Sogetsu Ikebana 2017 - 2018 Spring-Summer Arrangements

Spring time has provided me with an excellent season of Smoke Bush, so I have had a lot of fun playing with it. Consequently, now there are many young Smoke Bushes sprouting everywhere!
My Magnolia Grandiflora sits right outside my window and it was inviting me to do something with it. However, it has such a short lifespan; it flowers one day and is gone the next.
Also my Amaranthus keeps coming back stronger every year. I never planted it myself; it just appeared in my garden one year!
Last week, I thought we were going into autumn with some cooler days. But the summer spell hasn’t ended yet, with many hot days still forecast. Rain is really short-coming this summer. For the farmer’s sake, I hope we don’t have to wait too long.