DIY Mother's Day Bouquet: Video

                                                                                                                         via The Daily
      

I am so excited to present this video that I worked on with THE DAILY!  Mother's Day is right around the corner and  there isn't a mom in the World that doesn't love receiving flowers. Unfortunately, prices double or triple as appreciative children, husbands and partners rush to place last minute orders through a florist.  To avoid this expense and the potential of impersonal flowers, I demonstrate how to arranging them yourself.  Additionally, you can always customize a bouquet using her favorite flowers.  I chose peonies, lilacs and hydrangeas because in my opinion there is nothing more feminine than a peony, lilacs smell AMAZING, and hydrangeas are inexpensive and dry beautifully.

Step By Step Instructions:
* When you get home from the store with your flowers immediately remove rubber bands, plastic wrap.  Trim stems 1 inch and put in warm water.*
1.) Always start with a clean vase or container.
2.) Fill vase 3/4 full with warm water.
3.) Add flower food and stir until dissolved. (Use packet from flower shop or make your own, see recipe below).
4.) Tape grid using floral tape.  Start with your first strip of tape in the center of vase and continue, then cross the opposite way.  The grid holes should vary in size based on the thickness of stems.  This grid will help keep the flowers in place.
5.) Remove all leaves and foliage, unless you want to include it in your bouquet.  Always remove all leaves that will fall below the water line, this prevents rot.
6.) Lay out flowers and sort by type.
7.) Trim stems by cutting at an angle; the slanted cut allows for more water absorption.
8.) The peonies should vary in height 1-3 inches taller than the vase.  The lilacs and hydrangeas should be cut to the same height as the vase.
9.) Start with the peonies.  Place the tallest stem in the center of the vase and work your way outward.  As you move outward the stems should get shorter, thus creating a dome.  Alternate hydrangeas and lilacs around the perimeter of the vase.
 * To keep your flowers alive longer, trim the ends of the stems and replace water and flower food every 2 - 3 days.

Flower Food:
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1/2 tsp household bleach

Succulent of the Week: Sedum Burrito

Other names: Donkey's tail, Burro's tail
Origin: Mexcio
Family: Crassulaceae
Genus: Sedum
Light Requirements: full sun to filtered light
Water Requirements: drench well and let dry fully between waterings
Best Pot: Hanging planter

This exceptional plant is an explosion of beauty.  It's erotic dreadlocks are yet another example of nature's incredible imagery.

When I first started researching this plant I was a little unsure as to whether it was Sedum Burrito or Sedum Morganianum.  As it turns out the two are often confused and hard to distinguish one from another.  Sedum Burrito was officially titled a distinct species in 1977, however the information was recorded from two plants that were bought from a nursery in a small town outside of Guadalajara, Mexico and no data has ever been collected from the wild.   Sedum Morganianum was titled in the 1930's from cultivated material in the same small town.  Some people believe that Sedum Burrito is a hybrid, but there is no definitive answer as to who both parents are... Clearly Sedum Morganianum would be one, but the other isn't as obvious.   The main difference that I can see is that Sedum Burrito's leaves are a little shorter and a little rounder than Morganianum's. You can see the difference in the pics below.

Sedum Burrito: shorter, rounder leaves and stronger stem

Sedum Morganianum: longer leaves  and weaker stem

I own a smaller sized Sedum Burrito and I'm eager to watch it grow into long, thick locks!  However, it's going to be a while because  apparently this plant grows pretty slowly.  The longer it gets, the heavier the stems will get and breakage will more than likely occur.  The bright side of a stem breaking off is you can easily propagate it by sticking it in a pot filled with succulent and cactus soil; it should root on its own  in a couple of weeks.

My Sedum Burrito in a windowsill 

Notice how the leaves are growing upward instead of down like the other photos I put up. This tells me I need to get this plant in a hanging planter because the leaves are growing towards the light and will eventually get too heavy.      
   

Flower Fun!

Playing with flowers!
Left: Billy Buttons in an adorable flower vase.
Middle: Sarah Bernhardt Peonies, green hydrangea, and purple lilacs in a tin bucket on a cake stand.
Right: Lavender Anastasia Spider Mums in a white teapot.

Happy 420

bbn.frn.com

Today is essentially a holiday for the Cannabis plant.  Being this is a plant blog... I certainly am not going to discriminate.  Having grown up in Colorado and lived in California for 3 years, the Cannabis plant is something I have become quite familiar with.  The legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes is something I feel strongly about.  I watched my sister go through a year of treatment which was very similar to chemotherapy.  The drug left her feeling very sick - extremely nauseous, her appetite was non-exsitant,  and she experienced severe body aches.  It broke my heart to see her that way.  Her doctors prescribed her a medley of drugs to help control the adverse side effects.  They, of course introduced a whole new set of issues.  When she smoked Marijuana it alleviated nearly all of her discomfort within minutes and gave her the strong appetite she needed.  Although the legalization of medicinal marijuana has been a slow process,  the most recent map of states that are on board or are on the way is quite promising.  This is definitely something to smile about. :)

Echeveria and Mums looking out my window

Air Plant (Bryophullum Pinnatum)

My mother in law just stayed with us for a night after flying into JFK from a 2 week vacation in Hawaii... lucky girl. ;)  She shares my passion for plants and was nice enough to bring me back a cutting of an Air Plant (Bryophullum Pinnatum).   

The cutting came in a little plastic pouch attached to this label.

You can see it produces these little lantern-like flowers.

Bryophullum pinnatum is a type of succulent it is also known as Air Plant, Miracle Leaf and Resurrection Plant, mainly because it reproduces so quickly.  I just planted it 2 days ago and the cutting already sprouted a little plantlet.  In Hawaii it is actually considered "a moderate invader" because it reproduces so quickly.  I followed the instructions on the back of the label which said to fill a pot with a mixture of peat moss and perlite, both of which you can find at your local garden supply or plant store.

Fill your pot with 80% peat moss

Fill your pot with 20% perlite

Lay the leaf on top of soil mixture.  If you look closely you can see the baby plantlet.

 After laying the leaf on top of the soil be sure to drench the soil thoroughly and allow it to become fairly dry between waterings.  The instructions say to fertilize with a time released or garden fertilizer. I'm excited to see how this plant will do in NYC's climate in a pot on my windowsill.  If it does well I will be able to propagate it and make new plants just by following the steps above.  I will give an update after this guy grows a bit.  :))

Welcome...

Hi!  Welcome to Succulents and Saucepans!  My name is Taysia Scarano, I currently live in NYC in Manhattan's Upper West Side.  I was raised in the beautiful state of Colorado in a small mountain town called Evergreen.  Surrounded by vast forests of Conifer trees and blue skies that stretch on forever,  I developed an intimate connection to nature at an early age.  NYC may have a lot of attributes but nature and wide open spaces are not among them.  In an effort to remain true to my roots and at the same time maintain my sanity, I fill my home with a myriad of plants and flowers.  Thirty seven plants line our wall of windows, each strategically placed in an effort to soak up every ray of sunlight from our limited Northern exposure.  My husband calls me a plant hoarder; but in my mind, as long as they are healthy and well taken care of,  the more the merrier.  I plan to use this blog to document my journey as a passionate plant owner and to share all that I learn along the way.  In addition,  I love spending time in the kitchen so there will be some edible goodness here as well.  These are a few of my favorite things...

Peonies:  Best. Flower. Ever!

Baby Succulent Gardens: my favorite art project

Best Earl Gray Tea:  Thé des Lords

Leo:  My 3 and half year old Pit mix

Taste Nirvana Coconut Water:  I want this stuff on tap!

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