We are expecting a top of 37 degrees celsius today...
...and so decided to have an early morning walk on the beach before breakfast. The cloudless sky meant that the overnight temperature was low and the house should remain fairly cool. Because we have daylight saving at this time of year I was able to do some watering in the garden after dinner last night. The potted plants have water in their saucers and should survive the heat.
A couple of days ago while out for a walk I noticed the bright yellow-green flowers on a eucalyptus, possibly E. macrandra.
The flowers were very bright with the late afternoon sun directly on them. They grow in clusters which are quite heavy. As they are borne on fine stems they tend to hang beautifully.
The flower growth is similar to, but smaller and finer than, the Bushy Yate, E.lehmanii, having a long operculum or bud cap covering the stamens. In the photo above you can see the stamens at the base of the cap before it is forced off by their growth. Notice the one in the centre of the photo and then look at the next image.
I removed the cap and the stamens immediately fanned out, and over the next few hours spread further. Another feature of this intriguing flower is that it has a beautiful sweet scent that carries well within the room, making the plant an interesting ikebana subject.
In this simple ikebana I have arranged three of the stems, removing most of the leaves in the process. The tall bottle-shaped vase of yellow glass has a gentle 'S' curve going to the right toward the top. I therefore counterbalanced this movement by arranging the flowers in a cascade to the left front. The colour in this photo is quite true, whereas in the close-up with a white background the colour is washed-out. The one small leaf going to the right at the mouth of the vase prevents that side from looking flat.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Ikebana International Melbourne, Chapter 29. The new Iemoto of the Ichiyo School of Ikebana, Mr Naohiro Kasuya, will be the special guest at a luncheon to be held on the 28th March 2019. If you can make it to the event, follow this link to purchase tickets. I.I. Melbourne's 60th anniversary celebrations.
Greetings from Christopher
3rd January 2019
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