NATURES GEOMETRY

In Melbourne this morning we are being visited by Laurie's cousin Nick and his partner Sabrina, among others.

Neither of these gentlemen look very much different than when this photo was taken 13 years ago. 

Because it is such a perfect summer's day we went for a stroll around the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

I was surprised to come across this planting of Sunflowers Helianthus, beside one of the smaller lakes. They look so cheerful and bright in the morning sun. The only other Sunflowers I have noticed are exceptionally tall and large ones in the vegetable section of the Children's Garden.

The other big attraction at the moment is the mass of Lotus Nelumbo nucifera, in two of the lakes. 

I love this elegant example of nature's geometry. No wonder that people have been so inspired by such natural forms as to use them in art, architecture, ceramics, and creative designs of all kinds.

The light coming through these flower petals was enchanting. 

This was one of the few flowers close enough to be able to see within the cup of the petals. Of course these flowers are very ephemeral and their beauty exists for only a short space of time. It is a characteristic that is understood and celebrated in Japanese culture and expressed through ikebana.

This week my ikebana  picks up on the idea of geometric patterns. I was inspired by an idea my student Jacqueline explored in one of our classes. She created a zig-zagging pattern with a single New Zealand Flax leaf and set it beside a vertical leaf. Unfortunately, I do not have a photograph of that ikebana to show you.

 

The material I have used is the stems of Strelitzia juncea from our garden. These are thick and sufficiently sturdy to hold their form with a little assistance using discrete ikebana fixing techniques.

I have used two of the Strelitzia stems. On the right is the zig-zagged stem, which is secured to the left one that has been folded into a large triangle. The other floral material is red valerian Valeriana rubra. I placed three flowers and a stem of leaves around the principal structure.

The vessel is a Japanese-made ikebana vase.

Greetings from Christopher (and Happy 80th Birthday to Laurie).
18th January 2026