27th March, 2023

 

Hello all,

I was quite delighted to make the simple, little arrangement, above but not for the reasons you might think. The gloriosa lily is the result of a little experiment I undertook some weeks ago. As you probably already know, I grow these plants quite successfully. When the plants in pots were starting to flower, I discovered three tubers that I had forgotten to plant. Either that or I had run out of pots. I decided to plant them despite the fact that it was a couple of months later than it is recommended to plant them. The result was that two of the tubers did nothing but the third grew and has produced four buds. Above is the first flower. From now on I will stagger the planting to extend their flowering period.

My regular readers will remember my complaints about my wisteria producing very few flowers. I threatened to have her removed more than once. However, I have learnt recently that they require pruning twice a year. So, really, it was my bad! One of the pruning times is early autumn. With secateurs in hand I went out and spent an entire afternoon pruning. This, of course, produced masses of potential material for ikebana. Below is one arrangement using the wisteria vine without the leaves. For flowers I used two of my remaining hydrangeas.

Two bright red nerines took me by surprise when I discovered them under some trees. I looked around the garden for accompanying material and settled on this golden elm branch with its graphic design. With branch and flowers in hand I searched the shelves for a container. The citrus yellow vase seem to call out to me. It was not only the colour but also the shape that took my fancy.

The belladonna lilies tend to all flower at once and, because I can't bear to let them die in the garden, I cut them and arrange them. I used three flower heads in the arrangement, below. The golden elm stem is one piece with the larger hanging stem in front and a smaller one at the back. You have to take my word for it that there is lovely space between them.

As the hydrangeas are coming to the end of their season I wanted to use some of them. The one in the wall arrangement, below, is very big, so I had to create a large structure to do it justice. That's where the variegated New Zealand flax is so versatile. Honestly, if you have room for only one plant in your garden, make it a New Zealand flax. But make sure it is variegated.

Mary's class theme was 'With Leaves Only'. Coincidentally, she also used variegated New Zealand flax to create triangles but she got her inspiration from her triangular suiban. She also used hostas and arum Italicum-Pictum leaves.

I'm a little short on content this week because Lucy and I have been preparing for our exhibit at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). We are part of the Ikebana International Melbourne exhibition space. There will be five schools represented and we will be doing the Sogetsu installation. On Wednesday 29th March at 10.30 there will be an informal meeting in front of our site (C18). And, of course, if you are at the show around that time, please come by and say hello.

Bye for now,

Emily

20th March, 2022

 

Hello all,

At our Ikebana International meeting last Tuesday, we had the pleasure of learning a little bit about Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing ceramics. Our guest speakers were Mr. an Mrs. Murooka who are instructors of Kintsugi. We, the members, were asked to bring an arrangement celebrating imperfection, which can be interpreted - Under the spirit of kintsugi and under the spirit of reuse/recycle.

In my arrangement, I used a much loved container, which I had broken. Some of you may remember my lamentation at the time. Compared to the work of Mr and Mrs Murooka, my attempt at kintsugi was quite clumsy but I had done it with little or no instruction and the gold joins are much thicker than they are supposed to be. However, I rather like it that way. 

For my material I had reused a piece of bamboo from a previous arrangement, whose leaves were turning yellow. I added two kniphofias. Unfortunately, the bamboo did not survive the trip home and had to be replaced. The new piece was a little larger, necessitating the addition of another kniphofia.

For class I had set the theme 'Dried, Bleached or Coloured Materials' for the advanced students.

In my arrangement, below, I used bleached mitsumata, dried and coloured fine branches and creamy coloured belladonna lilies in a tall ceramic vase with a number of holes around it.

Bredenia used dried Honesty (Lunaria annua) in a ceramic vase with three holes on either side. As the honesty did not require to be in water, she was able to feed the stems through the holes and out the other side. Her yellow roses completed the rather soft, ethereal look.

Lucy used strelitzia leaves, dried and sprayed gold in a ceramic container with a metallic patina. The deep red coloured geranium flowers added to the strength of the arrangement.

Nicole used a piece of dried palm inflorescence in a cream coloured vase. Her hydrangeas were also creamy in colour with tinges of pink. This arrangement, also, had an ethereal feel to it.

Vicky used a dried, straggly branch in a tall glass vase with anthuriums she grew herself.

Shaneen's curriculum theme was 'In a Suiban Without a Kenzan'. She used coprosma, sedum and smoke bush (cotinus), in a ceramic suiban.

 

Lei, also had the same theme as Shaneen. She used stems of rose hips and two fatsia leaves trimmed back into a more circular shape.

Diane's curriculum theme was 'Composition of Curved Lines'. She used stems of Siberian Dogwood and pineapple lilies in a ceramic suiban.

Bye for now,

Emily

MASTERCLASS #14

 

Hello all,

The simple arrangement, above, was made with one Pinellia pedatisecta leaf and an agapanthus flower. The container is ceramic with a coppery patina. It reminds me of the Elizabethan collars that royals used to wear.

Saturday's Masterclass, albeit small, was productive and enjoyable. I provided each attendee with a  hawthorn branch with berries and two New Zealand flax leaves. Two of the girls were also given two curved stemmed agapanthus flowers. Vicky has countless curved agapanthus in her garden, so I gave her a branch of leucadendron, instead. They were to choose their own containers and could decide how much of the provided materials they would use.

Cym chose my self made, ceramic container into which she arranged her materials horizontally. She used both the agapanthus and New Zealand flax leaves and a sprig of the hawthorn berries.

Christine's approach was minimalist. Her challenge was to keep the stems of the agapanthus and berries high up in the tall, glass vase where they would be concealed by the solid white part. There was another sprig of hawthorn berries to the back, which is not visible in the photo. Another challenge was to keep the very heavy agapanthus from resting on the edge of the vase.She achieved both very nicely.

Vicky went for a vertical arrangement and, by not removing the leaves on the hawthorn and leucadendrons, she kept the look naturalistic. The opening at the top of the ceramic container goes only half way.

Having collected the hawthorn berries at some risk to life and limb, as they grow in a ravine, I wanted to play with them, also. In the first arrangement, below, I gave myself the same materials as the other girls but ended up using only one agapanthus and two stems of hawthorn in a self made, double container.

In the second, I collected all the berries that had fallen in the boot of my car and, using scissors, I painstakingly cut each one away from the stalk. It's important not to pull the berries out because the opening that is created causes the berries to absorb water and sink. They, also, decompose more quickly.The fallen berries were not enough, so I added to them from another branch. Then I floated them in two glass containers and added a stem of Japanese anemones.

In the wall arrangement, below, I reused Cycad fronds from a previous arrangement. Unfortunately, the yellowing colour of the centre of the fronds is not visible in the photo. I also used the first of my self seeded, amaranthus inflorescences together with hydrangeas which are changing colour. The overall look is quite autumnal.

Mary's class theme was the last lesson in Book 4 - 'You in Ikebana'. This theme is a purely personal one for each ikebanist. Mary is drawn to naturalistic arrangements and chose Japanese maple branches, dahlias and white roses in a ceramic, tsubo vase.

Bye for now, 

Emily

 

Hello all,

This afternoon we had our Sogetsu Victoria AGM and workshop. The workshop was led by Thea Sartori who chose the theme 'An arrangement using more than two, disparate containers'.

In my example, above, I used a glass decanter and two ceramic but very different containers. My materials were crucifix orchids and an agapanthus. I attempted to put another agapanthus in the small, brown vase but, I felt, it was superfluous and chose to leave the vase empty. I'm sure Christopher will upload the photos from the workshop onto our website, in due course, where you'll be able to view them.

For our regular, Wednesday class I had set the theme of 'A Warm Arrangement' for the advanced students. Some discussion ensued into what differentiated 'warm' from 'hot'.

Below is my first example. I used crucifix orchids and nandina domestica nana in a self made, ceramic container....

... However, because I felt it was too easy, I proceeded to make another one. In this one I used aging cycad fronds as they start to yellow and added clivias (Clivia nobilis pendulous), Portugal laurel berries and nandina domestica nana to the back.

Jenny used a dried, wisteria vine, New Zealand flax leaves and a single sunflower in a ceramic vase.

Nicole used canna lily flowers and a single leaf in a ceramic container with two openings.

Vicky, also, used canna lily leaves with dahlias in a small, triangular suiban.

Lucy chose a resin container and added elm branches, gerberas and Japanese anemones. 

Shaneen's curriculum theme was 'Composition Using Unconventional Materials'. She had her clever husband make the plastic, blue items in a 3D printer. She displayed them on a stone tile and threaded gold wire through them.

Lei's theme was 'Arrangement with Plants on a Wall'. She created a loose trellis using bamboo, onto which she attached dried cycad fronds and a dried strelitzia nicolai leaf. For fresh materials she used nandina domestica nana and spider plant (chlorophytum comosum). 

Mary's class theme was 'Specific Scenes, Occasions or Spaces. Mary chose to celebrate "International Women's Day', which falls on Wednesday, March 8th. The global occasion celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women is represented by three colours: Purple, Green and White.

Mary used two monstera deliciosa leaves, halved and, between them, she placed a curved delphinium flower, whose flowerettes are purple but the buds at the tip are white. Her ceramic suiban is, also, white.

Bye for now,

Emily