Green leaves for summer rain. During my last Ikebana class with sensei before our summer break, I enjoyed creating Ikebana using leaves as main materials. The leaves give a refreshing feeling against the hot summer. They are also abundant during this time of the year because of the trimming season at the parks and gardens. Green Leaves in Summer Ikebana In our flower set, I found a couple of lilies.. Read More
Provence is one of the places in my bucketlist. I want to see its lavender fields and vineyards. It was like a surprise introduction when a friend asked me to help her with her Provence-themed event one Firday night. I was asked to make some arrangements as decorations for the venue. Next thing I know, I was sketching some ideas and searching sceneries of that area. The event was in.. Read More
Birds Nest ferns are a great choice if you are looking for versatility and drama in your composition. Its broad leaves provide a solid green background that complements the colors of the flowers. Likewise its length can give a lot of room for leaf manipulation. These leaves are also a good material for those who prefer foliage instead of flowers. Or for those who are learning various leaf manipulation techniques… Read More
It was almost a month ago when I saw some painted Ruscus leaves at our local flower shop. They were in silver and royal blue colors. It is quite early for some winter colors but I could not resist on buying some stems. Artificially-colored fresh materials are not detested in Ikebana. However, most practitioners still prefer to showcase the natural colors of the plants. On one hand, I also understand.. Read More
Small arrangements in Ikebana is as challenging as making huge ones. At least it is for me. When using small vases or containers, there is not much space to position the fresh materials. Plus the flowers or leaves one can put can be very limited. For this week’s lesson with my sensei, I challenged myself to do a composition using a number of small Ikebana arrangements. I had the idea.. Read More