Peonies and Garden

The month of May is coming to the end! So are my peonies. This arrangement made on 5/17/2024, one day before my demonstration at Taiwanese Grace Church. (For the purpose of demo practicing)

Mountain Laurel 

May Class - Freestyle Using Mitsumata

On May’s class lessons, we have to create two freestyle arrangements: (1) Using Mitsumata,  (2) Using whatever you have in your garden, flower and other materials, and (3) Variation No.5 Upright Style Moribana (Ka-bu-wa-ke). 

(1) I made my mind to use a metal moon shaped container with Mitsumata from time to time. I picked three different colors of peonies from my garden and made three similar requested arrangements. Which one is your favorite?  (5/21/2024)

Peony, lilac and nine bark, in class (5/21/2024) 

Tree peony, alstroemeria and spirea (5/15/2024)

Pink peony, lilac and nine bark (5/13/2024)

May Class Lessons- Ka-bu-wa-ke

Lesson 3 is variation No.5 Upright Style Moribana. The text book said: One group of arranged branches is called “Kabu” in Ikbana. As this style has separate “Kabu,” it’s called “Ka-bu-wa-ke,” and the water should be shown between the two groups (Kabu). It needs two Kenzans, Shin (15degree) and Soe (45degree) form one group and Hikae ((75degree) is in another group. (5/21/2024)

Materials: azalea, iris and mountain Laurel / ceramic container 

May Class - Freestyle Using Flowers & Materials from Your Garden

Class Lesson (2) : Peonies, peonies and more peonies in the month of May. Obviously! My materials would have all kinds of peonies from my garden; the others were hosta, nine bark and bamboo mat. (5/21/2024)

Arranged in class on 5/21/2024 

Arranged earlier at home before class / ceramic vase 

Side view 

Demonstration and Workshop

A good friend of mine invited me to participate in the demonstration along with Doris herself and Haloko at the Grace Church on Saturday, May 18, 2024. Each person did two demo arrangements then followed workshop. We had twenty persons participated, they all learned Ikebana basic upright style moribana.

I always emphasize to use seasonal materials, especially this time of year, there are so many beautiful flowers in bloom in my garden. If I don’t use them I would feel so sorry for them and myself!  Peonies, irises, lilacs, hosta, peeled wisteria vine, mountain laurel, Solomon seal and weigela were used in my two freestyle arrangements. (5/18/2024)

Tried at home earlier with tree peony and nine bark

Tried earlier with weigela  

Two demo arrangements at church 

Demo by Doris using bamboo pieces 

Peony, Hosta and New Container

There’s one weekend, my husband and I went to see some pottery show and met the artists, about an hour away. It called “Potters’ guild of New Jersey”.  A couple of days later I made this arrangement using new purchased container with hosta and peony.  (5/14/2024) 

I wish the artist would make this vase much taller 

Yellow Tree Peony

The yellow tree peonies are blooming first among the other regular peonies, which are having so many buds now! Here is an another arrangement using tree peony, before they are fading away!

Arranged on 5/5/2024, post on 5/16/2024

Happy Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers! young and old! Especially to my niece, the brand new mother! Her beautiful baby girl is one month old! 

The first blooming tree peony and nine bark

The second tree peony, big and beautiful 

Bleeding Heart Arrangement

I have thought about using bleeding heart as material for Ikebana but I have never done it. When I saw a lot of bleeding heart blooming in my garden these days, it urged me to think about making an arrangement using many of them the bleeding hearts! 😊🥰 (5/2/2024)

Solomon seal and azalea instead of its own leaves 

One kind of material