When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being a herpetologist. Naturally, so I could live in the rainforest and study tree frogs 24/7, surrounded by tropical plants and flowers. Fast forward 25 years and a sign goes up in the long-vacant cheese shop around the corner from my house. Floral + Fauna, a joint venture between Ill Exotics and Creations by Coppola. Frogs! Chameleons! Gorgeous flowers!! All sorts of exotic creatures & supplies! Tropical plants! DIY Classes! What is this dream come true!? Seriously, it’s like they made this store just for me. Since they opened I’ve bought lush healthy houseplants, unique bouquets of fresh cut flowers, house supplies for my pet tortoise, and I can’t wait to finally take one of their workshops.
I’m still working on convincing my husband that we should turn our whole house into a tree frog habitat, but when I do I know where I’m going to get them!
Ill Exotics is run by partners Chris Urban and Franco Francina, who’s passion for Reptiles, Amphibians and unusual Fauna is inspiring. They focus on providing excellent products, exceptional animals, and sharing their knowledge and experience with fellow enthusiasts. Every time I walk in with a question or a problem they have an answer and a solution. Finding plants that you rarely see in the big box stores, they’ll happily source the plant of your dreams and offer products and advice to keep it thriving. Follow them on Instagram for cute creature snaps and to find out about their next BYO terrarium class.
Creations by Coppola is a floral and event design company run by powerhouse creative Marianna Coppola. At Floral and Fauna Coppola offers daily fresh flowers, next level creations the likes of which you won’t see in the racks of the supermarket. She also offers by-appointment consultations for floral and full even design for weddings and any special occasion. Follow her on Instagram to scope her work and catch her next workshop!
