RE-USING MATERIALS

 

Three weeks ago I showed a photo of the barrier I had made to protect the climbing Lorraine Lee rose from Possum predation.

I am pleased to report that, so far, it seems to have been successful. At last there are more flowers opening and more new growth that is free of Possum damage. I might yet have to further prune the adjacent Bay tree, Laurus nobilis, to prevent the possums from being able to leap into the rose. 

Earlier this year I was prompted by my student Christine, to buy a White Myrtle, Hypocalymma angustifolium, which was in stock in a local nursery. This small shrub comes from the south west of Western Australia. It is a delightful sight during its flowering season, having fine curving branches with dainty white to pink flowers at even intervals along the stems.

I had been surprised and pleased to note the formation of flower buds a few weeks ago which are now fully open on one of the two small shrubs that I have planted.

I first saw this plant in my sister-in-law, Kathleen's, garden four years ago. I was permitted to pick a generous bunch of stems and made this ikebana above, in 2018, to which I added a single pink camellia and three leaves of Dietes grandiflora.

Another gift from a student was a white camellia; from Marcia's new garden. As it was already in the garden when she moved house, she is not sure of its cultivar name. I think the flower is Camellia "Kamo-honnami", however I am not remotely an expert on Camellias. 

Even without a name this would be an exceptionally beautiful flower. I was delighted at how well it looked in my ikebana of re-used Kiwi vine, Actinidia deliciosa, (from Marta's garden). As you can see the vine has started to develop leaves after several weeks in water. There are also tiny flower buds forming; another surprise in store. 

About ten days ago I made this ikebana, also re-using the vine and other materials from the Sogetsu Branch Annual Exhibition  earlier in the month. It was my first experiment in a vessel I had bought at the exhibition. Experiment is a particularly appropriate word in this instance. To get to understand the piece, I began by exploring all the surfaces on which the vessel could be sat without falling over. I finally decided I liked this position having placed the vessel on its side. The result is that the flowers and fern leaf project forward. However, the vine actually curves backward, well beyond the 'back' of the vessel. I really liked the sense of the botanical materials emerging from the vessel.

The grey and olive green glazed vessel was made by the Victorian landscape and ceramic artist Mel Ogden.

Greetings from Christopher

25th September 2022