DISASSEMBLING and REARRANGING (BANKSIA)

Winter is definitely making itself felt with some rather low overnight temperatures. However, it is also the time for winter flowering plants to bloom, which lifts my spirit. 

I recently set my students the exercise of making ikebana using some strong dried branches and combining them with Camellias. Unfortunately, Pamela did not have access to the requested woody material. However, she decided to improvise with some dried twigs that she found.

She also wisely chose this glass vase that allowed the fine material to show well and not be overwhelmed by the vessel. The tall fine line is visible within the vase as well as above. It has been strengthened by the placement of an inverted branching stem that sits outside the vase. A single pale pink camellia provides a focal point that harmonises with the vase.

In the Geelong class...

...Maureen had a very large dried branch with a highly textured surface, and which was stable on the table surface. Some stems of Camellia including two flowers, leaves and some buds were placed tightly against the bulk of the wood. Their small vase was almost completely obscured behind the wood.

Christine set a small thick piece of a very contorted woody branch in a footed vessel. She then placed Camellia branches with small delicate pink flowers around the branch.

Ellie used a pair of matching cylindrical vessels across which she placed a branching piece of dried woody material. The wood was suspended showing its line and creating spaces within and around the ikebana. Although it is hard to tell from the photo the branch was arranged so that it did not actually touch the table. Two open flowers and two small buds provided a floral focus.

Maree also used two vessels that were connected by the woody material. The positioning of the wood allowed the space between the two vessels to be increased making the ikebana feel light in spite of the large vessels and woody material. Three stems of Camellia created a highlight in the middle of the arrangement.

My ikebana is the Sogetsu curriculum exercise of "Disassembling and Rearranging the Materials". This means cutting the material to separate the stems, flowers, leaves, seed pods, etc, from each other. I wanted the challenge of practising the exercise in a Nageire (tall) vessel. 

It is helpful when the material has some very distinctive components, as is the case with the Banksia marginata branch I cut from the garden.

This photo shows part of step one. I have stripped all the leaves from branches and removed some flowering inflorescences. I maintained their small stems for fixing purposes.

I also separated these two small inflorescence buds. 

When I looked at all the separated materials I decided to not use the leaves on this occasion and then considered how I might use the geometric forms that actually make up the  Banksia branches.

The vessel I chose has three openings. One at the top that I did not use, plus a small one high on the left side and a large one on the right side. My starting point for the structure was to invert two of the branches and interlock their finer side branches. The curves of the branches created a lens shape with their main branch extending below and above the lens. I stabilised the form by inserting an additional branch horizontally through both openings in the vase. The two small inflorescence buds were joined and placed on the left and three flowers were set on the right side against the vessel.

When such sculptural ikebana forms are made in this exercise, it is said that the nature of the original material should not immediately be obvious.

Greetings from Christopher.

26th July 2026

HORIZONTAL IKEBANA with FRESH AND DRIED MATERIALS

We were very surprised to see Spike at lunchtime on Wednesday as the temperature was quite cool, at 11 degrees centigrade. Although Echidnas tend to be much less active in the winter months, they do not really hibernate.

Here is Spike walking past some Silver dollar plant Crassula arborescens, plants just outside the window.

In my Melbourne class...

...Chen made a Slanting Variation No.3 arrangement. The branch material is sometimes known as the Rough-barked apple, Angophora bakeri, the flowers are Geranium.

Julie-Ann's exercise was a Slanting Variation No.2 in a nageire vessel. She used unidentified branch material and yellow Chrysanthemum flowers.

Aileen's exercise was to make an ikebana "Incorporating Narcissus". She has used the "paper white" species, looping the leaves and bending the flower stems to create sharp angles that reflect the design of her vase.

Aileen made a second arrangement using variegated Ginger leaves Alpinia zerumbet. In this instance,she arranged the leaves first, and then "incorporated' a small mass of re-used Narcissus from the previous ikebana. 

Over the last few weeks a couple of leaves on the Tree Philodendron Philodendron bipinnatifidum have faded, then fallen. In the process, the colour change is first to a warm pale yellow before becoming progressively straw-coloured. The lobes of the leaves curl in different directions, creating a loose mass.

I had been watching these changes and wondering how to use them in my ikebana. The leaves lent themselves best to being arranged horizontally as the major element in this narrow, dark-glazed Japanese vase. A Birds nest fern Asplenium australasicum frond provided a strong contrasting line to the right. The rich pink flowers are Geraniums.

Greetings from Christopher

18th July 2026

 

FRUITING JAPONICA (CHAENOMELES)

Thank you to Michael who picked up my error last week, of naming Jacqueline's Camellias as 'Chrysanthemums'. I have amended and re-published that post.

A couple of weeks ago the red Japonica Chaenomeles, in the garden started to flower. This is one of my favourite delights of Winter.

I took the photo above at the time. Unfortunately, the first flowers had begun to fade  by the time I decided to pick them this week. So now I was back to rather bare branches with just a couple of open flowers and a single fruit. One of at least ten that formed this year.

The branches have particularly interesting lines, which makes this plant such a good ikebana subject. I have set two branches opposite each other, creating a central space. Into the space I have added mass using two florets of Hydrangea leaves. The fruit low on the left branch along with the leaves gives the arrangement a central focal point that connects the branches. 

As always, these branches bring back childhood memories of my friend's mother arranging large flowering branches from the fruit trees in their orchard.

The tapering square-based vase is by the Victorian ceramicist Paul Davis.

Greetings from Christopher
12th July 2026

 

BOUGAINVILLEA IN WINTER

A couple of weeks ago I commented on the warmer than usual autumn and winter weather. Since then we have had a reasonable amount of rain and much cooler weather. 

However, we have also had days where the sun has shone, giving a very summery appearance to the terrace outside the conservatory, despite the really very cool air temperature. This photo was taken just last weekend.

In my Melbourne class...

Julie-Anne's exercise was to make a Variation No 2 Upright nagerire ikebana with unidentified branch material and Chrysanthemums.

The senior students' exercise was to make an ikebana in which the materials were intertwined, and using two vessels, .

Aileen used Dietes leaves and two small stems with pink buds of an unidentified flower. 

Jacqueline had brought some very long, bare stems of Japanese Ivy Parthenocissus tricuspidata. The long tendrils were woven in and around a bare branch that was supported by the vase at the rear. Two large white Camellias were floated in the bowl at the front.

Yesterday, I finally got around to doing some pruning of two climbing plants in the conservatory, a Mandevillea splendens that has reached the ceiling and...

...this variegated Bougainvillea which, has bright pink bracts. Some of the branches were cascading below the shelf on which it sits. It was looking untidy so I also tip-pruned it to make the growth more compact. 

So what does an ikebanist do with pruned branches?

Give them a second life in a vase! After removing the long, viciously sharp thorns, and stabbing myself in the process, I was able to insert the remainder of the stem through the narrow mouth of the bottle-shaped vase. For a second element that complemented the delicate paper-like bracts and pale leaves, I chose a dried Aspidistra leaf that had turned a beautiful amber colour. I secured it into the vase so that a space was created between the two elements. The leaf has a twist in it that turns the upper surface toward the viewer. toward its top. 

The vase by the late Barrie Singleton, has an off-white surface that was sprayed with a copper-red glaze which has run slightly during the firing process.

Greetings from Christopher

5th July 2026

VALE MARISHA ROTHMAN

In my Melbourne class...

...Julie-Ann's curriculum exercise was to make a Variation No1 Upright nageire (tall vase arrangement). She used an unidentified branch material and roses.

Chen's exercise was to make an Upright Variation No 3 moribana (shallow vessel arrangement). Chen also used unidentified branch material and Grevillea for the flower line. 

I set the senior students the exercise of making an ikebana "Taking into account the colour of the vessel, as well as incorporating fruit or vegetables"

Jacqueline used an interesting pot that was ribbed like an orange pumpkin cucubita pepo. She used two pumpkins to support the vessel and added a stem with two Mandarins and  some leaves. The Calendula officinalis flowers in the vessel are supported by some dried vine.

Marcia has supported a fruiting Passion fruit vine Passiflora edulis, on a dried Corky Elm branch. Two leaves of Artichoke Cynara cardunculus, broaden the base of the ikebana. 

In an Art Nouveau glass vase, Eugenia harmonised the colours of her materials, including Strawflowers Xerochrysum, New Zealand Flax Phormium and Manchurian pear Pyrus ussuriensis. Her fruit is a small bunch of Clivia berries which are just visible peeping from the back on the left side of her ikebana.

Last Monday the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School held a workshop that was led by Thea Sartori, one of our senior teachers. She set a challenging theme, which was to make three ikebana arrangements in three different vessel, using the same kind of three materials in each. The materials were to be collected from our gardens, or wherever we usually collect our material. I confess I did not read the instructions closely. 

One of my materials was a smallish new leaf from the base of the Strelitzia nicolai. Unfortunately, I had only brought one leaf - not realising that I needed to use that material in the three vases. I quickly cut the leaf down its central rib to give me two halves, From the tip of one of these I tore a small kite-shaped section, This gave me three leaf sections for my three arrangements. My other two materials were stems from the "leafless" Strelitzia juncea in the garden. Dutch Irises  Iris X Hollandica. My friend and neighbour grows these flowers but I had to buy them from a florist, as the friend's were not yet flowering.

This photo is of the three arrangements placed together at the end of the workshop. The spherical vase has the small "tip" segment of the leaf, while the other two have the half leaves  placed sideways within the vessels and just peeping above the rim. 

*          *          *          *          *

Sadly, last weekend my Melbourne student Marisha died peacefully at home. She had taken up ikebana as my student 10 years ago. In spite of compromised health, she remained a determined and keen student and was appreciated by her peers for her cheerful and generous nature.

Below are two photos of her work from class.

March 2021

February 2026

Vale Marisha

Christopher

28th June 2026

 

WINTER SOLSTICE (AUTUMN IKEBANA?)

While hanging socks to dry last week...

...I was startled when  this Australian King Parrot came and perched on the line. I was surprised by its unusually bold behaviour, which would suggest it was used to being fed by someone nearby. Judging from its plumage colouring, it was most likely a juvenile male.  It was a lovely brief visit.

In a recent Geelong class......

...Heather's exercise was to make a Basic Upright nageire ikebana using a vertical fixture. Her materials were Silky Oak Grevillia robusta, and Hibiscus.

Karen made a reverse Basic Slanting nageire ikebana. Her materials were Magnolia grandiflora and Dutch Iris Iris X Hollandica.

Anne's exercise was the first in Book 3 of the Sogetsu curriculum, a Vertical Ikebana. Her materials were dried Pampas grass Cortoderia selloana and Common stock Mathiola incana.

In the same Geelong class I set the senior students the exercise of making an ikebana that extends the work beyond the vessel, so that it is not simply an ikebana within the vessel. In this case it is acceptable for the materials to touch the surface of the table. However, it must not look like the material has fallen onto the surface. The placement must be quite deliberate.

Jo used a large branch of dried Corokia that had been sprayed red, the main stem of which extended to the left. She added some lengths of bamboo that stood on the right side of the work and were supported by the tangle of the Corokia branches.

Maree created an unexpected interpretation of the exercise. Her principal material was two stones of the same kind. One was set within the vessel and the second placed on the table top. The botanical material was Banksia leaves and orange Chrysanthemum flowers.

Ellie used dried branch material which she stood on both sides, outside the vessel. Her fresh botanical materials were Acacia and Straw flowers Xerochrysm bracteatum.

Helen used a strong, dried branch set on a similarly-coloured vessel with a striated surface complementing the surface of the branch. Helen added three Forelle pears Pyrus, to add freshness and another colour to an otherwise monochrome arrangement. Unfortunately, this camera angle only shows the stalk of the third pear that is behind the lower part of the branch.

Christine has used several flowering branches of Pincushion Hakea H. laurina. The branches stretch strongly to the right while floating above the table surface. The base of a single small branch has been allowed to project to the left of the vessel.

Maureen has extended her ikebana to the left by using a curling dried branch that sits on the table and connects to the tallest vase. The ikebana also stretches to the right by the addition of a small colour-matched vase which has a green Bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum, stem extending to the right. The floral material is Ornamental cabbage Brassica oleracea

Today is the winter solstice in Australia, our shortest day of the year. Its is appropriately cold and damp, 12C in the middle of the day and drizzling .

My autumn-looking ikebana is therefore a little unseasonal. Our autumn and winter temperatures have been milder than usual, especially the overnight temperatures. So the last of the late hydrangea flowers have only recently darkened to their richer autumn tonings. A few weeks ago I spotted the red berries of this Cotoneaster and was taken by the long straight line of the branch. I arranged it naturalistically and added a small Hydrangea flower with some yellow leaves. The vase is by the American ceramic artist Mark Bell.

Greetings from Christopher

21st June 2026

SOMETIMES WE STRUGGLE

The early morning sun shone brightly on the Gum tree Eucalyptus in the background of this photo. The closer trees framing the image are at the bottom of our garden. The sight was uplifting after several days of overcast weather with rain that was welcomed by the garden. 

During the rain Spring Creek in Torquay rose considerably because its mouth has been blocked for at least a couple of months. The catchment area of creeks along this part of the coast is not large so they are intermittent and do not flow continuously into the sea. The boardwalk across the creek in the middle of this photo was completely flooded 10 days ago.

Overnight the heavy rains caused the creek to breakthrough the sand barrier and the boardwalk became useable again.

In my Melbourne class...

...Chen's exercise was to make a variation of an upright arrangement in a nageire (tall vase) style. The angles did not quite work out as desired so the arrangement is not correct. However, the exercise turned out to be a good practise in fixing techniques. The unidentified main branch material appears to have a pea flower and the "flower line" on the left is a Grevillea.

Julie-Ann's exercise was Variation No 1 Slanting, also in the nageire style. She used a form of Broom Genisteae, for the branch material and Roses for the flower line. In this exercise a wide space is created between the two principal branches.

I had asked the advanced students to make a "Winter Ikebana". Eugenia used some bare branch material and some stems of Chinese fringe flower Loropetalum rubrum, in a tall tuquoise glazed vessel. The two elements were separated to emphasise the contrast between them.

Marcia arranged two stems of Manchurian pear Pyrus ussuriensis, so that the right hand one echoed the oval vessel she used. Two Camellia flowers created a focal point on the left side.

On Tuesday of last week I attended the meeting of Ikebana International, Melbourne Chapter. A demonstration was presented by Cheiko Yazaki, head of the Shogetsudo Koryu School in Melbourne, and her student Helen Marriott on the theme of using New Zealand flax Phormium. Unfortunately, the flax in our garden is still rather battered after last summer's heat and low rainfall over the previous six months. I therefore called on my friend Trish who kindly provided me with some very long leaves. 

Then I began my struggle. Before the I. I meeting I had an early morning engagement, so arrived at I.I. a feeling a little stressed. My only equipment was my Hasami (Japanese scissors) and not my usual tool box; none of the handy extras for making ikebana. I had one long branch of Cape Honeysuckle Tecomaria capensis, with bright orange-red flowers at the end, and the New Zealand flax provided by Trish.

The flax leaves made beautiful sweeping curves, which immediately wanted to straighten themselves out again. I managed to temporarily secure them by inserting them through each other. Finally I had to resort to using some fine wire, the thickness of cotton thread, to hold them in place. The lines made by the flax required me to change my design plan and use the Cape Honeysuckle as a central mass instead of a line extending to one side.

 

 Forty minutes later...

...I had an ikebana that had evolved from what the materials allowed. Lesson, we must hold our preconceptions very lightly.

The wood fired vessel is by an unidentified New South Wales ceramicist and was a birthday present to me in the late 1990s. It was bought at the Meat Market Craft Centre in North Melbourne. Suggestions of the makers identity would be most welcome.

Greetings from Christopher.

14th June 2026