Ikebana in the Japanese Tokonoma (Alcove)

I took these Ikebana pictures in the different hotels I stayed in during my vacation to Kyushu (the southern part of Japan from 1/18 to1/22). The arrangements are very simple and elegant. Usually the arrangement is placed in a Japanese room called "Tokonoma" in which objects art, painting and flower arrangements are displayed.

January Orchids 2012

This is my last post for three weeks. I will be in Taiwan and Japan, just as all my orchids are blooming. There are more budding, so I will be excited to come back and be surprised!

Cattleyas. Seven flowers in one plant. Not fully open yet.

Cattleyas. This picture has more than one plant.

Dendrobium and Cymbidium (2/8/2012).

Cymbidium and Dendrobium (1/6/2012).

Oncidium.

Happy And Healthy New Year 2012

Materials: Yew, Mum, Rose and Nandina
This is my another arrangement for New Year.
Love, Peace, Health to all!

Leaves in a Contemporary arrangement (Leaf Manipulation)

Materials: Sensevieria Leaf( Tiger tail), Mums, Baby's breath and Rose
I bought a dozen roses two weeks ago, after I used some of them, I kept it in the garage. They are still very fresh surprisingly. Also I have a new book "Leaf Manipulation". I wanted to try to use my house plant leaves and roses in this kind of arrangement.

Materials: Boston Fern and Rose
Container: Local artist hand made ceramic vase

New Year Arrangement

Materials: Bamboo, Pine, mum and roses.(12/20/2011)

These materials are commonly used for New Year's flower arrangements in Japan, especially pine and mum. Be sure to make the tip of the pine needles face upward or forward to express dynamism. The bottom picture I did in class, but my teacher said the bamboo sticks were not tall enough, so I rearranged it and added the third tallest one right after class.

Free style

I like to use this wood panel from last October and arrange it differently. I secured the branch on top of wood first and wrapped some bitter sweet around them. It gives you a natural look; then I arranged flowers (small mums, a rose and some green) on both side using dish kenzan. (12/20/2011 in class)

Orchids in December

C. Percivaliana "Summit"
It's called "Christmas orchid", always blooming on time for Christmas.

Bllra. Tohoma Glacier "Ithan" AM/AOS Fragrant
I've had this orchid for a long time. It's a vigorous plant with big, dramatic flowers and blooms every year.

The 2nd orchid from left(Blc. Toshie Aoki "Carmela"), right one(Slc. Final Touch "Mendenhall" AM/AOS) and the one at below picture( Onc. Sunlight "Hilo Honey") are my new collection, I bought them with my award gift card.

In the morning, my house is filled with a pleasant fragrance from the blooming orchids.

Merry Chrismas

Christmas Arrangement
Materials: Red Winter Berry, white Poinsettias, Holly and silver paint sprayed vine and Hydrangea.
After class I rearranged it at home by adding silver hydrangea. I like this composition much better than the one I arranged in class.

Below: Basic Slanting Style: Azalea and Chrysanthemum. (12/9/2011)

BCOS 2010-2011 Show Table Awards

The Bucks County Orchid Society usually gives out show table awards for windowsill and greenhouse growers at every May's banquet award night. Because I was so busy and I didn't attend many meetings up until now (the November meeting), the president of BCOS handed me these two awards, which are from May. I was so surprised and happy. Everybody gave me an applause! and I received a $50 gift card to Parkside Orchid Nursery, which it's very nice that I can purchase new orchid for my collection.

Because I like its green color, so I bought this very young orchid plant (much cheaper than the mature one) from New York Orchid Show. After three years, it is blooming for the first time. I am happy.

Combined Styles and Free Style

Nageire and Moribana
I did this style two years ago in book#2. The composition this time is much more beautiful than the previous one. (11/22/2011 class)

I love bittersweet and I like to arrange it using my new flea market found container. (11/22/2011 class)