About the Beauty and the Terror

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The Beauty and the Terror project is about making ikebana using invasive plant species on the Mornington Peninsula and providing information about how we can enjoy them in our gardens, and in our homes - and keep our precious natural bush land safe! 

Through this project and my ikebana arrangements using these invasive plants, I hope to show you which plants cause problems, highlight their beauty, inform you about the problems they cause, and provide information about how you can keep them confined to your garden.

I am an ikebana artist and teacher located in Mount Martha. Ikebana is Japanese flower arrangement.  Along with native foliage and flowers, I also use  invasive weeds in my arrangements. 

Some, like freesias are kept tightly reined in my garden, but I also forage along the roadsides for arum, agapanthus, blue periwinkle and more.

Removing established invasive plants is not always the best solution as this can create other problems. However, if I remove the flowers before they set seed, or the cut off the seed pods before they spread, I can help reduce the spread and keep our bush safer. Its okay to cut the weed flowers and foliage, but shrubs trees and removal of weed plants needs to be left for to the experts. 

Keeping non-native plants, roots, seeds and bulbs confined to your garden is one way you can assist.