m saying.” Otto added.

“So do you always place certain parts of your arrangement first? Like say the centerpiece flowers or an artistic sprig of say pussy willow?” Shade asked.

Otto looked thoughtful. “It really depends on the style of floral design you are working with. But for most of them, you want to start establishing the shape and form of your floral design through the greenery and branches, then add the flowers. This is particularly true of garden style floral design, and I suspect what you will be doing in Syka with your heavy tropical blooms. Its normally a rule of thumb to add your structural pieces first. That would be the woody stems, branches, greenery and bigger flowers.” He added.

Shade nodded. “So design structure first and all that entails, then add in the beautiful flowers. I get it.” He said, nodding.

Then Otto grinned. It was a grin of a man that was going to test his pupil and find out if the lesson was worth it. “So… I’ve told you all that I really can about frogs until you get further into the business of floristry. Now… you tell me what the advantages and disadvantages of flower frogs are?” He demanded, leaning back, picking up his beer and taking a big drink. Otto had one fish taco left and tore into it while he waited for Shade to reply.

Shade looked thoughtful. He was well aware this was his chance to shine or fail in Otto’s eyes. And if he failed, he might not get any more knowledge out of the man. And that was knowledge he needed. He didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he thought a moment, then started ticking off points on his fingers, explaining to Otto as he ticked them off what he meant by them.

“Well, first they are reusable. They are durable… and if you care for them, you can have them for year. That makes them a good investment for a florist. If you can acquire and collect quite a few of these, they can be used over and over again. They seem easy to hide within your artistic creation. And you can make them fun for your customers. If they know to save or reuse them, you could sell your bouquets as being limited to the life of the flowers, but the life of the frog being far longer and teach your customers how to arrange their own flowers and make it a fun investment for them as well. I wouldn’t do this with all my customers, but definitely with friends and family or people that can’t afford high end flower arrangements all the time.” He said thoughtfully.

“That all?” Otto asked, causing Shade to shake his head in denial.

“No… I think the frogs make your design more secure and allows you to transport it or deliver it without destroying it. And honestly? Premade frogs save you time as a florist, right? You don’t have to bend wires, make your frogs out of chicken wire, and all that. They are just what they are, already assembled, and ready to be clayed to a container so you can get to work. Quick and easy… for sure. And I think that’s all I can think of.” Shade added, smiling at Otto.

“Very good. And the disadvantages?” He asked… pleased by Shade’s first response and having a high expectation on this next answer.

Shade nodded. “Definitely upfront costs are significant. They can injure you if they are sharp. You’ll have to try and get them back from your customers, and those customers might not want to replace them. And they are frankly not as flexible as say cages or glass frogs. And looking at them, I see issues in rusting and cleaning. They might be hard to do that without getting cuts or pierces you don’t want.” Shade said, causing Otto to nod.

“Very good. You are a good student. Let’s put this stuff away, finish our sampler platter, and I’ll take you around the Bazaar and show you some of my suppliers. Sound good?” Otto said, suggesting an end of the lesson for not.

Shade nodded. “Sounds fantastic, actually.” He said, moving to gather up the frogs and slip them carefully back into his canvas shopping totes.

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Shade
The Black Opal.
 
Posts: 232
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Joined roleplay: November 25th, 2011, 7:08 am
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Frog Pins and Flower Sins

Postby Shade on March 7th, 2023, 4:42 am

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Grading!


Shadekas –

Floristry +5, Interrogation +3, Logic +2, Socialization +5, Business +2

The Outpost: Location of The Courtyard Cantina, Floristry: Flower Frogs – Usages & Types, Floristry: What Types Of Flower Frogs To Use Where/When, Floristry: Florist’s Clay Usage & Appearance, Business: How to Price Flower Frogs, Business: How To Market Flower Frogs, Floristry: Flower Cages, Floristry: Process of Making A Bouquet, Floristry: Planning Florist Design, Floristry: Advantages & Disadvantages of Flower Frogs
User avatar
Shade
The Black Opal.
 
Posts: 232
Words: 215158
Joined roleplay: November 25th, 2011, 7:08 am
Location: Syka
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Plotnotes
Medals: 1
Mizahar Grader (1)


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