Welcome to Spring - Forsythia

Forsythia (迎春花), Chinese character says “Welcome to Spring”.  When you see forsythia’s yellow small flowers in full bloom and daffodils are everywhere then you know the spring is really here. (4/4/2025)

Changed hellebore to daffodil two days later 

Spring Splendor

Spring is in the air! Cherry blossoms are everywhere and also in my own backyard. I would love to make a big tall springlike arrangement in the large tall ceramic container (15 inches x 6inches Nageire style). Using Japanese quince, cherry blossom and lenten rose (hellebore) which I picked from my garden.  (4/3/2025)

Hydrangea and Climbing Hydrangea Vine

It has been almost two weeks since I bought the hydrangeas for class lessons. I keep it fresh properly from time to time. To take full advantage of hydrangea, I combine it with climbing hydrangea vine which just starting new sprouts.  (4/1/2025)

My new ceramic container, it has weird shape 

Washington DC Cherry Blossom

The bloom usually starts in March and last into early April.  The National Park Service announced the blossoms hit peak bloom dates in Washington DC are March 28 - 31.  Our kids invited us to go with them just when the peak blooming weekend (3/29/2025). I had never seen such crowded people coming out to see Cherry Blossom, and that was the warmest spring weather too (80 F. +  degrees).  I didn’t enjoy much but we thrilled to see our children and spend a wonderful weekend with them! That was worth the trip to DC. (3/29/2025)

Hydrangea and Glass Container

I bought a bunch of hydrangeas for class lesson few days ago. Surprisingly! they still looked pretty good to use again. Because I treated them the right way, dipping the cut in alum or immerse the whole stem into the water for couple of hours.  I was so delighted with the result that I decided to make another arrangement!

This arrangement could be “Colors of Container” too.

March Class Lessons : (1) Color of Container

Fortunately, the first day of Spring is a warm and bright sunny day! Going to class becomes a pleasant time.  We have two lessons. 

Lesson (1): Color of Container;  I would like to make this subject a totally different from before. First, I looked at the container that I chose carefully, then I knew what combinations of the materials and the colors of the container, how they could be complement to each other. Hence, I used the tree barks and a lichen covered branch combined with blue and white hydrangeas, I thought the composition might surprise my teacher and classmates!   (3/18/2025)

Blue and white hydrangeas would be added 

Sensei’s Demo 

Arranged at the class (3/18/2025)

Rearranged at home 

Class Lesson (2) - Dried, Bleached,or Colored Materials

Class lesson (2) : In this lesson, all the dried or colored materials can be arranged along, or they can be combined with fresh flowers. 

Materials: dried and colored palms, safflower, baby’s breath and fresh daffodil.  (3/18/2025)

Sensei wants me to add pussy willow to look more dimensional 

Looks so much prettier than before 

My original design

Sensei’s Demo 

Classmate’s arrangements color of container and lesson (2)

Post Flower Show - Leftover Flowers for New Design

The Philadelphia Flower Show ended last week (1/9/2025). Some of the leftover materials from my arrangement were still fresh enough to use again.  The Forsythia branches were blooming but the Peony buds were too tight to open, and the pink mums were still pretty. I chose a tall black triangle ceramic vase to suit my new design. (3/12/2025)

PHS Philadelphia Flower Show 2025 - Garden of Tomorrow (4)

The”Gardens of Tomorrow” theme for the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show encourages envisioning a brighter, greener future through garden and planting, emphasizing the power of nature and human ingenuity to create a healthier planet.