Ikebana and us

While my mother was away, these lovely lilies bloomed in her garden.  I always look forward to their annual blooming.  Once they die, there is nothing to show that they were there.  The "miracle" never ceases to amaze me, year on year. Flowers of India  gave me this information about the blood lilies. Botanical name: Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. multiflorus Family: Amaryllidaceae (Nargis family) Synonyms: Haemanthus multiflorus Blood lily is a beautiful flowering bulb from tropical Africa. The spectacular flowerhead is a huge spherical umbel consisting of up to 100 flowers, held clear of the foliage at the end of a solitary stem. Each plant will produce only one flowerhead in a season. Blood lily is a bulbous plant with leaves on short, speckled stalks. The flower stalk bears a rounded inflorescence, 8-12 cm across. The plant may live for many years and will flower annually indoors. During the growing season the plant needs bright light, if possible direct sunshine for two ho...

A theme with colour focus Any green material can contribute to the creation of an ikebana entity, writes Hema Vijay Nature’s legacy: Ikebana is a beautiful art form that has a close bearing on nature It is a beautiful art. An art form that gives you a closer connection with nature; an art form that looks great and radiates a live, feel-good aura; art that anybody can get into. Yes, of course; it is Ikebana, the wonderful Japanese art of flower arrangement that we are talking about. Ikebana literally means ‘alive plant material’ in Japanese. Not just floral decoration. Ikebana goes beyond and resonates with the spirit. Among the Ikebana schools, Sogetsu School has charmed the world the most. In 1927, Sofu Teshigahara recognised ikebana as a creative art and founded the Sogetsu School, which permits a high order of liberty in choice of material used. Beginning this week, we bring to you some wonderful flower arrangements, along with instructions on how to get it done, and a glance at the...

A sight for tired urban eyes, definitely! One day, there is just green grass, and the next day, you are greeted by a sight like this! Some more information: Common name: Yellow Rain Lily, Yellow Fairy Lily, Yellow Zephyr Lilies Botanical name: Zephyranthes citrina Family: Amaryllidaceae (amarlyllis family) Synonyms: Zephyranthes sulphurea The one-inch, lemon yellow flowers of this rain lily spring forth in late summer, at the time when many gardens benefit from a shot of fresh color. These yellow blooms face upwards and flare open, giving them a cheerful appearance. Zephyranthes are commonly called rain lilies since they often come into bloom after it rains. From the Amaryllidaceae family, they are native to the southeastern United States, Central America, and South America. Most are spring or summer flowering. A delightful effect can be produced by planting the species in the grass. The splashing yellow expanse of flowers looks fascinating. It is useful as a border plant in fr...