Masako led a workshop on how to arrange flowers and branches in a suiban without a kenzan

June 9, 2024 Ikebana Wellington

Masako with her three arrangements showing materials placed in suiban containers without using kenzan

Creating an arrangement without a kenzan is often one of our more daunting lessons. Whilst the text books suggest using wire or pins/nails to create a structure, Masako introduced us to the “rubber band” as a fixing method. She commented on the difficulty of creating balance in the structure, and suggested adding quite light flowers so as to not upset that initial balance. Masako’s first arrangement has several pieces of conifer held together with a rubber band at the top, sitting on a dinner plate. She then added 3 tulip buds and some purple Limonium. The second arrangement had six leucadendrons of different lengths, held together again with a rubber band near the top, sitting on a rimmed cake tin lid. To this she added one stem of alstroemeria. Masako commented that these two arrangements could be created when on holiday, for example, when access to usual vases or kenzan were not available. Masako’s last arrangement involved 3 large branches which she fastened together by winding a rubber band around one trimmed stem, and then winding it around another one. To this she added a bunch of Limonium and a bunch of leucadendrons. One of the important things we all learned was to put the water into the vase when the arrangement was finished as leaves and dirt will inevitably fall off the branches as the arrangement was made.

Masako held pieces of conifer together with a rubber band and added tulips and limonium on a dinner plate

Masako held six leucadendrons together with a rubber band and added one stem of alstromeria positioned on a cake tin lid

Masako held three large branches wound together with a rubber band and then added a bunch of limonium and leucadendrons placed on a low suiban

Masako with her three arrangements showing materials placed in suiban containers without using kenzan

Nicole arranged one piece of grapevine with a cymbidium orchid stem colour matched with pink hebe in a suiban vase

Sharon arranged twisted willow with flax and alstroemeria in a suiban container

Yoko arranged Japanese taro leaves pinned together with nasturtiums in a white suiban vase

Sandi arranged lichen covered branches nailed together with irises in a suiban vase

Adriana arranged Camellia branches, variegated coprosoma with winter roses in a white suiban vase

Lyn arranged reeds and roses in a black suiban vase

Helen arranged leucadendrons, foliage and a freesia held together with a rubber band placed in a suiban vase

Alyson arranged muehlenbeckia, with jasmine and gerberas in a low-sided suiban container

Setsuko arranged lichen covered branches, with dried protea and delicate flowers in a half-shaped suiban vase

Julie arranged three stems of strelizia pinned together with toitoi and dried strelizia flower heads in a rectangular suiban vase

Kate arranged tortured willow and tulips in a rectangular suiban vase

Elizabeth led the May workshop with the lesson “Leaves only”

May 12, 2024 Ikebana Wellington

Our May workshop was held at the usual meeting place, Khandallah Town Hall.

Elizabeth led the workshop with the lesson “Leaves only” Book 4, lesson 2. To quote from the textbook:

“Make an arrangement only with leaves of two or more kinds. Leaves can show different characteristics by rolling up, tearing or overlapping them. The same leaves can give an entirely different impression by presenting their reverse side.

Elizabeth demonstrated three arrangements. The first one she arranged pukapuka and lily leaves and an ornamental cabbage in a square brown vase. The second one used an unusual, low vase which she filled with aspidistra leaves, knotted lily leaves and some beautiful red chard as a contrast. The final arrangement contained a fruit salad leaf, with a flax leaf bent and woven into it, in a dramatic orange vase. Elizabeth emphasised the exercise was “all about the leaves” and no branches should be visible. Manipulating the leaves such as shredding them, curling them, turning them inside out or showing their undersides all helps to show hidden characteristics of the leaves. Some students chose to work with vibrant autumn leaves as Elizabeth had suggested, whilst others chose to manipulate their chosen leaf material.

Elizabeth used only three varieties of leaves; a pukapuka, three lily leaves and an ornamental cabbage arranged in a square brown vase

Elizabeth arranged pukapuka, lily leaves and an ornamental cabbage in a square brown vase

Elizabeth used an unusual, low vase which she filled with aspidistra leaves, knotted lily leaves and some beautiful red chard as contrast

Elizabeth's arrangement showed a fruit salad leaf with a flax leaf bent and woven into it in a dramatic orange vase

Yoko used rengra renga, fatsia and farfugium leaves in a low container

Adriana used mountain daisy and variegated iris leaves in a tall container

Lyn used virginia creeper and fatsia leaves in an interesting container

Julie used snowball, hydrangea and wisteria leaves in a black vase

Helen used intertwined variegated flax, magnolia and nandina leaves in a two kenzan arrangement

Masako used leaves from aloe, fatsia, cherry, lancewood and pine

Setsuko used fatsia and lily leaves in an interesting container

Takako used fatsia and shredded flax in an interesting container

Sogetsu Wellington AGM and a shared Workshop celebrating Autumn

April 14, 2024 Ikebana Wellington

Julie’s morimono arrangement showing fruit and vegetables on a polished wooden tray

Our Sogetsu Wellington AGM and Workshop was held on Sunday 14th April 2-4pm at Khandallah Town Hall.

After two years in the role Kate stepped down as Chairperson and Setsuko as Deputy Chairperson. They both enjoyed their time over this period and were thanked for their hard work for the continuation of our Sogetsu group.

New committee members elected as follows:
Chairperson: Helen Wareham
Deputy: Masako Crawford
Secretary: Sandi Hurnard
All other committee members retained their position.

After the AGM there was limited time to create an arrangement.
Book 2 Lesson 16, states a Morimono is a ‘composition made by combining some of the plants, vegetables, fruits, leaves, roots and so on’, to be displayed on ‘a tray, base plate, a cloth or even a large leaf’. On the other hand, Book 4 Lesson 10, is an arrangement with ‘fruits and vegetables’, with no stipulation as to the container. Most participants did a true Morimono, whilst a couple of participants did the Book 4 arrangement and a couple did free style autumn arrangements without fruit or vegetables.