Japanese Flower arrangements

My mother and I have been students of Japanese flower arrangement, known as Ikebana, for many years. We're members of the Monterey Bay Chapter of the Ohara School of Ikebana. Ikebana is one of the traditional arts of Japan which has been practiced for more than 600 years. It developed from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of those who have passed away. Ikebana later achieved the status of an art form independent of it's religious origins by the mid-15th century, though it continues to retain certain symbolic and philosophical features.

I asked our Ikebana teacher, Mrs. Rimiko Ogura of Monterey, to make the arrangements you see here. She used greens and branching items gathered from our garden and flowers from our greenhouses, to make these creations.

There are many notable features of Japanese flower arrangement. One is the use of odd numbers of similar materials. Another is the importance of arranging materials in such a way to reflect the way that the material was growing in nature. Another consideration, particularly with a landscape arrangement, is to suggest the continuing growth of the plant material that is used. This is easiest way to describe with principle is with the flower selection: they will include flowers in young bud stage, intermediate stage(s), and a fully open flower. Another important feature in these arrangements are the use of empty space, in considering the arrangement as a whole.