AUTUMN SPLENDOUR

Photograph courtecy of Lei Wang

Hello all,

First of all a word of explanation. Those of you who subscribe to this blog and receive emails whenever I publish a post, would have received advertisements in last week's post. I need to explain that I had nothing to do with that. However, I have taken steps to prevent it from happening again.

And now to ikebana. I made the arrangement, above, for our recent Ikebana International workshop. It was led by Angie Chau of the Ikenobo school. Our theme was 'Autumn Colours'. Most attendees used branches with autumn coloured leaves, however, I didn't have any as all of my trees were well past their best. I chose to go with the strelitzia nicolai leaf from my recent prunings, which was colouring beautifully. The two, strelitzia reginae flowers finished the arrangement. I had to employ some serious mechanics to have that heavy leaf stand just so. I, then, pinned the flower stems to the leaf stem to keep the line clean.

For our recent class I asked the senior students to make an autumnal arrangement in a tsubo vase. Below is my example. I used branches from my viburnum opulus, hydrangeas and oranges in a ceramic tsubo vase.

Cybie used corokia, koala fern and stock in a tsubo vase made of Mexican onyx.

Lei used bare Japanese maple branches, nandina domestica stems and berries and chrysanthemums in a ceramic, tsubo vase.

Lucy came from an appointment and was completely unprepared. After a quick rummage around my garden, she put together the arrangement, below. She used an elm branch, amaranthus and leucodendrons.

Vicky was, also, unable to prepare. She, too, had to look around my garden for materials. She used viburnum opulus, amaranthus, chrysanthemums and pomegranates.

Nicole used poplar branches, cotoneaster berries and nandina domestica nana in a ceramic, tsubo vase.

Jenny used Japanese maple and two different coloured chrysanthemums - yellow and purple.

Mary's arrangement comprised of loquat branches and chrysanthemums. She was not able to access autumnal material.

Cimby's arrangement, below, was of the theme 'In a Suiban Without a Kenzan'. She used fig branches inside and out of the container and added variegated New Zealand flax and corokia.

Wendy's theme was 'A Floor Arrangement'. She chose a corner of my lounge room in which to place the arrangement. She used fresh bamboo to create a structure which, she then, balanced onto a bamboo container, with only one point resting on the floor. She added fresh bamboo leaves and gerberas.

Dianne's class theme was 'Using Both Fresh and Dry Materials'. She used dry acacia aphylla branches and chrysanthemums in a squat, tsubo vase.

Bye for now,

Emily

IKEBANA FROM PRUNINGS

 

Hello all,

On the weekend, with the help of my son, Dennis and his power tools, we did some serious pruning. We cut what was left of the pomegranate fruit together with their stems. When I brought them into the studio and looked at them, I liked the spikey branches contrasting with the heavy, colourful fruit. I decided to arrange them that way. I added two strelitzias reginae, reminiscent of the pesky birds that eat the fruit on the tree.

We also cut down two, large, tree sized plants of strelitzia nicolai. These provided a number of materials for ikebana.

I took one of the very big, green leaves and a flower to make the arrangement, below. The leaf was far too tall but I did not want to shorten it by removing the very interesting stem, so I folded it downwards and added the flower to the front. The steel container was made by a favourite cousin of mine, Nick. He even customized it by adding the letter 'E' at the front. I chose it for this arrangement for its weight and stability to hold the heavy materials, as well as its visual suitability.

And, speaking of heavy materials, in the arrangement, below, the thick stem of the strelitzia nicolai leaves are very heavy indeed. The container I chose is quite heavy and stable. However, it is because the material, which is 1.5m tall, is straight up, without leaning on any side that keeps it from tipping over. 

To facilitate the placement of the pomegranate in just the place I wanted to put it, I had to devise a hidden receptacle. The photograph, below, is a bird's eye view of that receptacle in between the leaves. 

For the next arrangement I picked the dry leaf from the pile set for the bin. Nature had done all the work in this case and my job was just to find a way of securing it over the wall container. I picked up the white cedar berries from a foot path, where branches had been pruned and were lying there, waiting to be removed. Then I added two proteas for some colour.

In this next arrangement I used a rather unusual material from the strelitzia nicolai. It is what's left behind after the flower petals have died and the seeds, that appear after that have been eaten by birds. I trimmed and cleaned the material and placed it over a metal container. I added yellow chrysanthemums to the side and white ones slightly back. At the very back I placed alstroemeria psittacina leaves.

Close up of the rather woody material

On the same weekend I pruned all my hydrangeas. I managed to resist keeping branches to use in ikebana, except for one. Its a simple arrangement but one that appeals to me. I added my only kniphofia to the hydrangea stem. I wish I could photograph the curving forward of the stem, which appears to hug the flower.

It's easy to be envious of the abundance of materials in my garden but I'd like to remind everyone that it has taken 35 years of serious work on my part to reach, what I call, the embarrassment of riches. And the work has not finished. We all know that a garden is a work in progress but, the rewards are so great, that it is worth the effort.

I'd also like to mention that when working with the materials in the garden, ideas form as to how they can be used in ikebana. All of the arrangements in this post are made with materials earmarked for disposal but, as I picked each one to cut up and put in the garden bins, a germ of an idea was formed and I put the material aside. This can be both a good and a bad thing. It's good because I made many and varied arrangements and bad because I put myself under pressure to use all those materials.

Bye for now,

Emily

2ND JUNE, 2025

 

Hello all,

At our recent Sogetsu workshop, which was conducted by Lara Telford, we were asked to contemplate the reason that our founder, Sofu Teshigahara named our school 'Sogetsu' which translates 'Grass Moon'. We were to interpret this theme in our own way. Personally, I went very literal. I chose bamboo, which is a grass and a large pomegranate on a stem to represent the moon. The container was chosen not only for its shape but also for its stability in holding the heavy fruit without toppling.

I was not overly enamoured of it as an arrangement, so I changed it when I got home. I replaced the bamboo with a loquat branch - the arrangement at the top of this post. It was not meant to be on Lara's topic but more dynamic as an arrangement.

For our recent Wednesday class I tried something new. I asked the advanced students to make freestyle arrangements, all of which would be placed on the staircase. I instructed them to collaborate to some extent by keeping in mind the arrangements below and above their own. There were to be some common elements in the arrangements connecting them. I stressed that it was not to be a 'Renka'. The arrangements were to stand alone and then be placed along with the others on the staircase.

We needed a start, so I made my arrangement first, which I placed on the staircase before the students arrived and they took it from there.

Emily's arrangement - Rhododendron, oranges and nerines

Lei's arrangement - cordylines, nerines and salvias

Nicole's arrangement - rhododendron

Vicky's arrangement - spruce and chrysanthemums

Jenny's arrangement - salvias and rhododendrons

Lucy's arrangement had to be photographed in situ - bamboo structure, 
oranges and alstroemeria psittacina  leaves

The final result

And here is an example of an experienced teacher making a rookie mistake. My first attempt was an arrangement, using autumnal colours, which I thought would blend in very well with the timber of the staircase. Because of a bad back, I worked on the arrangement in my studio and not directly on the stairs. I was quite pleased with it and photographed it against a black background. Because it was designed to drape down the staircase, I elevated it by placing it over another container. 

My heart sank when I placed it on the staircase because the colours blended with the timber too well and the arrangement was lost. There was nothing I could do but make a new arrangement.

On the following Friday, Mary followed on with the same theme. She, also, made a freestyle arrangement taking into consideration my arrangement. She used oranges to connect with it. We, then, placed them on the staircase.

Bye for now,

Emily

MASTERCLASS #31

 

Hello all,

At our recent Masterclass I provided each student with two large pieces of fresh bamboo canes with leaves, as well as some leucadendrons.

The arrangement, above, simple as it looks, took me hours to construct. I tried many different mechanics to balance the top heavy materials before I, finally, managed it. I considered adding some leucadendrons but they didn't work. I feel the bamboo can stand alone.

Fine bamboo canes are wedged into a piece of

                                  bamboo onto which I attached a horizon fixture using a screw

Everyone else, also, struggled with their arrangement but it was a good struggle. It was a good learning exercise and in the end we were all happy with our results.

In Christine's arrangement, below, the bamboo is worked through the split in the container as well as around it.

Lei used a container with a narrow neck, ideal for holding up the bamboo, from which she suspended more pieces. creating lines and movement. 

Vicky went naturalistic and tall. The container she chose was glass, inside which she secured the bamboo. The leucadendron flowers were massed low at the rim. She used dowels to attach the two pieces of bamboo together.

Cymbie chose a bamboo container and created thin and thick lines with the fresh bamboo canes. A small number of leucadendron flowers created the mass.

Lucy, quite uncharacteristically, chose a small, ceramic container and created a dynamic design with the bamboo canes.

For my part, with the left over bamboo pieces, I made a second arrangement, this time using some fine canes with leaves. 

And here's a little tip on how to keep the bamboo leaves from drying. As soon as possible after being cut, the bamboo stem should be placed in a small container with salted boiling water and left there for 10 minutes or so. It can then be placed in the arrangement with clean water. t's been over a week since I made the arrangement and the leaves are still fresh.

Bye for now,

Emily

19TH MAY, 2025

 

Hello all,

Last Tuesday, at our Ikebana International meeting our guest speaker was Linda from Claydreamers, an organization that runs pottery classes. Linda had examples of her wares and gave an interesting presentation. My students and I were so inspired that we intend to go to her classes and make ikebana containers.

It was suggested that members bring arrangements in their favourite, ceramic containers. Above is my arrangement. I wouldn't say that the container is my favourite as I have many that I love. It is, however, one that I made myself close to 30 years ago. I, particularly, wanted to use the ginkgo biloba branches as they are turning colour. The tree is quite tall and the branches are high, so cutting it required some risky moves on my part, which included standing on a stack of roof tiles and, from that position, using the long, extendable cutter to reach the branch. I feel it was worth the effort and risk.

We have a family friend, Samuel, who lives in Stuttgart, Germany and who, recently, sent 6 gorgeous, red roses, one for each woman in our family. It was such a touching gesture. And that's not all. For my recent birthday he sent me a potted, begonia plant, knowing my love for plants and gardening.

I made two, small arrangements with mine and mum's roses.

After an absence of two and a half weeks, I returned to an autumnal Melbourne. The colours of the exotic trees are spectacular. In recent years Manchurian pear trees have been widely used in street planting. They are the standout autumn trees.

In my garden I have a number of shrubs and trees that are changing colours, including two persimmon trees. I was inspired to use the two stems with one leaf each for the next arrangement. The crucifix orchid was ideal to complete the piece because it has a long and thin stem which just manages to fit in the narrow opening of my self made container.

Before I abandon my travel tales, I'd like to share some more photos from Tokyo. It was Lucy's ardent wish to visit the gardens of the Hotel New Otani. Having visited them before, I, too wanted to see them again. We spent a very pleasant hour or so there and finished our day with afternoon tea at the hotel's cafe.

The day before we were to leave for home we set out to visit the Nezu Museum. Unfortunately, after taking three different trains and a 15 minute walk there, we discovered it was closed. Lucy and George were leaving very early the next day but my flight was in the evening, so I decided to go back to Nezu before going to the airport. 

The Nezu Museum Collection includes a hundred National Treasures. The ones I particularly wanted to see are The Korin, Okyo and Kiitsu Trio: Masterpieces of Screen Painting. Photography is not permitted in the museum, so I have no photos to share but you can visit this link Nezu museum . 

May is a particularly good time of year to visit because the iris that are growing in the pond in the gardens of the museum, are in full flower and have a direct connection to the screen. The variety of iris grown there is the kakitsubata (iris laevigata) also known as the rabbit ear iris.

I took the photograph, below, in 2014. I was disappointed at the time that only one iris was flowering. However, looking at it now I find it quite charming....

... and this is what it looked like this year. 

I was absolutely delighted with the museum but, equally, with the garden.

Tokyo's architecture is legendary and I could not possibly do it justice in my little blog but I did want to include a photo of one that impressed me greatly - The Prada Building in Aoyama.

The building was designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. Its most distinctive  feature is its diamond shaped glass facade, composed of convex, concave and flat panels set within a rhomboid grid.

Lucy photographing

Lucy being photographed

Bye for now,

Emily