The 2nd heat wave hit us here at Northeast PA. The heat index reached up to 102 degree F. It’s steamy hot and humid outside, cool and comfortable inside the house.
My materials: Lily and zinnia are Summer flowers. Hosta and Lily are perennial plant, zinnia is annual. I plant zinnia every year in May.
I think using translucent glass containers have a coolness effect for hot Summer day arrangements. Here they are:
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| Two glass contains put together |
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| Glass sculpture container |
My mock orange shrub has been blooming for more then two weeks now, it is a beautiful bush! But its flowers only last a couple of days and dropped!!
“Mock Orange shrub is not a true orange, its name supposedly derives from the fragrant white flowers which in some varieties are thought to resemble that of orange blossoms. While the blooming of this shrub is short, only about a week or two, you can still enjoy the dark green foliage of the mock orange plants.”
Summer Flowers for Ikebana arrangements: Mock orange, day lily, hosta and magnolia / ceramic vase
For our Mainline Sogetsu Study Group, our June class will be the last one of the session. Although we all had been vaccinated, we still do not feel comfortable enough to have class in person. So, Hata Sensei will be teaching again over Zoom. Free Style using Summer flowers is our assignment. I thought I could use my previous peony arrangement to submit to be critiqued, but that was a Spring flower. OK! Summer flowers! Here comes: Magnolia tree branches and flower, using driftwood for stabilization and choice of red accent ceramic vase. (I submitted on 6/16)
Today 6/21/2021 in zoom class, Sensei did a wonderful and beautiful demonstration through video lesson. When my picture showed up, Sensei said magnolia flower is very powerful material, it need strong branches to go with it. She also said that I used just right amount of magnolia tree branches…. I am happy that I got a very good comments! Beside Sensei also showed one of my peony Arrangement.
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| Front view |
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| View from above |
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| Side view |
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is normally held in early March at the Pennsylvania convention center. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2021 Flower show took place on June 5-13, outside in the city’s historic FDR Park for the first time in its 193 year history. The theme this year was “Habitat: Nature’s Masterpiece.”
Because it was an outdoor exhibit this year, there were no individual ikebana arrangements. Instead, they asked four Sogetsu study groups to each create a large bamboo structure.
We met our Sensei and some classmates at the flower show, most of all to see our Mainline study group’s team’s work: Bamboo Sculpture. I am proud to say that I was able to work on a small part of it, on our bamboo interwoven structure. It was the hottest and the most humid day (6/7), Plus we did a lot of walking, so I didn’t see much and felt so tired!
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| Mainline Sogetsu study group |
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| Sogetsu BuxMount study group |
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| Brandywine Sogetsu study group |
One more Ikebana with peony, using dark pink, light pink, single or double petal peonies. I found this beautiful branch from a big bush, which I thought its shape looks like a fountain. Next, to suit my design, a tall container was my choice for this arrangement (See picture below). It is a cascade style, I really like my final composition! I think it’s beautiful! This arrangement is for special occasion: “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU” to my husband with love!
In our Zoom class for June, we might have a free style Arrangement. I would like to use peonies when they are still available in my garden. I'm also thinking about using magnolias, mountain laurels, and lilacs with the main flower peony. Then I carefully pick this ceramic vase to complete my arrangement. I think it has a very classic look!
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| Rearranged flowers after next day |
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| View from above |
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| Mountain laurel |
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| Jacob’s ladder |
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| Clematis |
My Ikebana brain could not catch up to my blooming garden materials. Sometimes I feel guilty letting the beautiful flowers go without using them and doing more Ikebana!
Free style using peony, Solomon seal, hosta and dried branch / ceramic container
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| Side view |
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| Solomon seal |
I hardly use ferns for my Ikebana material. We have so many of them in our landscaping from the previous owner. We replanted them along the fence in my back yard. They are easy to grow but die down in the Winter.
All my Japanese irises, purple, white and yellow has almost come to the end! Only a few of the yellow irises are left. I picked a couple of them and used some other materials like euonymus and rose for a color combination.
It is true that we Hakka people say: “Spring is always changing moods (春天面(臉)時時變)”. This Memorial holiday weekend was so cold and wet, like Winter with temperatures only around 40+ degrees F. The other day was so hot like mid Summer at 90+ degree F. The heavy rain ruined my peonies and my irises are fading away soon too!🙁
I picked some irises, arranged them with Japanese maple, peony and wild flower in two ceramic containers.
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| Side view |
