29TH JUNE, 2026

 

Hello all,

Our recent Sogetsu workshop was presented by Thea Sartori. The instructions to members from Thea were to bring three different types of materials and three containers. We were to make three arrangements using the three different materials in each. Thea demonstrated two sets of three arrangements, showing how the materials can be used differenty.

The selection of my materials was influenced by their availability. The first were the pieces of kiwi vine, which were lying around in my studio, after having been used in other arrangements. The second were camellias from a shrub that had just come into full flower. The third were alstroemeria psittacina leaves.

In my first arrangement, above, I sprayed the kiwi vine gold and placed it in an egg-shaped, footed container. I added the camellias coming forward and the alstroemeria leaves at the back.

In the second, below, I kept the kiwi vine in its natural colour and wound it to reflect the shape of the container. Then added one camellia with its stem and the alstroemeria leaves at the base.

And in the third, below, I sprayed the kiwi vine black and placed it over a tall, rectangular, glass container. I added the camellias in a mass and the alstroemeria leaves to the side and back.

Lucy's three materials were monstera deliciosa leaves, tulips and equisetum. 

In her first arrangement, below, Lucy placed half a monstera leaf in a tall container with a large opening at the front and a smaller one at the top. She fed the tulip stems and equisetum through the natural holes of the leaf.

In her second, below, she used one of each of her materials sweeping diagonally, in a slate container.

And in her third she used a tall, glass vase, over which she secured the monstera leaf up-side-down. She added the tulips as an informal mass and the equisetums creating lines.

Just over a week ago I had a delightful visit from a couple of friends of mine, mother and daughter, Bo and Emily. My friendship with Bo started when our children were in high school (many moons ago). There were four of us, who volunteered in the school canteen once a month and developed a strong friendship. This friendship continues to this day. We meet three or four times a year at each others' homes for lunch which lasts at least 6 hours.

This visit was a little out of the ordinary but very welcome. The girls brought me two bunches of white hyacinths, which I can best describe as luscious. Each fragrant flower head is so thick and heavy that the stems can't hold it up. I had to devise an arrangement that provided support for the flowers and I settled on the giant philodendron. I reduced the leaf drastically and added some crucifix orchids for a bit of colour, in a self made, ceramic container.

I'm very disappointed this year with my mahonia tree because it has not produced any flowers. I found the branch, below, with a tiny bit that was flowering and had to use it. I trimmed a good number of leaves to reveal the shape of the stem and placed it in a rectangular, ceramic container. I felt that floral materials would have been superfluous so I left them out. Besides, this appeals to the minimalist in me.

Vicky made the arrangement, below, when she had a bit of time to play. The container is a new one and works well with the strelitzia reginae leaff and flower.

And for this week's camellia arrangement I used the very first flower from this prolific, camellia tree, in a self made container. I made every effort to find the name of this camellia, including taking it to a camellia show and asking the experts but to no avail. So, she remains nameless.

Bye for now,

Emily