This arrangement was inspired by one of the lessons from the Sogetsu textbook, it’s a newer lesson added when the textbooks were updated a few years ago. “Intertwining Plant Materials” is the lesson, and a bit of a challenge. It’s just not easy to get a bunch of vines to look “right”. My arrangement took several attemps, adding bittersweet and then taking it out and settling on akebia and balloon flower vine. I wanted the look to be clean and light with lots of negative space. Those balloon flower pods are the real focus, and the vines interact with each other in a very subtle way. The containers aren’t side by side but rather front and back, the one in the back is out of foucs in the photo which I think does give emphasis on the left side and the movement from back to front with the vines. Balancing the arrangement between the two containers was tricky, they tend to want to fall over unless you get the balance just right. I just kept working to get it to stay upright. The other lesson from this: keep turning your arrrangements around to get different views of them. Your design from the front may not be so great, but the view from the side or back may be a homerun. The final verison of this arrangement is the back!
What a fun arrangement! The green flower pods and a couple of green leaves made a great contrast to the brown bittersweet vines and vases.
Where do you find all your cool vases?
I look at thrift and vintage stores , the vintage stores usually have more mid-century containers . Ikea is a great source, as well as Crate and Barrel. Ebay of course is great, and Etsy has some great stuff too(on Etsy I search for ikebana or mid century pottery or glass).