LAST CLASS FOR 2025

At the last ikebana class of each year we meet at one of the student members' houses to celebrate and socialise. The usual order of the day is for everyone to bring materials for an ikebana, and food to share. The students select a vase from the host's collection and are allocated a space to set up their ikebana. This year, my Melbourne class met at Aileen's house and made their arrangements.

Marisha used a double-ended U-shaped vessel. Her branch material was a few stems of Eucalyptus. The flowers on the left are Delphinium and on the right, pink Chrysanthemum.

Jacqueline had a single multi-branched stem of Tortuous willow Salix, that she had twisted together. She made a mass with yellow Roses to which she added some green leaves from Climbing fig Ficus pumila. The vessel is made from several ceramic cylinders of irregular height.

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Julie-Anne chose a Sogetsu-style split cylinder in which she set two long stems of Russian sage Salvia yangii, on the left side, and made a mass with some white Snapdragon Antirrhinum, on the right.

Eleanor, who was a visitor at the class, made an abstract style ikebana using de-constructed Lady palm Rhapis excelsa, and Billy Buttons pycnosorus. The vessel is a narrow curving trough.

Aileen used Tortuous willow for her branch material and two Calla lily Zantedeschia, flowers of such a deep purple that they looked black. The unusual vessel is by Mel Ogden.

Eugenia set two Leucospermum flowers in the tall, square- section vase; around which she then fixed some dried palm inflorescence.

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We have had some rather hot days in the last week. It seems that is what has driven Spike (the echidna) to visit the garden in search of ants. 
 

I took this photo in the mid-afternoon on Thursday. Spike returned again on Friday evening and was fossicking between the bricks on the garden path when I came in from a walk on the beach.

My ikebana this week comes from the last meeting of the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School for 2025. All of the senior teachers holding the Riji certificate, who were able to attend the meeting, were asked to simultaneously set up an ikebana on the theme of celebration. We then briefly spoke about our ikebana. I chose Summer Holidays as my theme.

I have used a particularly unusual driftwood branch I found on the beach earlier this year. Where it sits at the top of the tall vessel the branch makes a complete loop turning back on itself. I have secured it with a vertical fixture so that it floats above the mouth of the vessel. The additional materials are Cushion bush Leucophyta, and two bright red Anthuriums. To me the Anthuriums suggest a joyous happiness, while the other two materials speak to me of the freedom of summer holidays spent on the beach.

Greetings from Christopher

14th December 2025