FLOOR ARRANGEMENTS

 

Position - Under the stairs on the inside curve  

Hello all,

At last class the theme for the advanced students was 'Floor Arrangement'. In my arrangement, above, I used black pine (Pinus Thunbergii), camellias from aunty's garden and nandina seedheads that have been painted white.

I was quite happy with my floor arrangement but, then, I found, a large broken branch of ornamental pear (Pyrus calleryana) in bud, just laying on the ground under the tree. And I could not resist. Hence the arrangement, below. I had to screw together the four branches at the base, concealed by the vase then added (I should say, squashed in) the arum lilies. I would have liked to have used more but there was, simply, no room in the opening of the container.

Position - on the outside curve of the stair

Vicky made an arrangement for a particular corner in her house and photographed it in situ. She used kiwi vine and green goddess lilies.

Vicky, made a second arrangement to place in front of her fireplace. She used umbrella grass stems and alstroemeria psittacina leaves in a ceramic container. She had sent me a photograph of it in situ but the quality was poor, so I'm using the photo I took. 

Nicole used a very tall, glass vase into which she inserted a variegated, New Zealand flax leaf up-side-down. This added to the design as it made it appear that the leaf continued to the top of the vase but, also, concealed the stems of the other materials. She used aeoniums - stems and flower as well as the flax.

Lucy, true to form, made a very tall and slim arrangement. She used gymea leaf and a variegated, New Zealand flax in front of it. She took great pains to create space between the two leaves and then added a creeper (hardenbergia-happy wonderer). Lucy also turned the container sideways for a more streamlined look.

Mary used two, large philodendron leaves, from which she removed the bulk of the leaf. She placed them in a heavy, stone-composite container, turned sideways, then added Dutch irises (iris hollandica). She kept the stems tightly together to create one single line.

Cymbie made a dramatic arrangement using two gymea leaves and one New Zealand flax leaf in a tall, metal vase.

 

Lei's lesson was to pick one of the 'Fifty Principles of Ikebana'. She chose no. 45 -

If the flowers are the main feature, the container should be subordinate to the flowers. Likewise, if the container is the main focus, then the flowers should be secondary to it.

Lei chose the latter. She used an interesting container with large, round holes in front and back.  She placed a small cymbidium orchid and some alstroemeria psittacina leaves, leaving most of the openings free.

Having finished quickly, I suggested she select one of my containers and help herself to my garden to make another arrangement. She chose one of my self made containers, which is quite elaborate and added only a camellia bud and one alstroemeria psittacina leaf.

Bye for now,

Emily