The June class lesson is the last of the season. Followed by our traditional annual potluck lunch.
Lesson (1): This composition is made by the two kabu so that the water surface create the space in good harmony. Materials: Kangaroo paw plant, Carnation azalea / ceramic suiban (6/17/2025)
It’s a summer time, my choice for the containers I think they should be light and airy. So I use two different shapes of the bamboo baskets. As you can see here I arranged the tall one with some kind of vine to be interesting and the low basket just simple materials. (6/17/2025)
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| Solomon seal, mum, feverfew, carnation and azalea |
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| Sensei’s Demo, using more than two containers. I am impressed and surprised! Gorgeous! |
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| Classmate’s arrangement, Three containers |
It’s a raining and cloudy Father’s Day! I stayed at home preparing for up coming class lessons. At the same time, I used a lot of feverfew tiny flowers that I picked from my garden to make an arrangement “Mass, Line and Color”, in the basket. (6/15/2025)
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| With cornflower and horse tail |
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| With lily and Iris leaves |
I just realized what a busy schedule I have in June! Besides doctor’s appointments and class lessons. I also attended I.I. Philadelphia Chapter #71’s event for 60th anniversary celebration luncheon, and went to Brandywine Museum of art to check the site, which MainLine branch will be holding an annual exhibition in the last week of this month. I have no mood to do Ikebana during this time period! But it’s time to post my orchids, they are blooming all around from April to June now. Five are Oncidium orchids, only one is Cattleya (Apple Blossom). Some faded and some are still going strong.
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| Oncidium (Sherry Baby, smell like chocolate) 6/12/2026 |
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| Oncidium (Pacific Panache) 5/18/2025 |
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| Oncidium 5/18/2925 |
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| Oncidium (Issaku Nagata)5/9/2025 |
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| 5/5/2025 |
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| 5/5/2025 |
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| Cattlaye (Apple Blossom) 5/5//2025 |
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| 4/24/2025 |
Summer is coming! Spring flowers are almost gone. I would like to make a couple of arrangements using irises before they disappeared from my garden.
Materials: Japanese irises, Solomon seal and tiny wild flower / bamboo baskets
Here is my last peony arrangement! A small simple piece of ikebana with no particular subject.
Materials: peony, zinnia, ninebark, and small wild white flowers / ceramic
People have named peonies “the king of flowers”. It is a symbol of happiness, prosperity and spring. There’s a Chinese saying: “ Good flowers don’t bloom forever, good times don’t last forever”.
As I have always mentioned I like to use seasonal flowers for my arrangement if possible. Now, I would love the peonies with different colors in my arrangement and I wanted it to be a gorgeous (華麗) one! During our critique, I asked Sensei if it’s there are too many flowers? But she said: It’s spring! You did a good job, it’s pretty! Indeed, that’s what I meant. 春天就是要華麗的插花! (5/19/2025)
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| Horizontal style using cross bar fixture 5/19/2025 |
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| Besides peonies, there were mountain laurels |
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| Back side view, 5/19/2025 in class |
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| Hata Sensei’s Demo, basic style using cross bar fixture |
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| 5/18/2025, tried at home |
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| cross bar fixture (Jumonji- dome) |
I had no class for almost two months since March. For those days I was practicing Ikebana for my own pleasure without any subjects or Sensei’s guidance. My arrangement was the lilac (Mrs. Kim) which was in full bloom in my garden, and a porcelain vase which has a unique opening. I thought they were nice together.
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| 5/17/2025 |
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| 5/16/2025, without the lilac leaves |
The month of April and May, our garden is very colorful and pretty! But the beauty is always short lived! I am the person who likes using seasonal materials, and when a sudden good ideas comes, I like to pick whatever is available in the garden to make an ikebana.
