11TH MARCH, 2024

 

Hello all,

The advanced students were given the theme 'Green Pant Materials' at last class. In this exercise we rely on the variety of green colours, size, texture and shape of different plant materials to create interest. Obviously variegated materials and branches with strong colours are to be avoided.

In my arrangement, above, I used fig branches with the leaves removed, agapanthus seed heads with the seeds removed and young gymea leaves (doryanthes palmeri), in a self made, ceramic container. I left one fig that was yellowing as an example for the students of the sorts of things that must be removed.

Vicky used a number of glossy green, aspidistra leaves agapanthus inflorescences and nandina domestica in a ceramic suiban.

Nicole used a pine branch sweeping forward and aspidistra leaves halved, folded and pinned.

Bredenia used two agave pieces, clivia berries and a small stem of eucalyptus. The agaves look as though they are touching in the photograph but, in fact, they are  not. There is space between them.

Mary used swan flowers (Gomphocarpus Physocarpus), strelitzia leaves and Japanese anemones leaves in a ceramic suiban to create a vertical arrangement.

Lei's curriculum theme was 'Kakebana' , an arrangement displayed by hanging the container on a wall or pillar. She created a structure by joining triangles of fine bamboo and placed it over a slim, bamboo shaped, ceramic container. She added two dahlias at the back and an amaranthus draping forward.

Shaneen's revision arrangement was 'Seasonal Materials'. She had a great number of flowers from her prolific garden but I encouraged her to leave out at least half of them. She settled on salvias, belladonna lilies, sedum and marguerite daisies. Unfortunately, the space between the materials is lost in the photo.

My Japanese flowering quince produced a number of small, inedible fruit, which looked quite charming. I used them with a couple of crucifix orchids in a ceramic vase.

The son of family friends was getting married on Saturday and I wanted to send them a floral gift with the card. I made an arrangement using philodendron leaves trimmed to reduce their size and sprayed silver on the top side. I added white lisianthus and gypsophila in a glass vase.

I went to lunch at my friend Erica's last week and brought a floral offering. I used a manchurian pear branch and hydrangeas in a ceramic vase.

Bye for now,

Emily