Hello all,

At our recent Sogetsu meeting and workshop we were asked to make an arrangement from Book 3 - 'The Shape of the Container'. The photograph, above, is of my arrangement. I used agapanthus seed heads and Cathedral begonia leaves in a self made, ceramic container. The arrangement, below, was done by Nicole, who used cypress stems and crepe myrtle flowers. Please go to Sogetsu Melbourne  for more photographs of members' work.

For class last week I had set the theme 'In a suiban without a kenzan'. This is a challenging exercise, which was in Book 4 but it has re-appeared in Book 5, with some variation. Initially, we mostly used branches as our main material with which to create a self standing structure. In book 5, however, we are encouraged to use all sorts of materials such as leaves, flowers and grasses. Emphasis is still on creating a balance that does not rely on the stems resting in the corners of the container, as well as clean lines showing at the bottom and reflecting in the water. The two photographs, below, are of my first, 'original' arrangement. I used box thorn with berries, New Zealand flax leaves, Japanese anemones and amaranthus.

The next arrangement is what I call the book 5 version. I used strelitzia reginae leaves, ginger lily, crucifix orchid and amaranthus.

Below are some of the students' work

Maren used corky elm branches and yellow and mauve chrysanthemums

Nicole used tortured willow, sedum and dietes leaves

Vicky used camelia branches and roses

Lucy used monstera leaf, aspidistra leaf, New Zealand
flax leaves and amaranthus

With this forced confinement that we all have to adhere to, we will have time to catch up on all sorts of chores that have been neglected. My first such chore was to prune the lower branches of the golden elm. This tree belongs to our neighbours, technically, because it grows next to the fence, just inside their property. This means that half the tree is over our back yard. And we love it. Over the years with different owners, I have had to beg and plead the neighbours to save the tree. Elm trees need to be treated every two years for elm leaf beetle. This can be quite expensive for such a large tree but well worth doing. Even though the tree doesn't belong to us, we have offered and paid for half, many times, thus ensuring the owners went ahead with the treatment. The current owners, however, value the tree as much as we do and are more than happy to do whatever is needed to protect it.

As is always the case when I'm pruning, I see potential ikebana material in the cuttings, which I'm loathe to throw away. So I made a few arrangements. The shapes that I have used have been created by the removal of side branches and leaves to reveal interesting forms.

I used roses with this forward sweeping branch in a ceramic container

With amaranthus in this hand blown glass vase

With iris foetidissima berries and iceberg
roses in tall glass vase

Close up of iris foetidissima berries

With altissimo roses

In these trying times I hope you all stay safe and well.
Bye for now,
Emily