Ikebana: Floral arrangement reloaded
Visualize the phrase: “Floral arrangement” and you can almost smell it. A glorious bouquet of fresh roses arranged festively or solemnly, depending on the occasion. These floral arrangements are undeniably beautiful, emotive and symbolic, and are a part of our culture. Our Judeo Christian never preclude the study of Lao Tzu, Confucius and the Zen, and Ikebana is indeed the Zen in the art of flower arrangements.
The materials used for Ikebana are earthy– freshly cut branches, vines, leaves, grasses, berries, fruit, seeds and flowers also the wilted and dried plants. Putting it all together is decidedly spiritual. An expression of spiritual resonance. In Ikebana floral arrangement, the material, the style of the arrangement; the size, shape, texture, volume and color of the container even the place and occasion for its display are all vitally important factors.
Ikebana originated from a simple ritual flower offering made in Buddhist temples in Japan during the sixth century. In that initial arrangement the flowers and the branches both were made to point toward heaven to show reverence. With the passage of time this art evolved into a sophisticated style of arranging flowers called “Rikka” (standing flowers) in 15th century. Rikka was created by the Buddhist monks of the Ikenobo School. The Rikka depicts the magnificence of nature plus its display. The material used in it, were pine branches represent rocks and stones, and white chrysanthemums signifying a river or small stream. This style became quite famous in seventeenth century but worn as a decoration for ceremonies and festivities. Alas it is now considered old-fashioned and is rarely practiced.
Japan too was affected by the Western Civilization after the beginning of Meiji era (1868- 1912) . The new style in Ikebana called Moribana, literally “piled-up flowers” brought a total revolution in this art. The traditional way was to gather different materials and place them in a container to emerge from a single point. Ohara the revolutionist made use of diverse types of supports to arrange the cut plants on an extended surface in wide but shallow containers called suiban meaning “water basin”. This technique introduced the usage of new imported materials which were never accommodated before in traditional styles. This allowed the conception of landscape style called “shakei” in flower arrangement. This gave way to show scenes from nature in a very naturalist rather more symbolic manner.
Another prominent innovator was Adachi Choka (1887-1969), who implemented moribana but described his work simply as decoration. The innovation in the art of flower arrangement continued. After the Meiji cult Ikebana further improved as zen’ei ikebana or zen’eibana. This new form of Ikebana was even more expressive than the old style. Women were conventionally schooled in Ikebana, tea ceremony and calligraphy in training for marriage. Flower arrangement today is established as one of the traditional arts in Japan. People practice it on many occasions as ceremonies and festivities, modern people are still opting to study the art. At this time there are 3000 schools ikebana schools in Japan and almost thousand more worldwide. The most famous Ikebana schools are Ikebono, Ohara and Sogetsu. Most of the Ikebana school sprouts from Ikebono School even today Ikebono School alone has 60,000 teachers around the world. 15 million people in Japan practice Ikebana, typically young women.

We can divide Ikebana approximately into two styles. Moribana which has a shallow vase style and second is Nageire having a tall vase style. Sogetsu School adapts array of kakei (patterns) for either style consequently even an apprentice can swiftly generate their own arrangements. All the Ikebana schools mainly emphasis on the basic rule of proportion between material and container or the other way round. It requires the existence of three main lines: Sky, man and earth. And these lines are affixed in the container in certain preset sizes and angle of inclination. The rules of Ikebana teach sensitivity for balance and proportion and also the well-balance coexistence of weak and strong material. It brings you closer to nature. Ikebana, for the one who knows the spirit of this art is more than just a way of flower arrangement it’s a complete different perspective of showing life and reverence.
Sogetsu School that is just dedicated for Ikebana was formed by the founder Tofu Teshigahara in 1927. He adopted modernity of art and fused it with historical traditions of Ikebana. After his death in 1979, the school was monitored by his daughter Kasumi Teshigahara. Unfortunately due to her untimely death in 1980 school was followed by her brother in 1980 Hiroshi Teshigahara. Hiroshi Teshigahara being already the famous movie director and ceramicist introduced advanced impulses into the teaching of school. It’s the result of his devotion for the art of Ikebana that today ikebana has gained more and more acknowledgement even in the western world. After his death in 2001 his daughter is supervising the school. Ikebana has always considered as an asset in Japan and learned with respect and devotion.

Flowers seem to be one of the most universal gifts. This is not only because they really tell somebody that you care about them, they tend to really brighten up the room wherever they are. Flowers are a traditional gift to give on a number of different occasions and at certain times of the year, a flower shop has become very busy as many orders come in all at one time. The simple fact of the matter is, although flowers are a great gift, you don’t need to wait until a special occasion to enjoy some.

If you are a florist and tend to get a lot of business from your local area, you probably recognize that you will have some very regular customers. As a matter of fact, some people like to send flowers on almost any occasion and they may come back to you again and again and learn to trust you with all of their flower orders. You need to make sure that they are taking care of properly handle the consistent basis because these customers are gold to you. It doesn’t matter if they are choosing from prearranged bouquets or if they are just having you put something together, make sure that they are always happy with what you have to offer.

You may also want to expand your business to a certain extent to go beyond cut

flowers. Although cut flowers are always going to be a favorite with many people,

especially when they are sending them for a specific purpose, having potted plants and flowers is also an excellent idea in many cases. One of the best things that you can do is to have a variety of small plants and flowers in pots instead of just cut the arrangements. Make sure that the pots are unique so that they will have an appeal to those that wish to buy them. You would be surprised with how popular these can become, especially want to regular customers realize that you have available.

Another thing that you can offer all alone with the flowers that are usually purchased it is a nice selection of unique vases. This can add all whole new dimension to your flower business and really give people a reason to choose you over your competition.

By offering unique vases and then adding flowers in order to complement the vases, you would be surprised with how happy you will make people. This is especially the case when people comment that are just looking for something nice to send to someone and you offer them some options that are not available anyplace else.

Owning a flower business and competing in a local market against Internet sales can be difficult, especially when the competition is to. Make sure that you’re always doing a good job for your customers and providing them with something that they cannot find elsewhere. You would be surprised with how quickly the news will spread.

Flowers have long been used to symbolize life’s important events and emotions. Roses are symbols of love, lilies, the flowers of death and renewal, and carnations a sign of appreciation. We use flowers as wedding decorations, Valentine’s Day presents and Christmas ornaments. No matter what the occasion is, a beautiful flower arrangement is a wonderful way to celebrate life through vibrant colors and rich floral scents.

Florists provide customers with a variety of arrangements made specifically for certain occasions and events. However, if you are on a budget, flower arrangements can be fairly pricey. Professional florists charge exorbitant amounts for their expertise, and the flowers themselves can be extremely expensive. Making your own arrangements can be a fun and creative alternative to ordering pieces from a florist. By purchasing flowers individually, you can choose the exact colors and scents you need to say exactly what you want to communicate.

When making your own flower arrangement, you should first consider its purpose. If you are making arrangements for a wedding, white is typically the presiding color. You should start with basic white flowers and add a few accents that match the bridesmaids’ dresses. Large leafy green pieces add a nice contrast to delicate buds for table centerpieces, and sometimes simplicity is the best aesthetic tactic. If you are making centerpieces for several tables, you can purchase your flowers in bulk and use one design over and over again, or you can make each piece an individual work of art.

For vase arrangements, choose your container first, and pick flowers that are the correct height for the vase. When you cut your flowers, be sure to cut the stems at an angle so they can absorb water correctly and stay fresh for a long time. Vase arrangements require a focal point, and this can be one large flower or a grouping of several. It is important to choose a color scheme and to stick with it. For instance, you would not want to mix red and pink roses, or to combine yellow daisies with died green carnations. Make sure you choose flowers that look and smell good in combination with each other, and fill in the gaps with baby’s breath and leafy greenery.

When you are making larger potted flower arrangements, an aesthetically pleasing plant is a great base for your design. However, you might not want to combine a spiky cactus with soft blooming roses. If you are using only flowers, you will need a piece of arranging foam to provide a structure for the piece. Green foam can be purchased at most craft stores, and it can be cut to fit any shape you need. Before you start sticking in your stems, you might sketch out an idea of the final product. If the arrangement is to be large, pick a few large flowers to act as focal points rather than picking a multitude of tiny blooms. Too many small flowers distract the eye and make the arrangement seem busy rather than soothing.

Once you have chosen all of your flowers and greenery, begin arranging them in the container. It will take several tries and lot of adjusting before your create a finished product, but be confident and do what looks best. Arranging flowers is an intuitive art, and if you have chosen a good color scheme and a variety of shapes and sizes, the correct eye-pleasing concoction will often fall into place with little effort. When you are finished, you will have a beautiful, natural decoration to perk up even the gloomiest of environments, and you will have the satisfaction of having created a wonderful work of art.