MIFGS

 

Photograph curtesy of Lei Wang

Hello all,

The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS) has been and gone. The Ikebana International site was bigger than any other year. It comprised a 12 metre, white wall with arrangements on both sides. The theme this year was Monet/Manet. Also, each arrangement had an obi incorporated in the design. This was the connecting element for our exhibition. 

Exhibiting at MIFGS can be quite arduous, logistically. It requires weeks of planning, not only by the individual exhibitors but by the committee, curator and other volunteers. I'm happy to declare that things went very smoothly, with everyone cooperating and helping as necessary. And, of course, we were very pleased with the result and the presentation of Third Prize in our category - Visual Display Competition.

The arrangement, above, was done by me and Lucy. We decided to take advantage of the use of both sides of the wall to create an arrangement with an optical illusion. On one side we had a very tall urn with a pine branch that stopped at the wall. On the other side another pine  branch started from the wall and stretched over a 'pond', in which we placed Dutch iris, water lilies and drift wood. We created the illusion that the pine branch went through the wall. As you can imagine, it was quite difficult to photograph. It took Lei's photographic skills to do it.

There should be photographs of the rest of the arrangements on our instagram account - 

ikebanainternationalmelbourne.

So, back at home, my haemanthus coccineus lily produced two flowers, which demanded to be arranged. Their short stems can be somewhat limiting but they worked well in the triangular container. In the other, matching, triangular container I placed beefsteak begonia leaves (Begonia erythrohpylla). They, too, have short stems and worked well, placed at the front of the container. With 2 different massed materials, I needed line and space. That's where the wisteria vine came in handy.

As I mentioned before, I've had great success with my gloriosa lilies and, having staggered the planting, I've had a much longer flowering period. Below is the last of my flowers for the season. I wanted it to be the main feature, so placed it in a simple container and added only some squiggly grass.

I planted a few sunflower seeds some weeks ago and forgot all about them. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a handful of them grew and flowered. Obviously, they were of a small variety but they were welcome anyway. Again, I wanted the flower to be a feature, so I made a mass of cathedral begonia leaves on top of the container, which are rather dark and which allowed the sunflower to shine.

The flowers of stinking iris (Iris foetidissima), are pale and quite insignificant but after they die down they produce pods of bright red berries, which are definitely worth growing for. Because they have a draping habit due to the weight, I placed them in the taller container and in the lower container I placed only leaves - cordylines, cathedral begonia and cala lily leaves. 

Five weeks ago I posted the photograph, below. It is of the arrangement I made at the Sogetsu workshop in which we were to use aspidistra leaves. Those of you who have used this material before will know that it lasts a long time. In fact, the Japanese refer to it as 'cast iron plant'. Well, true to form, the aspidistra leaves are as fresh today as they were then. When the accompanying materials died, I kept replacing them. So far the arrangement has had four incarnations.

     

Original arrangement from Sogetsu
workshop

Second incarnation - dahlias and pomegranates (apologies for the blurry photo)

Third incarnation - Proteas and pomegranates

Fourth incarnation but not necessarily the last.
Pomegranates, chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, crucifix orchid and wooden hoop 

Mary's class theme was changing the look of the material. She used a tree phylodendron leaf from which she removed most of the fleshy material between the 'veins' leaving just the ends. She, then, caught them, creating a balloon shape. Initially, she used roses, inside and out of the 'balloon' but then wanted to try using an amaranthus stem, instead. You decide which you prefer.

 

 

Bye for now,

Emily

24TH MARCH, 2025

 

Hello all,

Vicky suggested we make an arrangement in a fish bowl container and I agreed. This falls into the theme 'Glass Containers' with an added requirement of all the containers being the same. We all enjoyed the exercise but had great difficulty in photographing our arrangements. The spherical shape of the fish bowl reflected light all around, thus blocking some of the interior of the container.

For my arrangement, above, I created triangles using umbrella grass stems (cyperus alternifolius) and built up a structure inside and outside of the bowl. The amaranthus and Japanese anemones softened the dramatic structure. I should explain that my structure was sitting higher, off the bottom of the bowl but, when I tried to vacuum some rubbish that had fallen to the bottom, I upset the balance and there was no way I was going to start from scratch.

Jenny used only two materials in her bowl - yellow calla lilies and asparagus foxtail ferns. When using the inside of a glass container it is important not to clutter up the space, so using few materials is ideal. 

Vicky used a small fish bowl inside a large one. She curved dietes leaves in both bowls and added a single dahlia as an accent of colour.

Lucy was unable to attend class but she was not going to miss out, so she made, not one but two arrangements and sent the photographs to me to share with the class. I'm including just the one here. The shape of the large branch of contorted hazel (corylus) is enhanced by the magnification of the water in the glass. Lucy submerged cathedral begonia leaves, which, to me, look like underwater seaweed.

Nicole used weeping willow to create curves to follow the shape of the bowl, then added hydrangeas in autumnal colours and berries from Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica). 

Mary used only green materials and relied on texture and variations in colour for interest. She chose aspidistra leaves, pleated curculigo leaves and squiggle grass.

Wendy's curriculum theme was 'Table Arrangements'. Because the arrangement in this exercise is close to the guests seated at the table, great care must be taken with the fine details. Also, it must be kept low so as not to obstruct the view of the guests. Wendy used a number of delicate materials in two, newly acquired containers. Her materials were pittosporum, tulips, cosmos and bouganvilia.

Lei's revision arrangement was 'Tsubo vases'. She used fig branches, chrysanthemums and fennel flowers in a large ceramic container.

This past week we had some interesting visitors in our back yard. We were quite delighted to see the 6 ibises (yes, that's the correct plural for ibis. I looked it up) grazing for hours on our lawn. I photographed them many times but was unable to get close because they sensed me and shied away.

I felt honoured that they graced us with their presence, however, that feeling was somewhat dampened when, while crossing the lawn I discovered a multitude of black things on the grass. On closer inspection, they turned out to be bird droppings but not the usual kind. These were commensurate with the size of the birds. Let's think of it as free fertilizer.

And, a gentle reminder that the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show is on - Wednesday to Sunday. This is the largest show of its kind in the southern hemisphere and well worth visiting. Lucy and I will be there tomorrow, finalizing our exhibit.

Bye for now,

Emily

FRUIT BEARING BRANCHES

 

Hello all,

Autumn is a great time of the year for the lesson 'Fruit Bearing Branches' so, that's the theme I set for last Wednesday's class.

In my wall arrangement, above, I used a branch of  osage oranges (maclura pomifera), from which I removed all the leaves, leaving just the fruit. I added Hydrangeas and a large amaranthus stem.

Lucy, also, used branches of osage oranges. She, judiciously, removed some of the leaves leaving just enough for a very natural look. This arrangement fits into the theme of 'Using One Kind of Material'.

Jenny kept her arrangement very simple, using two branches of Japanese flowering quince, with two fruit on them. She considered adding more material but, the general consensus of the class, was that she should leave it as it was. The container is always an integral part of any arrangement. In this case the colour and shape of the vase make it the second element, thus eliminating the need for more materials.

Vicky used kiwi vines laden with fruit in two, heavy containers. She removed most of the leaves, allowing the fruit to be the main feature. She added a large, belladonna lily to complete the arrangement.

Cymbie used a branch of kaffir lime, upside down, over a heavy, glass container. She managed to place her materials in the container, hiding the stems behind the coloured streaks within the glass and keeping the visible interior of the container free.

Mary used two different fruiting branches - osage oranges and kaffir limes. She added lisianthus lilies and white roses, in a nageire container.

Dianne's curriculum theme was 'Disassembling and Rearranging the Material'. She chose roses for this exercise. She removed all the petals and leaves from the long stems, created a structure with the stems and massed the petals and leaves separately on the shallow plate.

Wendy's curriculum theme was 'Tate no Soji Dome'. In this arrangement we use a vertical fixture to secure the branches at the required angle. I'm afraid I don't know the name of the branch material that Wendy used. The flowers, of course, are roses.

Lei is finishing Book 5 of the curriculum and one of the final lessons is to demonstrate a nageire arrangement from behind. She managed it very well!

At last week's Ikebana International meeting we celebrated Japan Day. A number of the Japanese ladies in our chapter produced delicious, Japanese food to go with our morning tea. They also, demonstrated traditional Japanese gift wrapping with Furoshiki fabric. We were asked to bring a piece of cloth and a bottle or nageire container on which to practice this wrapping ourselves. My example, below, is made with a silk cloth, which was a gift from Kosa Nishiyama-sense during one of my trips to Japan.

We were, also, asked to bring arrangements with a theme of 'Wrapping'. In my arrangement my two passions converged - my ikebana and my dressmaking. I have a pleated fabric which is sold with the paper used in the pleating process. I used some of that paper. I flattened the pleats and sprayed one side black. As the pleating was fanned out, it revealed the white in between. With this relentless hot weather, I was hard pressed to find materials in the garden that had not been damaged. The loquat branch is always reliable and the roses and dahlias had some newly opened flowers. The amaranthus is still looking good but it does require daily watering. For more photographs of members' arrangements and examples of Furoshiki wrapping, go to Instagram - ikebanainternationalmelbourne.

Photograph curtesy of Lei Wang

And before I end this post, I wanted to let you know that our chapter will be exhibiting at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show again this year. Our stand is double the size of previous years, so, we hope, will be doubly worth visiting. I hope to see you there.

Bye for now,

Emily

MASTERCLASS #29

 

Hello all,

My instructions for Saturday's Masterclass was to make a large arrangement and, to that end, I provided the students with large pieces of materials as well as large containers. I scoured my garden and surrounding neighbourhoods for interesting materials and, I must share this anecdote with you. There are a couple of mature pine trees close by with branches that are growing so low that they rest on the ground. They are on Council land. When I need pine I usually go there. There is a cantankerous, curmudgeon of a man who lives across the road and persists on harassing me every time I go there. He accuses me of stealing and making money from my cuttings. My telling him that I have spoken to the council and got permission to cut makes absolutely no difference. One small example of the lengths, to which I am prepared to go for my art! 

As always, I, too, took up the challenge. My arrangement, above, was made after the class had finished because I had no time beforehand. It started with the long, loquat branch with an interesting curve, which was to be the main feature. I chose the container for its shape but, also, its size. It had to be heavy enough to hold the branch without tipping over. It takes one and a half watering cans to fill it, thus making the arrangement very stable. I did some careful pruning and removal of leaves before placing it in the container.

I was, then, faced with the dilemma of which flowers to use, knowing full well that there are not many in the garden, thanks to this relentless heat wave. I found some apricot coloured roses and tried placing them following the curve of the stem.....

....but I was not happy. They looked too weak and covered part of the stem. I, finally, settled on the hydrangeas and placed them as a hikae in a variation No 4 slanting style arrangement.

Lei had three pieces of bamboo, a pine branch and some osage oranges, maclura pomifera. She created the structure with the bamboo and, after trimming the pine, added it into the space created, together with the osage oranges.

Jenny was given a large piece of pine, two amaranthus and one belladonna lily, Amaryllis belladonna. The tall, glass vase allowed the materials to cascade down, gracefully.

Akemi had two, large strelitzia nicolai leaves, one green and one changing colour. She also had three agapanthus seedheads, from which she removed the seeds. Two had curved stems and one was straight. The large, ceramic container is one I made decades ago. It suited the materials very well.

Christine had a large piece of cedar with delightful, small cones, which looked like Christmas decorations. Her challenge was to position the heavy stem facing upwards. She managed it very well in the end, adding a smaller piece on the opposite side and then added the belladonna lily to the back coming forward.

Bredenia had a very tall piece of fresh bamboo, which she cut in half and placed the two halves together into the container, creating a fuller mass. She had leucadendron stems, from which she removed the leaves, leaving just the coloured bracts at the top. She placed them in between the bamboo, then added two, variegated, New Zealand flax leaves as lines.

Vicky, also, had fresh bamboo as her main material. She removed the side shoots from one side of each cane leaving the ones on the other side that were growing parallel, in a smart design. The roses, used naturalistically softened the arrangement. She used the two, triangular, wooden suibans quite effectively.

Lucy was given a large, square, glass vase, a large palm frond and a belladonna lily. She stripped all the leaves from one side of the frond and many of the other side. She placed it into the vase in a way that created curves inside the container and straight lines outside.

I have to confess that I was particularly impressed with the quality of the work produced by these girls. They seem to be going from strength to strength. I wish you could see their arrangements as I did and not through the medium of photography, where much is lost, in particular depth.

Bye for now,

Emily

3RD MARCH, 2025

 

Hello all,

We, Ikebanists, can recognize and appreciate the beauty of the imperfect. Case in point - the arrangement, above. I was removing dead leaves and flowers from my large clump of strelitzia reginae, when I noticed the two, partially dried leaves. Nature is credited for creating the beauty of the shape and colour of the leaves. My only contribution was to choose an appropriate container and some accompanying flowers. In this case, yellow kniphofias. 

You can be forgiven for thinking that the fruit in my next arrangement are apples. But they're not. They are the fruit of a Japanese Flowering quince. They came from a shrub that belonged to an auntie, who has recently passed away. She and her husband have been living in an aged care  facility the last couple of years, thus their garden was neglected. In the past I have often cut branches from this shrub when in flower but I've never seen so large or so many fruit. I suspect it is due to the fact that it was so stressed that it produced fruit in order to propagate. 

The fruit are the size of mandarins.

 The branches I used in my arrangement, below, have interesting shapes which are mostly lost in the photograph. I've included a side view to give some idea of the depth.

Japanese Flowering Quince and Queen's tears bromeliad in a self made container

I had another, small stem, which I was loathe to throw away, so I made another arrangement, adding the last of my agapanthus flowers.

The never ending battle with my wisteria continues. The more I cut away, the more new shoots appear with delicate tendrils. I cut a handful of those to create my next arrangement, which is loosely based on Variation No. 4 Hanging Style. I used hydrangeas and Portuguese Laurel berries.

During this hot, dry spell I've been spending an inordinate amount of time hand watering. Time that I which I could spend differently, however, it gives me a chance to see everything in my garden very closely. That's how the next arrangement came about. I picked the materials as I was going around watering. They are - Miscanthus Si Zeb, Kniphofias, amaranthus, nerines and roses. It fits the theme 'A Variety of Materials'.

My leafless wattle (Acacia Ahylla) has been struggling the last couple of years despite some serious TLC from me. I plan to prune it in the hope that it will rejuvenate but I will do it slowly so that I can use the cuttings. I have it growing in a pot next to a large, red Crucifix Orchid and I love the colour of the orchid against the blue/grey of the wattle.

I used my first cutting in the arrangement, below, using the two materials together just the way they grow in the garden. The container is one I made at the Sogetsu kiln. It is glazed in the Echizan style, the colour of which is reflected in the wattle.

Mary's arrangement is from the theme 'Using Both Fresh and Dry Materials'. She used two, dry agapanthus flowers and a Pinnelia Pedatisecta leaf in a metal container.

I leave you with this little arrangement using only one stem of Crucifix Orchid. I confess I had something to do with the shape of the stem, so nature can't take all the credit.

Bye for now,

Emily