Free Style-Anything Goes

Perennial sunflowers and Spider plants
I just wanted to make an arrangement using any kind of flowers from my garden. Here are my choices as shown above and the top picture is my finished arrangement. I realized that the spider plant's stem was not tall enough. (7/29/2010)

My Granddaughter's Ikebana

Jordan asked her mother once, "What does Ikebana mean?"
"You ask A-Po [grandma in Hakka], she will tell you," her mother said.
I said to her, "Ikebana is the Japanese style of flower arrangement that A-Po is still learning now."
I showed her some of my work. Jordan and Devin stayed with me last week because their parents (my son and daughter in law) went to Italy for their ten year anniversary vacation. So Jordan wanted to play Ikebana with me. She went to the garden to pick some flowers and then drew some pictures. Then she arranged the flowers using two glasses. After that she held my hand to go to the sun room and she said "SURPRISE! These are my Ikebana, A-Po."
"It's so beautiful, Jordan!" I said. Indeed, it's so cute and beautiful! I was so moved and delighted.
She is just six years old! (7/28/2011)

You in Ikebana

After I finished four text books, it's so much easier now for me to do a free style arrangement, and I feel more pleasure and confidence making ikebana flower arrangements with any kind of plant materials. I can freely express my feelings through plants. Although I know I still have a long way to pursue "My Ikebana."

The green branches and two pieces of wood were found from my wooded area and the hydrangea was from my garden. (7/21/2011)
The right picture was arranged by 9/10/2011 for the church's mini exhibition.

With Leaves Only

I have done this "Leaves Only" arrangement in the past, but my teacher wanted us to arrange it in a more artistic or more abstract way this time. She likes to push us one more step to a higher level. I always have a tendency to arrange ikebana more traditionally. I found it so hard to arrange the "leaves only" this time. I am not sure that I achieved it?
The philodendron selloum was still not tall enough, but coral bell leaves match the vase very well. (7/21/2011)

My daughter's wedding flowers

Bigger flower arrangement at a big window where seating cards were displayed. (July 3rd was my daughter's big day)

Reception room corner table and lady's room arrangement.

Bridal bouquet: Cattleya, Peony, ranunculus, dendrobium and sweet pea. It's so lovely!

The hand made wooden cake toppers were a gift from an artist friend. Cattleya and dendrobium orchids were simply decorated on cake.
Right side: A small ikebana arrangement from my daughter's bridal bouquet. 7/5/2011

Bridesmaids and flower girl (my two granddaughters) bouquets.

Table center piece
Phalaenopsis and different succulents. Guests could take them home. (7/3/2011)

orchids in June - Phalaenopsis and two others

I wish this Cattleya could add into my daughter's bridle bouquet.
Below-Brassia, "Orange Delight". I got it from last year's potting party, It bloomed for the first time.

All other kinds of orchids have faded away, only Phal. remain blooming this time of year. They don't stay blooming as long as usual in the summer time.

This yellow one is fragrant.

These flowers are miniature.

These bloom every year!

Hosta And Lily Arrangement

These Hosta, Lily and Tulip were left over materials, free to take home from last Tuesday class.
I used the materials to work on three different style arrangement at home without my teacher's assignment. Any comment?(6/10/2011)

Free Style - Big Arrangement

Final composition in June 7th class.
I am lucky that I can use my last peony( end of the season) for this project. After my teacher's suggestion, I added some zebra grass to give some height and soften the whole arrangement. All my classmates said it's beautiful. I was so happy and said congratulations to myself because I've also finished four text books already.

These two pictures are the first(5/5/11) and second(5/17/11) stages of arrangement in May's two classes.
This particular wood I found in my wooded area was three feet tall, it broke into two pieces. I thought it's perfect for my teacher's assignment. I stocked vines into the decayed holes, then added and changed the pine, bulrush and rhododendron over three classes.( 6/8/2011)

Free Style - Go Green Design

A new trend of the Sogetsu school is to use mostly green color in an arrangement. Most of the materials I used here were of different textures and shapes of green color, such as moss, bulrush, Butterfly Maple, Yew and a young Hydrangea flower. They were all picked from my garden and field. I even used a piece of drift wood as a container. (Below is close up view) 6/7/2011

Orchids in May

I wish this medium sized white Catelleyas could last until for my daughter's wedding (less then 5 weeks away). She always wants her bridal bouquet to have this kind of orchid, just like mine (which was from my father's orchid collection). I might have to look for it somewhere else to fulfill her wish. Usually there are not many blooming Cats in the summer time.

Zygonisla Cynosure " Blue Birds"
Three years ago this was a young plant, it's the second time it's bloomed now. I can't believe how easy it is!

Left-Huge, 7 inches flower on big plants. Fragrant
Right- Encyclia "Green Hornet" Buds are produced one after another, it's still going strong.

Left- I divided it into two plants last summer, both were blooming through April to early May.
Right- This is the same orchid as the first picture above, it's been blooming for 4 weeks now.( 5/31/2011)