Hello all,

Well, I'm home and, when I arrived after 6 weeks in hospital, I did not go inside, instead I hobbled around on my sore legs, inspecting my garden. Six weeks is a long time in a garden. There were plants that had already flowered and died but there were, also, many that were just flowering and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them to arrange. Over the next few days, whenever I felt able to, I cut some materials and made some simple arrangements to satisfy my need.

I used the first clematis, bromeliads and Dutch iris in the arrangement, above. In the one below I used rhododendron flowers in a self made container. 

My pink dogwood (cornus Florida rubra) is at its absolute best and I allowed myself only two stems, as it is still quite small.

I used one stem in the wall arrangement, below. I added three arum lilies in the metal container.

In the second arrangement I used a slanting branch of the dogwood and added snow ball flowers (vibernum opulus) in a squat, tsubo vase.

My white lilac is a small tree that appears to have reached the end of its life with branches breaking off and looking quite sad. I believe this is the reason that it has produced a greater number of flowers than before. It is the plant's way of ensuring its propagation when it senses its demise. 

In my arrangement, below, I used two stems with sharp angles, in a self made container.

The flag or bearded iris are also in flower and I enjoy arranging them in the traditional way. There are some strict rules regarding the placement of leaves and I like to practice arranging them each spring. We use a narrow kenzan and arrange the flowers and leaves in a row. In this case, because I had a number of flowers, I arranged them in two rows in a large suiban. I added pebbles and miniature, geranium leaves to complete the pond scene.

I was given some rather unusual euphorbia stems and I made a couple of arrangements with them. There is a real problem with using euphorbias because they bleed their sap from any cut, including the removal of leaves. Gloves must be worn when handling them, as they can irritate the skin. I scald the stems in boiling water to stop the bleeding and then I place them in the arrangement. 

I love the growth habit of the leaves in this particular cultivar and wanted to feature them. An example of using only one kind of material.

 

In the next arrangement, you have to imagine the sweeping forward of each stem because it is somewhat lost in the photo. I used bromeliad flowers in the centre.

Bye for now,

Emily

MASTERCLASS #35

 

My arrangement using sansevieria 
and strelitzia reginae

Hello all,

Last Saturday we had the October masterclass, having missed out on the September one due to my hospitalization. We were a small but keen group and I was very pleased with the work that was created. 

I provided a variety of materials for each student, which they had not seen but they were able to select a container to use. As for me, I spent most of the class time sitting with my feet elevated and watching the work progress.

 The arrangement, below, was made by Cymbie using clivias, umbrella grass and viburnum opulus in ceramic container.

When photographing Cymby's piece, there was some discussion about which would be the best 'front'. Below is another view.

Akemi's arrangement, below, is an optical illusion. She cut the stem of the nandina domestica and placed it outside the container but the top half is actually in water. She added two, NZ flax leaves and a rhododendron flower.

Lucy had one, large rhododendron branch with many flowers. She placed it in a heavy container with a split half way down the middle, then proceeded to trim back some of the flowers. She, then, added two NZ flax leaves, creating lines through the arrangement.

Vicky created two, informal masses with the clivias and viburnum opulus in a tall, metal vase. She created triangular lines with umbrella grass stems.

At our previous masterclass each participant had used a whole plant of agave. After the class Vicky took apart her arrangement and at home, using the material, created two other arrangements, which I want to share with you now.

Bye for now,

Emily

6TH OCTOBER, 2025

 

Gymea leaves, strelitzias reginae and wisteria vine in self
made, ceramic container

Hello all,

Well, it's been nearly 6 weeks since this drama started and I'm finally home. Hallelujah!!! I wish I could say that I'm completely recovered but I'm not. I'll have to be patient for a while longer (apologies for the pun). Anyway, join me once more in my trip down memory lane.

Palms, split in half and Dutch iris in ceramic containers

Agave and strelitzias reginae in ceramic container

Dried agave flowers, bromeliads and hellebores in ceramic container

Using only one kind of material - Green Goddess lilies in
reconstituted container

Umbrella grass stems and alstroemeria psittacina in ceramic container

Fan aloe (Kumara plicatilis) in glass container

Pomegranates and hydrangeas in ceramic vase

Rose and NZ flax split in half in a
self made, ceramic container

Driftwood, pomegranates and hydrangeas in ceramic, self made container

Pussy willow (salix discolor) and rhododendrons in ceramic tsubo vase

Bye for now,

Emily

LABASSA EXHIBITION

Hello all,

This is an extraordinary post of my blog. I'm writing it for two reasons - one, because I have oodles of time on my hands, stuck here in rehab and two, and more importantly, because I wanted to feature the works of my students.

A couple of weeks ago Ikebana International Melbourne Chapter had its annual exhibition at Labassa mansion in Caulfield. This is a richly decorated 19th century mansion, built in what's often called the 'Boom Style', when Melbourne was flush with wealth from the gold rush era. It is a heritage listed building, worth visiting for its own sake but even more so when there is an Ikebana exhibition.

I was not able to take part in the exhibition, myself but five of my students did. Lucy, also, presented a one hour demonstration. Photo above. Jenny is the II Melbourne president, which meant she was not only an exhibitor but, also, one of the organisers. Lei was the official photographer, who put in an inordinate amount of time, not only photographing all of the arrangements but, also, many hours in front of the computer, editing. Her job was made difficult by the dark and ornate backgrounds. I hope you will make allowances for that.

Following are Lucy's six demonstration pieces :

Variegated NZ flax, monstera deliciosa and mahonia leaves in ceramic container

Dutch iris and camellias in three, colourful, ceramic containers

Agave and anthurium in ceramic container

Golden elm branches and rhododendrons in ceramic vase 

Azalea, wisteria and Japanese flowering quince in
Japanese basket

Wisteria and arum lilies in a container hidden
inside large tree bark

Following are pictures of my students' exhibition pieces.

Cymbie Reeves - Tortured willow and calla lilies in ceramic container

Lucy Papas - dried agapanthus sprayed black and white and camelia in 2
ceramic containers

Lucy Papas - wooden sculpture with Spathiphyllum
(peace lily) in ceramic container

Lei Wang - split and coloured bamboo, woven vine,
gypsophila and cymbidium orchids.

Jenny Loo and Lei Wang - Coloured vine and Oriental lilies in two ceramic containers

Lei Sun (Wendy) - Umbrella grass stems and anthurium
in glass container

Lei Sun (Wendy) - dried branch, freesias and calla lilies in two, matching containers

Jenny Loo - corokia, arum lilies and aspidistra leaves in
ceramic container

Lucy Papas - small bathroom arrangement - stachyurus and camelias in
ceramic container

Bye for now,

Emily

 

Hello all,

By this time I had expected to be back home and on the way to recovery. Sadly, that's not the case. I'm still in hospital and, during periods of feeling relatively well, I get onto my computer and work on this blog. I must say, I'm enjoying going through my old photographs. I'm surprised at just how many arrangements I made over the years. Some I find very pleasing and some a little cringeworthy. Don't worry, I won't share those with you.

The arrangement, above, fits into the theme 'Using Both Fresh and Unconventional Materials''. They  are a tarnished copper pipe and Dutch iris (Iris Hollandica) in a self made container. 

In the arrangement, below, I selected newly unfurled strelitzia reginae leaves because they have a burgundy coloured spine, which reflected the colour of the amaranthus, cascading in front. The container is a self made, ceramic one.

The next arrangement fits into the theme 'Using Only One Kind of Material'. The branch is 'Silver Princess' (Eucalyptus caesia). It's the elegant sweep of the branch that makes the arrangement.

Vines can be challenging to arrange because they often grow downwards, therefore they look wrong when placed going upwards. I can't remember making the arrangement, below, but, I believe, the clematis I used must have been growing upwards.

You would have noticed by now that I have a penchant for geometry. Case in point the arrangement, below. I used two, very long gymea leaves and a loquat branch in a ceramic container.

In the arrangement, below, I used two agapanthus flowers with curved stems and one NZ flax leaf in a donut shaped container.

Here's that geometry again. This time I created triangles with bamboo, which I, then, joined together to create a structure. I secured the structure over the tall, glass vase, then added a mass of camellias.

Below is a summer arrangement using different coloured hydrangeas and amaranthus in a tall, metal vase.

This next one is a spring, wall arrangement using wisteria, stems and flowers and roses in a ceramic container.

The container in the arrangement, below, has a large opening at the front and one at the top, which allowed me to weave the gymea leaf through and around it. Then, it was just a matter of placing the hippeastrums to complete the dramatic piece.

Oh dear, here's some more geometry. In this case I created surfaces by wiring together umbrella grass stems and then bent them into the shape, below. The strelitzia reginae is the floral accent placed in the space created by the panels.

Bye for now,

Emily