HYFRANGEAS SAVED FROM THE HEAT.

This week I begin with the last group of photos from 2025 classes.

In the Torquay class the students' theme was focusing on contrasting two colours. Except in the first example, for the purpose of this exercise the green of the leaves is ignored, as it is the colour of the flowers that is the focus of the contrast.

Pamela used only one material 'Nasturtium' Tropaeolum. In this simple ikebana Pamela has contrasted the green of the leaves with the yellow of the flowers.

Coralie contrasted the blue of the Germander Teucrium fruticans on the left with Hibbertia riparia, the yellow flower on the branches on the right.

Róża has used a large branching stem of Euphorbia which is contrasted with a curving line of pink Geranium flowers.

Lyn has contrasted the yellow of the Leucospermum with the purple of the statice Limonium. In spite of the mass of the statice, a large space is revealed which lightens the ikebana.

Readers in Australia will be well aware that significant bush fires have occurred in Victoria over the last few days. In many places they are still burning out of control. One group of these fires is about 90km west of Torquay. Yesterday, the smoke from this fire was clouding the air and smelt very strongly when we were outside the house. 

On the beach the smoke filled the sky, making the sun red and the third headland in the photo very hard to see. 

Because of the heatwave conditions during the middle of this last week, I picked about half of the Hydrangeas in these two pots. Some of those that I left were heat-damaged, but fortunately most survived. Of course, I used some of the flowers that I picked to make ikebana. 

Reflecting on my comment above about the space beneath the statice flowers in Lyn's ikebana, it is interesting to see the absence of space in this preliminary arrangement. The stems of these flowers were too short and weak to create space between them. The ikebana also needs another element contrasting in colour and texture. My solution was to add an interesting line. It is a dried branch from the Tea tree Leptospermum in the garden. The branch still has its bark intact and has a slightly rough texture that contrasts well with the delicacy of the Hydrangea petals.

In this view the branch crosses in front of the flowers.

This view is from 90 degrees to the right of the first photo so, the branch is on one side of the ikebana.

The celadon-glazed porcelain vase is by the Australian ceramicist Graeme Wilkie.

My thoughts and best wishes go out to all those impacted by the bushfires in Victoria during this last week.

Christopher.

11th January 2026