I have these two materials, clematis vine (sweet autumn) and firethorn (Pyracantha). Therefore, I pick the black ceramic container which I like very much and fits nicely together. I named this arrangement “Sweet Autumn “. After all it is autumn!
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| 9/13/2024 |
I had this lilac branches and pokeweed plant (inkberry, from wild), with some leftover flowers and I really wanted to use this new found ceramic container. So, I made a couple of different look arrangements using all those materials, before I went to upstate New York to celebrate my youngest grandson’s birthday who just turned one year old! with all the family members together, we had a precious and wonderful time! (9/10/2024). Please see below:
The Japanese tea room arrangement, I arranged with old Japanese basket. It’s simple and beautiful! The bittersweet and sunflower show when summer and autumn are in transition. It’s brightening up the room!
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| 9/5 - 9/8/2024 |
The 13th Annual exhibition at Shofuso Japanese house and garden ( in Fairmount Park, PA ) would take place from Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 8. Members of the Philadelphia Ikebana International Chapter (including three major Ikebana schools: Ikenobo, Sogetsu, and Ohara) would create arrangements which would be displayed in a traditional Japanese venue.
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| Leopard lily, liriope, ornamental onion, Japanese anemone, rose of Sheron and golden maple / triangular ceramic suipan |
Chabana is a type of arrangement, cha means tea, bana is variant of the word Hana, which means flower. Chabana, then, are the flowers for tea room or tea ceremony. The most important thing for the chabana arrangement, not only the materials should be fresh, seasonal, and natural, but also small and simple.
The main color of purple was spontaneously arranged as I pleased! There were blue liriope, ornamental onion, Japanese anemone and phlox. All of these flowers were picked from my garden. They are colors in the same tonal range.
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| Close up view / deep blue with gold rimmed ceramic vase |
Hydrangeas are for summer! I really like their beauty. But it’s not a good idea for exhibition, they keep fresh only for couple of days! Even if you have properly treated them, you still don’t want to take the risk when it’s time for exhibition.
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| The tall leaves is leopard lily |
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| Japanese anemone, hosta / basket (8/3/2024) |
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| With mitsumata, wisteria vine, seed pods/ceramic |
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| 8/8/2024 |
Our mini vacation with all the children gathered at my daughter’s beach house in Lewes, Delaware. Four members of our family were having their birthdays in August! So, we three generations all went there for vacation and celebration together! My youngest grandson (10+ month old) had been dipping his tiny feet into the water for the first time, exciting and smiling! We, young and old all had a fun and wonderful time. (8/4 - 8/7/2024)
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| Some wild plants are growing in the sand path, I put them in the tall glass |
I bought this tropical palm tree “house plant” not long ago, I love its fan shaped large leaves! Since I have it, I always would like to use it for Ikebana arrangement. So I combined it with hydrangeas, mitsumata and round shaped ceramic container. Surprisingly, it looked like a flying bird at the end!
Hydrangeas in the Suiban (Moribana), I used white and blue hydrangeas and two different placemats for base.
I got this ceramic container from I.I. May meeting’s program “Container Auction”. I was very pleased!
For my arrangement this time, I have the materials first and then select a container, sometimes it is the other way around, I choose container first and then look for the materials.
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| Viburnum, hosta and Mitsumata |
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| Do you like white background? |
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| Side view |