Norwegian summer 2022
Norwegian summers are unpredictable. Most sommers are rainy and overcast, but then, from time to time there is that wonderful, sunny summer that makes one love Norway even more. The sun enhances all the green shades in the nature and living indeed becomes easy. The fact that there are white nights makes the summer seem very long. However, the cold norther winds are always around the corner and summers are in reality very short. That is why they should be enjoyed to the fullest. One of my favorite activities, making ikebana, contributes to the enjoyment.
Summer ikebanas are usually made in glass vases or baskets, using available wild flowers and plant materials. And there is an abundance of plants, known and unknown at my home, in the Norwegian forest. Many of the plants that I use in arrangements, like for example St. John’s Wort Herb, have healing properties as well. That makes me enjoy my ikebanas even more.
The following photos are taken the summer of 2022.
The forest is full of dry branches with lichen on them. The shapes they make are so inspiring. Making these branches “alive” gives me so much pleasure. Heather gives us the feeing of both dryness and freshness – its beautiful color makes people refer to it as the Nordic lavender.
Peonies grow willingly in the Norwegian gardens. Nowadays one can see a variety of colors and types. They are so magnificent and present in arrangements that I usually use only one or very few.
One of the first forest flowers that come out are lily of the valley. They are so gracious and emit such a wonderful scent that I almost always arrange them alone. Another plant that I use a lot in arrangements, in Norwegian called big lily of the valley (storkonvall), is King Solomon’s seal (polygonatum). Here I combine it with three peonies as these plants grow to be very large.
The blueberry plants suffered a lot during last winter. Most of them dried out, but luckily new plants replaced them. The dried branches turn red – and the result is seen in these two ikebanas. The water ikebana, a combination with a primula gives us a feeling of lightness, while the ikebana in a large vase with hosta leaves gives us a feeling of sturdiness.
Summer is a time of playful combinations. I was looking for “eyes” while working with fire woods. I found them all over the place and made some of my own.
Lightness is often connected to summer arrangements. One can achieve lightness both by using appropriate vases and by using materials that can be arranged so that they float.
Spotted bellflower is one of my favourite flowers, however it is not so easy to arrange as they hang down. They also last for a very short time after they are arranged.
Abundance is another keyword for summer. Summer provides abundance of materials, colors, volumes, scents and sounds. I have combined mass and line as a major theme in these arrangements.
For me, the Norwegian summer is blue.
