Horizontal Arrangement Free Style

Once our teacher asked us to arrange this: "Use two kinds of branches to compose a low horizontal free style Moribana" (Book 1 page 49). I used all seasonal materials, it gives you a very spring feeling.

Materials: Forsythia, Azalea, Daffodil and driftwood.
Container: ceramic suiban (4/15/2013)

Same materials, I just flip over  to make a different look (4/18/2013)

Southeast Pennsylvania Orchid Show (SEPOS)

This is the information from our society's newsletter:
"The BCOS was awarded an overall Second Place at the SEPOS international orchid show held at the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University (4/12-4/14/2013). Our society entered 37 plants and received 18 awards. This is our best year yet. PA Congratulations to the hardworking Show Committee which put together an outstanding display." It's a pity I was not able to go to see the orchid show.

Below are my orchid plants blooming in April, three of them are displayed in the show.

C. Apple Blossom.
 Sturdy, compact plants. Great fragrance.

Lctna. Mighty Titan 'Parkside' AM/AOS
Small flowers (2.5") on small plants.

Cymbidium

Oncidium

Cherry Blossom Ikebana

All of a sudden, my weeping cherry "Snow Fountain" is in full bloom! Because of the unstable weather, the temperature is up to 80 some degree F (record high), 20 degrees higher than the normal spring time. Most of the Forsythia and Daffodils are blooming over night. Unfortunately the cherry blossoms do not last long. I want to keep their short lived beauty longer, so I arranged this cherry blossom Ikebana arrangement.
This arrangement can be viewed in different angles.

This arrangement was made one day prior to the above
picture. Surprisingly, the next day some buds burst open.
 It's almost in full bloom. See the picture that tells it all.

Shape of The Container ( Book 3-11 )

The line of the palm and the color of daffodils bring out the shape of the vase. The materials I used here can be an Easter arrangement. These Daffodils just started to bloom in my front yard, that shows Spring is really in the air. (4/3/2013)

Arrangement Using Bamboo

Using Bamboo as containers. I cut a piece of long bamboo from my back yard. Then I sawed a few pieces of it and arranged them with five different sizes of bamboo together. To preserve the leaves to stay fresh you need to take special tools to pierce the joint through from the top of the stem down to the joint where the leaves are growing or cut a window above the joint (see pictures below) then fill the chamber with water, this way the leaves can last much longer (2-3 weeks), otherwise the leaves will curl up within an hour.

Bamboo, Alstroemerias and Gerbera
Base: nails used to stabilize the bamboo, see picture below 

MWGC Little Show " March Wind" - 3/27/2013

"March Wind" - a creative design showing motion.
My arrangement is to have a feeling that shows the willow waving with the Spring's gentle breeze.

Willow, Gerbera and Philodendron leaf  in a ceramic vase 

Ten days later it became like this.

BCOS Show Table - 3/21/2013

Cymbidium. This is a smaller pot from
one crowded Cymbidium's division.

Oncidium

Phaius Jun Shirashi. This plant I obtained from
 Hawaii a few years ago. The flowers are not as
 good as last year, but I am still delighted.

Vine and Chrysanthemum (2)

Here is another idea using the same container in another way to compose a different arrangement.

Using the same materials and laid flat the vase, two dish kenzans were used.

Vine and Chrysanthemum

This is a long piece of vine, and very soft, but I don't know the plant's name. I found it in the park during the middle of this harsh winter. Now, spring is just around the corner so my theme for this arrangement is "End of Winter Hardship."

Vine, pine and Mum in the ceramic vase

Upright Free Style

The traditional arrangement is still my favorite style. It seems easy for me to arrange, although I wish I could create something completely different, unusual and abstract compositions more often. I am still searching for inspiration.

Materials: Quince Japonica, two kind of  Mums, Pine
 and drift wood.
Container: Ceramic vase