These tulips have a beautiful satin like sheen and the two at the top of the arrangement have some green on the petals that looks particularly eye catching. When I bought them they felt really firm in their wrapping paper. Then I opened the wrapping and they flopped dramatically. In spite of re-cutting them underwater, re-wrapping them and leaving overnight they have continued to flop. I suppose this is a nageire arrangement in the sense of being ‘thrown in’. I used a cross bar fixture and cut some short which has helped a little. The silvery grey of the vase seemed to compliment the rich pink and the sheen on the petals. The vase is ceramic despite it's silvery metallic finish. When I first saw it in a temporary gallery in Tokyo on Omote Sando Dori I thought it was made from pewter. The potter is Arikawa Makoto.
One month ago I posted this image of Japonica from the garden.
Today, Sunday 21st this is how it now looks. What an amazing plant showing the progression of the season while in the house.
On Saturday 20th we went for a walk in a nature reserve called Iron Bark Basin. It is about five minutes drive from Torquay and on the east side of Pt Addis. The shallow valley of the ‘basin’ ends at the top of some high cliffs that over look a long curving beach.
This, slightly blurred image shows the characteristic low scrubby forest that grows on top to the cliffs in this area.
We came across a small dam of still dark water with some duckweed growing on the surface. The picture reminds me of a brilliant M C Escher drawing showing water surface, reflection and something beneath the surface, all on a flat piece of paper(!). The water is the colour of dark brown tea because of the tannins leached from the gum-leaves that have fallen into the pond.
As it is late winter there are a lot of wattles out including Acacia Pycnantha, that I used last week and which is the national floral emblem of Australia.
We also came across a small ‘forrest’ of dainty Green Hood orchids. There are at least four varieties of them that grow in this area and the second one shown here grows with several small flowers coming off the single stem.
If you click on the following link you will go the the blog of Ohki Yoshiya whom I met at the Sogetsu Headquarters:
Greetings from Christopher.
21st August 2011
Thank you for your beautiful pictures. Wow! Both feels of materials are corresponding in the arrangement with tulips. Though one is fated to die,they seems to enjoy sharing this moment! I like to see unique Australian flowers very much. I have a book of Australian flowers. In that,one photo of blue orchid called Blue-lady Orchid hold my eyes spellbound. Someday I want to see with my naked eyes it.
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