Hello all,
I've been impatiently waiting for my lilac bush, Syringa vulgaris, to flower and it finally did. This bush with its fragrant clustered flowers has the capacity to transport me back to my childhood to the little village in Northern Greece, where I was born. Outside the kitchen of our humble home grew a white lilac tree, which flowered around Easter time. Mum and dad bought the bush that I now own, knowing how much it meant to me.
I am so spoilt for choice with fresh, spring flowers, so I'll just share with you the arrangements that have given me so much pleasure to create.
The first of the altissimo roses -
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This rose is not Altissimo but it's Sam's favourite because it has a
heady perfume. This arrangement is sitting on his desk |
Spring arrangements including 2 racemes in each from my sorry excuse for a wisteria. I got flowers on only two stems, which is quite pathetic when you consider that the plant spreads 8 metres over the top of the fence.
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| Wall arrangement - wisteria and clematis |
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| Wisteria, cymbidium orchid and arum lilies |
The strelitzias in this next arrangement had a little bit of help from me to create the curves in the stems. They are so strong and tall that I had to cut them down by about 50 cms. I needed something equally strong to use with them and there are not many materials stronger than agave.
The main structure of this tall arrangement was made for an Ikebana International exhibition that was held at Sofitel some years ago. It has been standing in our entry all this time because, quite frankly, I don't have any room for it in the storooms. It mostly sits without flowers except when I have an abundance of some material, such as the viburnum opulus flowers.
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Viburnum opulus and alstroemeria
psittacina leaves |
A couple of examples of re using of materials.
I've mentioned many time before that agave can last a very long time in an arrangement, even without water. The only down side is that it is very heavy and, with time, gravity will change it. Here are two examples where I have re used a piece of agave because it lost its original shape. I had thrown into my tub of waste materials this piece of agave when I dismantled the arrangement. The following day, as I walked passed the tub, I was pricked by the sharp point that was sticking out. It clearly wanted to get my attention and to not to be ignored. I picked it out and, after a quick look around my workroom, this curved, ceramic container practically called out to me. So, between the two of them, a new arrangement was born.
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| Before |
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| After |
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| Before |
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After. I chose this vase because of the colour
that is picked up by the blue petals in the flower |
Bye for now,
Emily
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