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MEMBERS of Brougton Floral Club welcomed Dianne Norman, a national demonstrator specialising in Ikebana.

While flower arrangement for many people in the West consists of symmetrically arranging flowering plants in a vase, Japanese Ikebana (literally flowers kept alive') is a lot more complex.

There are many schools, of which the most popular are Ikenobo, Sogetsu and Ohara. There are also different styles depending on the school and the plants and vase used.

Dianne is a master at this very complex art and her simplicity is always amazing. Her theme for the evening was Anniversaries and Festivals.

First of all members looked at a mixture of plant materials. Dianne took her audience on a trip through a Japanese year.

She started with the Three friends Of Winter, an arrangement to wish someone well/good luck, using pine, bamboo and prunus.

Dianne had to change prunus for vibernum because of the season.

Using a fan-shaped container she began her Rikka style arrangement, taking her audience through winter/ spring to summer.

Dianne used no oasis as all the plant material was placed onto pins. She used vibernum very low and for ground cover. Pretty pink camellias were used and the group was advised never to take the top two leaves off a camellia.

Dianne explained Ikebana was about displaying plants and flowers as they would normally grow.

Bamboo was used and winter ran into spring with yellow arum lillies. The audience was asked to try to imagine the arrangement as a painting.

Spikey leaves of pine was used at the front with blue iris behind, so that it would not be dominant. This was a very pretty display.

Dianne informed us that the third day of the third month in Japan is Girls/Dolls Day and for her display she would use pinks, yellows and white cherry blossom with yellow rape. A large piece of stone was added to the container for texture.

Two shallow bronze containers were used for this arrangement and Dianne added water into them for reflections.

Sprouting pink hydrangea were placed along with tall iris representing tall young men with their leaves are like swords. Next came the shorter yellow iris. The arrangement was gentle and calming.

The ninth day of the ninth month is a special time of the chrysanthemum in Japan. Green chrysanthemums are everywhere. Dianne used shallow dark blue containers with wood (ivy root) inside. Contorted hazel, pine, dried fern were also used.

Pine changes the texture and lifts arrangement. Dianne adds the dried grass for a feeling of autumn. Bright yellow chrysanthemums were added to great effect to lift the arrangement.

It is traditional to leave space between the plants/ flowers to allow for a breeze to blow through. The finished display was stunning.

October is moon viewing time' in Japan. People sit under a cherry tree and pink saki and have a picnic. It is always the time of a full moon and Dianne bases her arrangement on the full moon. Dianne used yellow chrysanthemums, twigs and dried grasses, to great effect.

The Japanese don't have a man-in-the moon' but a rabbit-in-the-moon'.

Dianne's final display was to show winter into spring and to show how time flies'.

A blue and white pot was used and into this an unusually shaped piece of wood with lichen growing on it was placed (to represent winter).

A tall lily was added to the display together with camelias, pine and sprouting spring bulbs. All combined beautifully to great effect.

Dianne was thanked for a very informative evening and lovely floral displays.

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