It’s A Beautiful Day

This picture has nothing to do with orchids or ikebana.
I was looking out through my window this morning, I saw three ladies riding horses, gracefully passing by in front of my house. The gorgeous and fall like weather is perfect for strolling.

Summer Cattleya Bloom

I have only one Cattleya orchid bloom for this month, but I am still happy and satisfied because there will always be another bloom every month, no interruption.
I checked my previous posts for this orchid, and it evidently blooms every year around this time.

8/16/2020, lime color

8/18/2020 (no name)

8/23/2020, in full bloom, pleasant fragrant 

8/23/2020, I remembered these two plants were divided from
the same plant as above

Pokeweed Berry as Ikebana Material

Midsummer already! If you take a walk in the open field or along the road side, you will discover a lot of Pokeweed berries. I am thinking about using it as my Ikebana material this time.
For my arrangement, I tilted the ceramic vase on two bamboo rings to stabilize, together it looks a bit more interesting and beautiful!

materials: crape myrtle, pokeweed berry and wood branch

with black back ground

I found at flea market

Ikebana at Home - Using Japanese Anemone

Since the COVID - 19 Pandemic out break, it seems there is no light at the end of tunnel in the near future.  We have to find a way to keep ourselves busy and stay well. Let daily life be as normal as possible! Doing Ikebana is one way to keep my brain active, but not physically, unfortunately!

I read somewhere: Using baskets as containers is usually for summer time or not for so formal arrangements.

Japanese Anemone, iris leaves and crape myrtle

front view

Japanese Anemone (perennial)

Japanese Anemone 

Summer flower Arrangement

Summer is here! The pink and red of Crape myrtle are blooming beautifully in my front and back yard. More summer flowers are Rose of Sharon. These two kinds of flowers are my ikebana materials, then I selected a silver metal container to complete this arrangement.

 the green leaves are iris and boxwood

without the long iris leave

rose of Sharon

crape myrtle

Arrangement with Paper Sculpture

This swirl shape paper sculpture we learned from Hata Sensei’s class lesson last November and used it to make an arrangement for the first time. (Please check 2019 November blog)
Here is my second time using it with hydrangea which are still available from my garden.

Material: hydrangea, statice, boxwood, dried and green branches

show detail for this ceramic container