Inspired by Sensei's Arrangement

Two weeks ago in class, our sensei made a pre-arranged ikebana design and showed us how the soft sticks (Midollino sticks, made from bamboo?) can be used. The arrangement was beautiful which inspired me and urged me to give it a try. So I chose a few young soft Forsythia long branches instead. I bent the materials carefully into a round shape without breaking them off.

Material: Hydrangea, Phlox, Liatris, Stokes' aster,  Forsythia (leaves all striped)
and  Liatris.
Container: Ceramic vase

Sensei's arrangement (7/16/2013)

My garden 2

 Butterfly and Cone flower

Black- eyed Susan

Daisy

Toad lily

Phlox

Big tree mushroom grew on a tree stump in my back yard.

Buttrefly and Cone flower

Liatris and butterfly

My garden 1

White Bell flower and purple Stokes' Aster

Five different color of Day lily and Hydrangeas. See above and below

In the month of June, we had so much rain. The water in my pond was full, and my house surroundings looked very luscious, the flowers were blooming beautifully. But this month, we had several rounds of heat wave. It's so hot, humid and dry. My gardens suddenly became like the jungle. The weeds grow so fast beyond our control. Although you see my garden flowers that I post here are picture perfect, the reality is otherwise.

Orchids bloom for July

C. Skinneri Alba "Dabbie"  My only big Cattleya blooming in summer. but  I
checked my post, it bloomed on December 2010 (winter time). I am confused! 

Lctna. Migty titan "parkside". Small compact plant, 2.5" flowers

Philalaenopsis 

Onc. Sharry Baby " Sweet fragrance" AM/AOS
This is my third one blooming.

Dried Giant Allium - Free Style

I got this dried giant Allium seed pod (10 inches in size) from my daughter's garden. To beautify the Allium I sprayed it with silver paint, and I chose the white Prairie gentian flowers, in order to avoid the color of the flowers taking away the special effect of the silver giant Allium.
This is my contemporary / abstract design. (7/16/2013)

One or Two Containers - Free Style

I laid the wood stick transversely on the surface before. I put it upright for my arrangement this time. I arranged it with two containers, but my Sensei pointed out one container was fine too. Either way looks pretty, especially against the background panel, which makes it look more beautiful. (7/16/2013)
Material: Day lily, Hosta and forsythia
Container: Ceramic vase and bowl (nageire and moribana)

Vertical Composition Book 3-1

Our teacher assigned us to practice repeatedly in the Book 3 or 4  in order to polish our skills.

Day lily and Hydrangea leaf  in ceramic container (7/2/2013)
My first arrangement for this title was on 12/7/2010.

Vine Arrangement Book 4-6

Material: Vine( name unknown), Pear fruit tree branch
 and Hydrangea.
Container: Japanese antique bronze vase on the wooden base.

Pearl S. Buck Celebration

Our teacher was honored to do an Ikebana flower arrangement in the Pearl S. Buck historic estate for the event of  her house and garden's grand reopening and 121 year birthday celebration. The festival lasted for 3 days from 6/26 to 6/28, 2013. Our teacher assigned one senior student to do the frame and major structural work under her instruction and asked us to do minor jobs, which was a good experience for us. I learned a lot from it. This huge arrangement was displayed at the center of the garden tent.

In my youth in Taiwan, Pearl S. Buck's novel was quite popular, especially "The Good Earth" and "East Wind, West Wind." I didn't know that her house and burial ground are not far from my home, both are in Bucks County.
Below is her brief information from Wikipedia.

"Pearl Sydenstricker Buck (June 26, 1892 – March 6, 1973), also known by her Chinese name Sai Zhenzhu, was an American writer who spent most of her life until 1934 in China. Her novel The Good Earth was the best-selling fiction book in the U.S. in 1931 and 1932, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1932. In 1938, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, "for her rich and truly epic descriptions of peasant life in China and for her biographical masterpieces."

After her return to the United States in 1935, she continued her prolific writing career, and became a prominent advocate of the rights of women and minority groups, and wrote widely on Asian cultures, becoming particularly well known for her efforts on behalf of Asian and mixed race adoption."

Remembering Chocolate - a Beloved Poodle

Summer has just begun and we already miss Chocolate, my daughter's poodle dog. He died of old age and heart failure yesterday (6/23/2013). We were so sad and sorrowful. My husband and I have been dog-sitting him off and on for the past few years whenever my daughter needed us. Because of her particularly busy schedule this summer: studying at Columbia's Teachers College and preparing to be a brand new high school principal in the coming school year (Flushing, NYC), she has a tons of things to do and must be ready for the fall when the school starts.
So we took care of Chocolate for a while this time, I was shocked that he lost a lot of weight and showed poor stamina, no appetite, no energy and shortness of breath. But my daughter said he might have suffered separation anxiety.
We tried everything possible to gain his strength back but to no avail. The last couple of days we sensed this might be his final stage of life, because of his increasing difficulty breathing, and lying down most of the time. So we decided to bring him back to NYC my daughter's home and his familiar environment. After home, he appeared happy, relaxed and slept soundly.We chatted with our daughter and had lunch together (her husband came home that evening from a business trip) and then said good bye to Chocolate. We headed home. No sooner than 40 minutes later, Melanie called to say Chocolate stopped breathing, just passed away. We all cried, tears in our eyes.

Reaching out for peace
Hydrangea and Clematis in two glasses