It was a very cold winter in Japan, this year. As the winter cold subsides, we celebrate Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival), one of the seasonal festivals in Japan. Families with girls display a set of ornamental dolls, representing the Emperor (Odairi-sama) and the Empress (Ohinasama), which makes us feel like welcoming the warm atmosphere of the approaching spring. The weather in Sydney, this summer, was extremely hot, but recently it started to become more pleasant. Usually, Sydney has a very balmy weather, not too hot in the summer, nor too cold in the winter. The sun shines every day.
People from different places have different tastes for flowers. Chrysanthemums, which are not considered very fancy in Japan, are popular here. Colored with spray or dyed by absorbing water containing dyes, chrysanthemums are also very popular here, even as gifts. Have you ever seen these colorful rainbows of flowers? They are not naturally colorful but have been artificially colored. When you decorate your home with the glamorous chrysanthemums unique to this land of bright blue skies, deep blue sea, and the strong energy of the sun, you can draw the maximum potential of their charming colors.
Firstly, you can casually pick a branch of an aloe tree, banana or strelitzia leaves from the garden and place them in a vase, taking advantage of the shape of the leaves. The unique lines of the plants create a natural atmosphere. Just one leaf would be fine but placing two leaves can add more depth to the arrangement, whereas by adding a third leaf you will further enhance the three-dimensionality of the arrangement. In Ikebana, it is considered more beautiful to arrange the elements three-dimensionally rather than flatly. You can buy just one beautiful leaf such as Pandanus or Phormium at a store. Let us place it in a container, bending or folding it lightly. If the leaf is hardy and healthy, they won’ t wither easily by being bent a little. Don’t be afraid of changing the shapes of the leaves and placing the flowers to their best advantage, using the spaces created by the leaves. Just a few flowers will allow you to enjoy that Ikebana in your own way, as if you were creating a work of art by making the best of the space created by the leaves. Allow Ikebana to enrich your daily life.
Author
Tada Reishu
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