Have you seen or heard the term “pin frog” before? I have seen them around the warehouse and get asked for them frequently. So, I decided to see exactly what their purpose was. I would have never been able to predict how interesting the topic became.
It all starts with the name “pin frog”. Why are they called frogs? Looking in the dictionary, if you look at the extended definitions of the word “frog”, one of them is actually floral holder. The origin of this definition is not listed. To look into the origins of the term, you have to travel back to the 16th century when the first references of pin frog originate. The floral definition of frog as a “floral holder” must originate from this time period. It is thought that it might be in reference to how a pin frog sits on the bottom of the water in a vase like a frog.
Moving forward in time, pin frogs became a staple to Ikebana type of work. It is probably because of their two main functions. First, pin frogs are heavy to provide an anchor to a vase. Have you ever worked with really top heavy flowers and not been able to stabilize the vase? The trick is to add enough weight to the base of the vase to enable it to stay upright. The weight of the pin frog can be adjusted by working with bigger or smaller ones, as needed. The second function of the pin frogs is to provide a way to hold flowers upright without using the vase walls. Many Ikebana style arrangements feature shallow walled vases. If you place a pin frog in the vase and then push the stems into the pins, the flower will be held up and the weight of the pin frog will keep the flower from tipping.
Are you looking for pin frogs? We have them under the Wire Products in the Floral Supplies category. There is currently only one size listed online. However, we carry many more sizes in the warehouses and we should be listing the other sizes in the next couple of weeks.
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Hope this helps!