Christmas Arrangement

Another arrangement for a festive occasion. The teacher wanted us to make a new look, not a traditional style of Christmas arrangement. I used red poinsettias, white mums, baby's breath, silver painted hostas and nandina berries( shining materials). Adding the evergreen holly branches created harmony.
After all, it's Ikebana! (12/2/09)

Sketching and Arrangement

First, I got the materials ready (mums, bittersweet and leaves) and the container (this particular one is a gift from my very good friend, hand made). Looking at them, I drew an idea of my arrangement on a piece of paper. After that I made the actual arrangement. The finished work looks pretty much the same as the sketch. But through this lesson I realized that even though the drawing was flat, my arrangement was not. My sketch does not reflect the three dimensional quality of the flowers and leaves and of my overall arrangement.
The Ikebana flower arrangement is truly living art. (12/2/09)

White Cattleyas

C. Skinneri Alba " Debbie" FCC/AOS

Close up view ( so sad, it last only two weeks. 11/19-12/3)
Third place in Cat. group (windowsill grower)
I have these two identical white cattleyas. I might have divided them last Summer, but I can't recall. This is a big vigorous orchid. I remember it had only two flowers on one stem last time, besides that, the flowers have a much better form this year. It is blooming just in time for B.C.O.S.'s show table ( last Thursday's meeting) and Thanksgiving holiday.

Showing Lines at the Base

This is my teacher's arrangement--so graceful!

This is mine, not too bad.

I read the textbook's explanation of this arrangement so many times. Finally I understood the importance and beauty of the base material and its relation to the container. It seems easy to do but it's not! I choose wild raspberry plants from my back yard and one sunflower. Both were placed at a higher position than they would normally be in an ordinary arrangement, showing their artistic form. (11/17/09)

Thanksgiving Arrangement

Composition in today's class (after my teacher's magic touch)

Tried at home yesterday (11/16/09)

Another version of a Thanksgiving centerpiece (11/16/09)

"Special material and arrangements for festive occasions" is today's subject. Thanksgiving is approaching. We have many things to be thankful for. All my children and grandchildren are coming home for a family gathering. They are longing for my roast turkey and my special turkey stuffing and tempura, always a big hit.
This is a happy occasion, so I would like to make a flower arrangement as colorful and as loud as possible. A friend of mine gave me a bunch of bittersweets, I combined these with fruits, small mums, pine and other materials (draft wood) to compose my Thanksgiving themed arrangement. I have two versions here, one is dinning table centerpiece which can be viewed from all angles. The other one is placed against the foyer wall. What do you think? (11/17/09)

November's blooming orchids

This is my sun room. I want to show the scarlet red color of the maple tree outside the window. Isn't it beautiful?

Oncidium (Dancing lady). Saint Dawn Gold.

C. Pot. Mysteve Natsumi.
I divided this one into two plants. The other one finished blooming a month ago, it lasted about 6 weeks.

Milt Xenia

I posted this orchid in last September's "Happiness is ...." It's blooming now.
Second place in Oncidium group (windowsill grower)

Large Arrangement Free Style

One day before class, at home, over 4 ft. tall

After teacher's suggestion and changes

After I finished my wood arrangement a couple of weeks ago, my teacher encouraged me to do a larger arrangement. I think I am ready this time and have some ideas in my mind so I went looking for usable wood in the small forest in my backyard. I cut them, trimmed them, and interlocked them to make them secure and stabilized, then I put the self made container in the middle (shaped round like birds nest). I gathered the Nandinas, Mums, pine and laced maple in the container. At the bottom, as you can see there are also Mums, berries and pine. I think it looks beautiful but not striking enough.

Slanting Style Nageire Variation #1

Crape myrtles (turned a fall color now) with white Mums are good combination.

Slanting Style Moribana Variation #4

In this style, we have to emphasize the beauty by omission. So I used pear tree branches for both Shin and Hikae, no Soe in this arrangement. I added two purple Dahlias and chose the light blue container to balance the whole composition.(10/21/09)


I redid this assignment today because I didn't like what I did in yesterday's class. I changed the materials entirely.Much better and prettier.

Spreading Arrangement

Spreading arrangement is a style laid out directly on a table without using kenzan or containers. Use long lasting materials which can stay in place without water. I chose black pine, wax plant, daisies and red berry. Daisies can only last a couple of days but I can change them from time to time. This arrangement should be viewed from all angles. My teacher said that I could do it better by extending the vine and grouping the flowers. All right, I will try to improve it next time! (10/20/09)


From a different angle.

Back from vacation

Home site windowsill #4

Home site windowsill #2
It's been very cold these past two weeks. So I gradually brought all my orchids and house plants back inside the house. My home looks like jungle again. This means no more vacation for both orchids and me because I have to work regularly watering, fertilizing, checking and re-potting occasionally. I divided my orchids into five groups at different windowsills, I only work with one group each day, this way I won't feel so tired.
This October's B.C.O.S.'s meeting features an orchid auction (10/15/09), members donate their duplicate orchids, and the society purchases some wholesale blooming orchids for the auction too. This is our annual fundraiser, open for both members and the public.


One of the auction tables