11th November, 2023

 

Hello all,

I have iris ensata (photograph above) growing in a number of pots, which, unfortunately, I neglected in recent years. Last year it looked like I was going lose them but I gave them quite a lot of TLC this year and they rewarded me with four flowers. Best of all, they seem to have recovered completely.

This next arrangement started with a stem of white Oriental lilies, which had two flowers and bud. The flowers were so big and bold that I needed equally strong materials to use with them. In the bucket, conveniently,  were sitting some gymea leaves and some flax leaves and the idea was formed to use the flax leaf in front of the gymea. The arrangement is 1.5 metres tall.

Last Wednesday was the last class for the year and, as always, the theme was a Christmas arrangement. As I have mentioned before, most of my work is opportunistic. So, having the gymea leaves in the bucket, I decided to experiment with them. Not a material one would associate with Christmas but that didn't deter me. Below are two views of the same arrangement made with one gymea leaf and one New Zealand flax leaf sprayed gold. The large, red bauble picks up the colour on the container. At the base, I used agapanthus leaves sprayed gold and silver, then intertwined.

In the second arrangement, I used two gymea leaves holding up a large, gold bauble and white hydrangeas in a ceramic container.

Lucy used a very big, glass container, at the very top of which, she placed a plastic tub so that her materials would be in water. The vase was kept empty except for the baubles that were suspended in its centre. Lucy used cypress stems, hydrangeas and geranium flowers. Photographing a curved glass container is fraught with difficulties because there is no way to avoid reflections.

Bredenia used kangaroo paws (Anigozanthos flavidus), alstroemeria psittacina and a gymea leaf in a large, ceramic container. She finished it with mizuhiki and Christmas baubles.

Nicole used dried Manchurian pear stems which she sprayed white, agapanthus and Christmas baubles in a ceramic container.

Wendy had a beautiful piece of pine (pinus radiata), which was cut from a young tree, altissimo roses and white hydrangeas at the back. She finished the arrangement with mizuhiki and baubles. 

Shaneen's class theme was 'Using Various Locations' and she chose to do a dinner table centrepiece. She chose all edible herbs and flowers. They were - Kaffir limes, branch and fruit, bay tree stems, mint, parsley flowers, marjoram and day lilies.

 Lei's class theme was 'Jika-dome (direct fixing)'. She used branches of smoke bush (cotinus) and pink flowers I'm not familiar with in a yellow glass vase.

Mary's class theme was 'Preparing for a Future Ikebana Exhibition'. Her materials were hydrangea - leaves and flowers and agapanthus buds in a ceramic suiban

Bye for now,

Emily