Chrismasy Kokedama - Ivy

Wrong way as Bonsai? Probably!

But it is a fun to put some Christmas decortion on Kokedama, and why not?

Kokedama - Cyclamen 4

Cyclamen

Mmm...this picture is dark...but I will put this because this cyclemen was my favourite. I liked its colour of the flowers and standing posture.

One of my local friends bought this for her daughter. It is looked after well in a lovely home now.

Kokedama - Pteris Fern

Pteris

Kokedama - Ivy 'Lady Frances'

A common plant - Ivy. Maybe too common to be so appealing in a plant pot, but in Kokedama (a moss ball) it has increased its ornamental value with a graceful manner:)

I do like Ivy. I have learnt there are many different kinds of Ivy, more than I could imagine, and have been fascinated with the differences in colours and shapes of their leaves. This one is Lady Frances...What an elegant name it has!

*I think this is Lady Frances, but if it is wrong, please do let me know. I will be more than grateful for your kindness.

Kokedama - False Aralia / Dizygotheca Elegantissima

False Aralia / Dizygotheca Elegantissima

Mmm...this picture is dark isn't it? Never mind! (The screen is disturbing, too. Never mind!)

I was not very keen on this plant, False Aralia, when it sat in an ordinary plant pot; however, I have been very impressed with it creating a weeping atmosphere in Kokedama (a moss ball). As a Japanese, who finds beauty in sorrow, my wabi-sabi mind is tickled by this Kokedama, personally! What do you think?

*What is "wabi-sabi"?

Hard to explain precisely what it is even in my native language Japanese! But do I feel wabi-sabi? Yes!

Wabi-sabi is said to be a unique aesthetic sense that Japanese naturally have. I have found one good English description for it on the Internet. It says that wabi-sabi is "Austere Refinement and Quiet Simplicity." What a graceful way to say.

Hang on a minute. Does "Austere Refinement and Quiet Simplicity" have anything to do with my "tickled wabi-sabi mind"? Mmm...I feel I might have misunderstood the word wabi-sabi in my entire life... Never mind!

Kokedama-Cyclamen 3

Cyclamen is very attractive. Their unique petals are adorable and silver-edged leaves are impressive. I love Cyclamen.

Cyclamen is very common, so it may not be an eye-catching plant for some people, but in Kokedama I think it maximizes its ornamental value taking advantage of green moss.

Moss is great. As soon as moss is laid at the foot of a Bonsai tree, it brings new life to the tree, making you imagine the tree breathing in the mother earth. I think Kokedama is similar to that. Different from potted plants, Kokedama (moss ball) makes me picture their lives in nature.

By the way, I think there is a certain pleasure in Kokedama. That is the container. Choosing a container for Kokedama is like choosing a skirt for the tops. I feel so and enjoy that way maybe because I seldom wear skirt in my every day life, though.

Kokedama-Asparagus Fern (Plumosus)

A pleasure to explore my imagination with one Kokedama

Kokedama-Cyclamen 2

Went to the Malvern Autumn Show 1

On 27th & 28th September the Malvern Autumn Show was at the Three Counties Showground.

Malvern is a beautiful town with a lot of character in Worcestershire. The town is located at the foot of the Malvern Hills. Walking the Malvern Hills is full of wonderful discovery and the view from the top of is breathtaking.

My husband and I went to the show, me looking forward to flower arrangement and Bonsai exhibitions, my husband looking forward to nothing. (This is our typical style of outing.)

I would like to show some photos of flower arrangement and Bonsai here.

This is the 3rd prized. I liked this arrangement the best of all there. The balance between green and brown, liveliness and rustiness are so well executed, and the white owls are placed very effectively, I think. (I don't know anything about flower arrangement, though. Sorry!) I also like the idea of using Polypore. This arrangement makes me imagine myself taking a deep breath in a forest.

This is the 2nd prized one. Look! Kokedama!!

And this arrangement is awarded the first prize. I felt from this display a feast of autumn, feast in autumn haze.

Exhibitors' imagination, creativity, efforts, patience, courage...so amazing. I utterly marvelled at every arrangement there. I wished I could have slept with the exhibitions!

Next is Bonsai. I managed to take only one photo.

Japanese Black Pine

No need for words. Simply so impressive, isn't it? The expression of nature's beauty beyond the perfection that Mother Nature provides, Bonsai. (Somebody said so!)

The world of Bonsai is really fascinating but I have been too terrified to get into it. My grand father and father loved Bonsai, especially Satsuki Azaleas. They used to buy not only Bonsai Satsuki Azaleas but also a number of large hemispherically-shaped Satsuki for garden shrubs. They were kind of collectors and they spent a fortune to buy them. Oh, they were just happy to have them, very happy. They appreciated them, took care of them and killed them, WHY?? Their buying-killing method left me in trauma for having Bonsai.

So, I have been enjoying only looking at (tree) Bonsai or having Bonsai of herbaceous plants including Kokedama, but recently I have got a bit interested in cultivating (tree) Bonsai, oh, dear. I hope the gene from my grand father and father will be shut down.

Anyway, so good to see the Malvern Autumn Show. The weather was gorgeous as well. I hope to put the next article "Went to the Malvern Autumn Show 2" soon.

Kokedama-Asparagus Sprengeri

Asparagus Sprengeri

I like displaying Asparagasu Sprengeri on a candle stick holder like this, the stems overhanging the moss ball. Hmm...maybe better to use a taller candle stick holder, though.

It has somehow a gentle atmosphere in this photo:) The real one looks vigorous, full of the energy of life, by the way.

Local Horticulture Show 2

Last weekend another local Horticulture Show was held. The show was set up in the grounds of the Ramada Hotel and the size of the show was a lot larger than the one last time.

These photos are of our Kokedama table, look! Nice and cluttered? I agree with you!

Can you see something like a wooden spoon in the photo? Actually it is a wooden spoon. It is by the stone deer. That spoon was all hand-carved by my husband! Not hand-finished! Look at his talent! And that was the first spoon he carved. I think it is amazing. Now he's learning to carve with a machine, this is 21st century after all.

That log the Kokedama sit on, it is my husband's work. He cut a piece of wood, carved it and made that nice Kokedama container. It is not shown well in the photo, but it is really nice. More people were interested in the log container, actually! I think Kokedama and the log container harmonize so well that maximize the beauty of nature. Thoughtful choice of a container will make a difference. I learned it again on that day.

Exhibiting in the Horticulture Show was a wonderful pleasure and truly a good experience. We are likely to do it again next year and hope we will have a better display then. My husband will be doing more wood work next year, so he can make some nice display shelves for Kokedama, hehehe.

Kokedama-Bromelia / Guzmania

Kokedama-Cyclamen

Cyclamen

One of important flowering plants for winter, Cyclamen. It is very common but I love that flower. Their velvety petals are fascinating. They look like flying fairies, don't they?

Flowering plants are also usable in Kokedama. Kokedama is a very effective way to bring out their beauty, isn't it?

Kokedama - Scouring Rush Horsetail

Scouring Rush Horsetail

A couple of different plants can be used to create one Kokedama, however, I prefer a simple Kokedama, one plant on one moss ball. I think it brings out maximum of strength and graciousness that each plant has.

Kokedama - Chinese Elm

Kokedama-Asplenium Hemionitis

Kokedama-Dracaena? Cordyline?

Best Season for Moss

Cold and damp, the best season in Britain has come! Liar!

But for the moss, it is true, isn't it? The moss on my Kokedama is now glossy green producing many capsules. Expression of vivid life in a humble plant, I think that is keen beauty.

Local Horticulture Show

I have not written for a long time! I have been very unwell until recently. If there are people who were looking forward to visiting my blog for a new post, I am very sorry.

By the way, a local Horticulture Society held a show last weekend. The photo above is a part of their exhibition, Dahlia.

Dahlia...my absolute favorite flowers, why are they so perfect? Each petal is perfecly arranged to open up as an intact sphere. Breathtaking.

Look at this photo. My Kokedama section!

This was my first time to show my Kokedama in public. I was not well at all, so I was not sure if I could make enough quantity to exhibit, but finally I managed to display without a huge gap:)

As soon as I placed Kokedama on the table, quite a few people from the society came and asked me and my husband about Kokedama. After the show opened, Kokedama caught many people's attention. We were very busy with answering their questions. I nearly bit my tongue sometimes.

"New."

"Clean."

"Novelty."

"Unique."

They are the coments from visiters which I got most often. I thought it was interesting. I think a lot of Japanese find peacefulness or coolness or tranquillity...something like those in Kokedama. I presume the moss makes us Japanese feel so. Maybe it has something to do with the Zen mind which is deeply rooted in Japanese people whether or not we practice it daily.

Anyway, that was a very nice and different weekend for me and my husband. Very nice and productive weekend:)

Kokedama-Strawberry "Elan"

Getting ripe!