I didn’t know these two containers and materials that I chose would be so difficult to arrange for this month’s subject. Oh! Well, I would like to challenge myself to make it happen and am happy with it.
After home from class, I reviewed my arrangement, I was not really happy about it. I rearranged and kept playing around with it until I felt it’s about right! (11/4/2026)
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| Pampas grass, cymbidium leaves and Gerbera daisy |
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| 11/2/2026 in class room |
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| Sensei’s demo |
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| Classmates’ arrangements |
When I noticed the subject was curved lines, I thought about bittersweet and I missed my old hometown Bucks County Washington Crossing Park. The surrounding of that wooded area had many wild bittersweet vines. It’s a pity! There were a lot of bittersweet vines but no berries here! (11/2/2026)
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| I just found one bittersweet vine, a lot of no berries, Lily provided / Ceramic vase |
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| Sensei’s demo sample |
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| Tried to use dried hydrangeas and palm at home |
In front of my house is Orchard Street, the opposite side of road is the woodland, the wooded area has a path to the Northern Dutchess Hospital (my son sees patients there, he’s a Nephrologist, kidney doctor). It’s a short cut for us to walk through the path to take a walk around the hospital park, which is much sunnier than our street. Sometimes my son uses that walking path to see us.
Materials: Branches picked from the woods, name unknown, the other branch is smoke tree. Chrysanthemum provided. I know the color of my branches so I choose blue ceramic vase to be contrast. Hata Sensei liked the color combination and said the arrangement is very pretty!
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| 11/2/2026 in class |
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| In front of my house is Orchard street |
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| Wooded area |
I was absent from the classes in October (10/20/2026) due to my husband’s doctor appointment. Three lessons as usual, two were basic variation styles of Moribana and Nageire which I did many times before, but the third one was “With Leaves Only” arrangement, I would like to do it again at home. (10/23/2026)
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| Palm, hosta and cymbidium leaves / ceramic vase |
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| Gold pained Anthurium I put in for fun |
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A profusion of colorful flowers in this arrangement perfectly expressed my thoughts and feelings. It said : As the autumn wind blows, it carries away my faint autumn blue, but brings you my blessings.
The autumn scenery is really gorgeous! I just feel I should do more fall arrangements. Besides, I have burgundy and white hydrangeas from my daughter’s garden, which I really like to use.
Here’s the arrangement: the colorful leaves and aster picked from roadside. The Japanese bronze vase is antique, well made, beautiful and I treasure it. (10/14/2026)
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| Japanese antique bronze vase |
I was surprised by the previous arrangement, the colorful leaves still fresh, didn’t curl or dry out! Usually maple leaves can’t last more than three days. There’s an apple tree on the road side, still has a few scattered apples hanging on the bare branches. I am thinking while walking, how I would arrange them together to create another beautiful autumn scene!
The fall air is crisp! My husband and I like to walk around, I see trees gradually changing their colors, the mountains are painted in hues of gold, orange, and crimson. I love the beauty of autumn, but the season makes me feel melancholy, especially this fall! My husband’s neurologist doctor said dementia is not going to be better or cured, only get worse from time to time. His cognitive functions noticeably decline these days, but I know he still loves me! (10/5/2016)
Lesson # 3, Colors in Contrast: Without knowing what kinds of flowers and colors we will get from Sensei for this lesson? I have a little hesitation to choose a container for this subject.
Materials: Blue Hydrangea, yellow Gerbera daisy, purple carnation and Aspidistra / Neutral color ceramic vase (9/14/2026)
Lesson # 2, to be viewed from all angles : I teared off all the leaves from burning bush branches to make a structure. Putting it on top of the tall vase as a base. I brought my own azalea branches and provided carnations (I wish to have more brighter colors). To be viewed all around, I carefully arranged them into the mouth of the vase. (9/14/2026)
September,14, 2026 three class Lessons: 1. Basic Upright Style Morinana ( Book 1, #2) 2. To be Viewed from All Angles Use Nageire Vase (Book 3, #19) 3. Colors in Contrast (Book 3, #9)
1). Basic Uptight Style Moribana : Cedar branches for Shih 15 degrees and Soe 45 degrees. Moms provided for Hikae 75 degree. (9/14/2026)
I transplanted more than ten young zinnias plants from my daughter’s backyard garden earlier this summer. They are all from seeding, too crowded and don’t thin out, so the flowers are smaller than usual, but they are still very pretty and cute!
When I’m feeling better, I feel like arranging ikebana, but sometimes all I have to grab is my houseplants. This is the case with my zinnias.
It’s September, all the schools have been starting after Labor Day holiday weekend (9/7/2026). My two older grandchildren have left for college already. My youngest grandson gets his nursery orientation and my Ikebana class lessons start this month 9/14/2026. It seems like everyone is getting back to their normal activity schedules.
Materials: Sunflower, Carnation, dahlia, dogwood branches and twigs / ceramic Tsubo vase
I hardly use these two unique shaped, black small containers. To make the most of the same materials that I had before and more marigolds (blooming more in my garden now). Their bright colors pop up the whole arrangement!
The title emphasizes why I would like to use the container. After I finished my designed arrangement, I added the line to echo the glass container. Do you think it better with it or not?
August has just passed, I can already feel a hint of autumn in the air! Occasionally I get the autumn blues, it makes me sad these days when I get frustrated with my husband’s confused brain. I feel for his dementia situation, I really don’t know I should sympathize with him or myself?
I have always been fascinated by smoke trees and I’ve always been interested in making an arrangement with it. Also their branches are very pretty too! The anthuriums from workshop last time still look fresh, why not just use them.
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| This is a big tall glass vase |
