I made this with some blossoms, wood, rocks and juniper? Do you think this is the right flow?

A view head on, this was fun to create and reminds me of a Secret Garden.

Very lovely! I think it would classify as Ikebana.

Hello Neal, thanks for your kindness. When I saw Winchester Opera House I thought you were from VA very near here. I'll go check them out.
As for Ikebana I think of it as an arrangement of nature including water, wood and flowers or greenery, so I thought it made a "natural movement"! I have limited knowledge of this fine art but surely admire its beauty.

I love it! True Ikebana is one of those "lifetime to master" things, but I love to make "Ikebana-inspired" arrangements. I agree, movement and flow are necessary, and simplicity is often the key.

Thanks so much, I appreciate your critique. I like simple as well for many arrangements it gives you a better look at what you have designed. Ikebana is a technique as you say and the best I can hope for is an encouraging word such as yours and the use of the natural flow of the floral selections.

My mom & I came across an article once on arranging that said when you think you are done, take away half the flowers and start again. For most arrangements, I don't do that, but for an Ikebana one I often end up using less than I'd intended.

Your arrangement does have a lush "secret garden" feel to it... if you wanted a more natural look, you might see how it would be with the front center tuft of white removed as well as the back center white sprig & purple bloom... just to open it up a bit...

I love it the way it is now, too!

I see what you mean, less is often better and I will learn a lot from this, thanks for your suggestion. That was one that I made last year, should have had you over in the DG cut flowers to critique it then! Can't wait for spring to get started all over again!

I wondered where you'd found all those bright bits at this time of year!

Would have to dig in the snow for anything right now although the sticks are plentiful and least this time of year they are bare.

An example of Ikabana:



LaVonne

That's an excellent example!

Welcome to Arrangements 101 Dorothy and nice to see you gemini!
That is wonderful, how did you accomplish those in bloom in just water and stone? Is it everlasting?

The Iris are fresh and stuck in a frog then the stones cover the frog...water is added to make it look like they are at the edge of a water feature.

LaVonne

Very nice. How large is it ? My siberian iris are so large I am not sure they would stand so well in my frogs? Have you made other Ikebana arrangements?

The very tallest one is 14" and the other is 12". The Iris were cut down to the length that was needed and then arranged in the frogs. Yes I have made a few of the Ikabana arrangements in addition to themed arrangements.

When I lived in California I belonged to a Floral Club in Ventura and each year we entered the County Fair in their horticultural dept. Always came away with a ribbon. Have several Blue and 3 best of show. I have those pictures stored away and when I find them I will post them. It will be awhile as they are in storage.

Here in Ky I don't have the luxury of fresh flowers like I did in Ca. so have not done any arranging since I moved here...one of the categories that I like was doing an arrangement of "Weeds and Grasses" Marti and I would collect roadside weeds and grasses practicing how we wanted the arrangement to look and then when it was show day we would take a fresh collected arrangement to the fair grounds, enter and wait for the judging.

I wonder if we could have a Horticulture fair here to be held in the late spring or early summer...we could enter the pictures of our entries and then see who took the ribbons....

LaVonne

LaVonne - I too welcome you to this forum. And I am looking forward to seeing all your photos of your various arrangements. I am from California, and I love it that I can have fresh flowers almost year round. But, my arrangements are quite simple, so I will be looking to you for ideas. Candee has been a great inspiration too. You can bring them in to the Cutting edge lounge or the burning pickle patio to liven the tables up

Dianne

Thank you all for the warm welcome

LaVonne

Wow, I am going to have to try doing something like that with my iris, you are giving me ideas, now I just need it to be next spring.
We do have a Theme forum here - over on another site we used to do all kinds of theme arrangements, I love having a strange idea to work with. Would love to have you join in there as well.
http://cubits.org/arrangements...

As for the contest or fair, we could do that. Cubits gives us the ability to have photo contests. I just need to set one up and have a prize. I can work on that in the spring, likely not a good time right now as flowers in limited supply. But thanks for the thought as I would love to have one.

I think your theme of "weeds and grasses" is great!!! Now that is a challenge. I would love to have you add that over in the theme thread and see what we come up with!