RESCUED FROM THE UNDERGROWTH

The late spring weather continues to be quite variable, swinging from cool and wet to warm but humid, as a result of the welcome rain. Today's temperature is predicted to be thirty two degrees celsius. Consequently, the garden is looking lush at the moment. More of that later.

First, some ikebana photos sent from my students. 

This very strong-looking ikebana is by Jacqueline. The exercise she was working on from the Sogetsu curriculum was a "Composition of mass and line". It is important in this exercise that one of the elements is dominant to preserve the sense of asymmetry. Jacqueline's strong line made with an inverted branch is contrasted with a small mass of white chrysanthemum. The black vase visually stabilises the line.

By way of an unplanned contrast, Ellie's visually light ikebana is an exercise I set that was to include "dried and fresh materials in the same arrangement". The two elements of roses and fine dried grass heads, are set in seperate vases but are unified by the use of colour-matched vases and being placed on a lacquer-ware tray. In addition the moon-like perspex disk seems to embrace the whole. 

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Getting back to the strong, spring growth in the garden...

...among the plants in flower is a bush of 'Scotch' Broom, Cytisus scoparius. It came from my parents' garden and I have always liked the bright flowers and its perfume that carries across the garden on a warm day. The perfume of this particular Broom seems less cloying than some; even so, it can be somewhat overwhelming in a small room. Apart from its fragrance, from an ikebana point of view I rather like the gently curving lines of the flower stems. Perhaps these are more pronounced because of the prevailing winds on the coast.

A couple of days ago I suddenly thought of these three blue glass vases as being a good contrast, as well as suiting the curves of the Broom stems. I have set the vases asymmetrically and arranged the flower stems so that the tips of the two outer groups are curving in toward the largest mass of flowers in the centre of the ikebana.

 

This is another example of the spring growth in the garden. Some years ago it was necessary to transplant a climbing Albertine rose onto the side fence. I had also planted a Pandorea pandorana vine which has now all but swamped the rose. Next winter I will plant a rose cutting elsewhere in the garden. The Albertine is visible from our bathroom and in recent mornings I have thought I should cut some of the beautiful short lived blossoms. Below is an ikebana arrangement using roses rescued from the undergrowth (or overgrowth!).

I decided to contrast the delicate roses with some small bleached branchlets of Coast Tea Tree, Leptospermum laevigatum. The branches also have a small amount of green lichen which complements the green of the Celadon vase by Colin Browne.

Greetings from Christopher

15th November 2020