Over the last couple of weeks I have noticed some wildlife visitors to the garden. The beginning of summer has seen seeds forming on various plants that are particularly attractive to parrots.
This sulphur-crested cockatoo came to feast on the acacia baileyana seeds. Following my drastic pruning in the late autumn the tree has bounced back with dense leaf growth this spring as well as plenty of seed pods following the blossoming in winter. (The camera was on the wrong setting when I took the photograph, so it is not very sharp.)
Spike, the echidna, has been back in the garden a couple of times seeking out a meal of ants.
On this occasion I happened to surprise the echidna, which was fossicking in the mulch by the New Zealand flax. It responded rapidly, and characteristically, by partially burying itself in the soft ground. This manoeuvre makes the echidna unable to be attacked by would be predators as only its sharp spines are exposed.
The last end-of-year ikebana class for my Melbourne students was held at Julie's house. Again, each student made a celebratory ikebana arrangement in situ in the house or on the terrace.
On a glass side table Eugenia arranged some long-needle pine and a dried branch in an oval, Iwata glass, suiban. She added a spray of red baubles placed behind the pine needles as a bright focal point.
Margaret's ikebana had an elevated position, above eye level, on top of a set of shelves. Being seen from below significantly changed the placement of the materials which were, a dried branch, red grevillea, red anthurium and a stem of green hakea (I think) leaves.
Helen N created a simple ikebana in an iron vessel using an orange Day Lily Hemerocallis, and massed Nandina berries. The location of her ikebana was on a very low ledge about 20 cms above the floor.
Marisha made a massed ikebana arrangement with a slanting line of red-tipped Melaleuca and bright pink Sweet William, Dianthus barbatus flowers. She used a contemporary translucent plastic side table against the wall below a staircase.
Jacqueline set her ikebana on a glass side table. She arranged three strelitzia leaves and a single stem of pink oriental lily in a white nageire vessel. Jacqueline carefully placed the flower stem so that the flower bud was partially enclosed by the concave leaf.
The next two photos are of ikebana placed on tables on the terrace. Because of the very bright sunlight and busy backgrounds the work was photographed against the surface of the table making the angle quite elevated.
Julie used a heavy bronze vessel in the shape of a bamboo basked. She arranged Smoke bush, Cotinus, leaves and flower heads with massed prunus cerasus fruit.
Marcia arranged pine, dried wood and a single yellow Asiatic lily Lilium auratum, in a matte black ceramic vessel.
As you can see, after making ikebana we shared a celebratory meal. Thanks to Julie for hosting the event and Eugenia for taking the photograph.
Greetings from Christopher
15th December 2019
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