Just in time for summer, Bunny Williams designed a variety of floral frogs to make flower arranging easier than ever. According to Bunny, anyone can create a beautiful arrangement if you’ve got the right tools. We’re not saying we didn’t take her word for it, but we did put her floral frogs to the test. We asked garden and entertaining expert, James Farmer, to help us create three unique looks using each one of Bunny’s floral frogs — and we think you’ll love the results every bit as we do.
A beautiful flower arrangement elevates any occasion. But you don’t need a special reason to throw together a fresh bouquet to enjoy in your kitchen, dining room or entry. Bunny’s floral frogs make it fast and easy to bring seasonal blooms indoors. We asked James to show us how to make an arrangement we can enjoy anytime using Bunny’s Turtle Floral Frog as the foundation.
“It’s going to be traditional with a little bit of a twist, and this frog is going to dictate the shape,” says James. “It will be great for a buffet or a long or oval table,” says James.
Step 1:
Choose a wide, rectangular shaped vase and place the floral frog in the bottom. Fill it with water to about half way. Be sure to use lukewarm water to avoid shocking your newly cut stems.
Step 2:
Start with adding garden greenery from your own yard for a beautiful backdrop. James chose camellia branches, versatile greenery that looks good in any arrangement. It’s best to cut stems at an angle using a pair of clippers — scissors can crush the stem — to allow for better intake of water. Before putting them in the vase, strip off any leaves or thorns from the part of the stems that will be in the water.
Step 3:
Add a second layer using your biggest flowerhead. For our arrangement, James used hydrangeas. When using a square vase, tuck your flowers into the four corners first, then fill in the sides, creating a ring around the periphery of the vase. Finally, fill in the middle with a couple of hydrangeas.
Step 4:
Create height while filling out the middle of the arrangement with tall branches or blooms, such as delphinium, as we did here. James also recommends using springtime favorites, forsythia and quince. Clip them to the desired height and place in the center of the arrangement.
Step 5:
Throw in a twist with cascading greenery, like amaranthus. Instead of tucking it in around the base of the arrangement as you normally would, James suggests adding it from the top to let it spill down over the hydrangeas for a bit of unexpected drama.
It really is that easy with the help of our little friend, Turtle! And one last tip: hydrangeas take lots of water, so be sure there’s plenty in your vase. You can even spritz your hydrangea blooms to keep them looking fresh.
Find Bunny Williams’ Floral Frogs here, or browse her entire collection for Ballard Designs. For more inspiration, watch all of our videos on our Video Gallery page.
