Margaret Wilson created this arrangement using a partially furled Strelitzia Nicholai leaf and stem, and a maroon succulent.
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During this past week Laurie and I have toured around western Victoria with our visitors from Ottawa.
We stayed a night in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, where we walked along this stream to the series of rock pools known as Venus Baths.
In the resort at Halls Gap where we stayed, I noticed this huge Waratah * (Telopea) bush.
I had never seen one so large and prolifically blooming. This is the state floral emblem for New South Wales.
In the evening kangaroos came out of the bush to feed on the grass around the cabins, this one with a 'joey' in her pouch.
The next day we went down to the coast and at Tower Hill State Park near Port Fairy we came across this male Emu protecting his chick.
Eleanor, Richard, Laurie and Leonora at a lookout overlooking the Twelve Apostles.
Some of the Apostles. These are large 'stacks' that have resisted the erosion of the waves and are left standing as the cliffs behind are slowly worn away.
Heading back toward Torquay we passed through the rainforest in the Otway ranges where tall tree ferns grow.
On the road to the Cape Otway light house many koalas are to be seen. Sadly they are causing a great deal of damage by stripping the trees of leaves and as a result are running out of food.
This week's ikebana was an impromptu exercise I set for Leonora and Eleanor. I asked them to improvise a vessel and make an ikebana arrangement in it.
Leonora chose three pieces of thick bark, using the inner curve as her vessel. She reversed a small piece of the bark to show the outer surface. The flowers are the pink buds of a delicate grevillea that contrasted with the strength of the improvised vessel.
Eleanor created a structure on a picnic table using some long pieces of eucalyptus bark that had curled on itself. She used the same grevillea, slotting it into the curling bark. In this case the pink in the grevillea enhanced the soft pink tones in the bark.
Greetings from Christopher
11th October 2015
I have been waiting for a picture of kangaroos!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an uncertain future for the koalas. When they strip the trees of their leaves does it weaken the trees?
There are so many amazing things to see in Australia. I had never heard of the Twelve Apostles so it was interesting to see them and that tree fern!