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April showers brought enough rain (and then some) for beautiful flowers in May ... and June. But for serious gardeners such as Katherine Draper of Wilson Point, it was a little too much rain. So much rain that she had to keep many of her plants inside much longer than usual. Although her garden didnt look any worse for the wear, it has been a tough few weeks. With too much sun, (neighbors cut down lovely shade trees), too much water and too many critters such as moles, deer and squash borers vine bugs, this year has been an arduous undertaking.
Katherine, a former school teacher, is an accomplished painter as well as a teacher of the Japanese floral art of Ikebana. Its an art form that she has mastered after eight years of formal study. She has achieved the rank of Teaching-Teacher in the tradition of the Sogetsu Ikebana.
It would be a huge commitment of time and money to go further, but it has been very worth while. Ive met so many wonderful people. There are about 14 of us in Connecticut, and we get together about eight times a year. Conventions are held around the country every five years or so, Katherine says.
Every week I make an arrangement, a free form of natural materials. Never silk. I grow all my own materials. In the winter, I like the challenge of seeing what I can combine from pines and evergreens.
In addition to making arrangements for her home, Katherine has also made arrangements for her church, the United Church of Rowayton, and for special events at the Rowayton Arts Center.
My favorite flowers are sweet peas. I have memories of the smell of getting handfuls of sweet peas from my grandmothers garden in Maine. And my roses, some of them, are 30 years old. Sometimes, I cant bear to cut them. But with every arrangement, I try to enhance the beauty of nature. Thats what art really is enhancing nature," she says.
With a flower, I find its face. The face of a flower is where it looks up to the sun. Finding the face of the flower makes it look right in the arrangement. Ikebana takes training, skill, experience and what much of Asia holds in highest regard, patience.
Flowers are attached to sentiment and to ceremonies. Memories usually include the sight and the scent of flowers weve picked, plucked, pinched, pressed, painted, presented and preserved. For Stephanie Gaumer of Sunrise Hill Road, flower arranging brings back memories of her mother, Helen Donath. Stephanie wishes now when she makes an arrangement that she had paid closer attention. Her mother created prize-winning flower displays for the Philadelphia International Art Show. I can hear her saying, Balance, line and form, says Stephanie.
My mother always sketched her displays first, and I remember her talking about balance and symmetry and, of course, making sure the flowers didnt wilt before a competition! Seems to me, they did once and my father had to race around and buy new flowers. What I loved was the elegance of simplicity with her arrangements, particularly with long-stemmed varieties like calla lilies. Growing up near Longwood Gardens, where we frequently visited, was very inspirational. Stephanie brought a little bit of Longwood Gardens back with her to Norwalk. Adding color and whimsy with potted plants and flowers to the condo she shares with husband, attorney Jeff Klein, daughters Molly and Bing, Stephanie turned ordinary into a lush oasis. In the front entrance, she added playful sculptures, chimes and a lucky rock.
See this white line that goes all around the rock? My mother always said if you ever find a rock with a line all the way around it, its good luck. When visitors leave, Stephanie says, Wait, let me send you off the Japanese way, with the ring of the chimes.
To have your social event, announcement or honor included in Norwalk Neighbors Notes, email Jeanne at jeannehard@aol.com.
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