An idyllic afternoon at Red Hill.

Last Saturday I had the honour of being one of the presenters at the Spring Garden Festival of the Red Hill Gardening Society. This was held at the Karrawingi Park, Moorooduc in the Mornington Peninsular.

The weather was superb, the gardens in their best Spring garb and my audience was welcoming, interested and engaged. All in all, a perfect afternoon.

My assistant was Lucy, who, as a project manager all her life, is very efficient. (She can also be a bit bossy, but we won't go there). Also, our friend, Parthena lent some very needed muscle with carrying boxes and buckets to and from the car.

I had prepared 11 arrangements but was only able to demonstrate 8 as I ran out of time and there was to be another presenter after me.

New Zealand Flax and a cheeky stelitzia

An exercise in pruning. I started with a large loquat stem and
reduced it to this two-leaf stem. The ornithogalum is meant
to be looking up at it.

I thought this material is a yucca but I was corrected
by a more knowledgeable member of the audience.
It is a cordyline

Pine, calistemon and oriental lilies

This acacia aphyla was planted last year and has rewarded me by growing sufficiently
to allow me to cut it. I am absolutely delighted with it. Here I used it inside and
out of the glass container creating a windswept look together with the green
goddess lilies

Palm spathe and oriental lilies in a container,
which was a gift from my niece, Sylvia

This aluminium art piece was a gift from Lucy many years ago. It can stand alone
but can also lend itself to ikebana. I used sansevieria (Mother-in-law's tongue),
orange cane and anthuriums

Lucy and I.
I ended with a Christmas arrangement using dried agapanthus,
roses and pine. I also added Christmas baubles and beads

As I mentioned before, I was not able to demonstrate all the arrangements I had prepared. The three bellow I set up when I got home.

Another Christmas arrangement using mitsumata, pine,
roses and gold mizuhiki in a tall vase.

OK, I can't resist agave!

The first of my dogwood flowers with iceberg roses in an antique basket.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon and would have loved to have stayed on and explored the gardens but we had a very pressing engagement to get to - My granddaughter's first ballet recital.

I want to thank The Red Hill Gardening Society for inviting me and Lucy and Parthena for their invaluable help.

Bye for now,
Emily