Sometimes when I visit the house of friends, I notice the elegantly arranged flowers, sitting inside their respective vases, lying on top of the shelves found inside their living rooms. At first glance, they seem to be fake flowers, for they look so elegantly designed. Upon closer inspection, however, you will realize that they are actually real flowers that have been arranged expertly in order to come out with excellent-looking designs.
This is ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is not just merely putting flowers inside a pot or any container. It involves the disciplined art of putting plant elements together and coming out with designs that go together in harmony. Most of the time, the emphasis is not only put on the flowers themselves, but also on the other parts of the plants, such as the stems and the leaves. Come to think of it. The flowers are not the only attractive parts of the flower.
Ikebana is different from flower arrangement such that the former has somewhat strict rules in ensuring that balance is preserved well. There also seems to be a general favoritism towards employing minimalism, or making sure that there are only a few blooms that will be distributed in the plant. It is also noticeable that the main structure of the flowers of the plants follow a scalene triangle with three main points, which are usually represented by twigs in the plant.
As a minimalist myself, I actually prefer this kind of decorating. I am not a believer of extravagant decorations, as long as there is harmony in a certain piece of artwork, whatever kind of medium it uses.
In any case, the very basic instructions that you have to follow in case you are interested in flower arrangement or ikebana are pretty much the same. They use the same techniques (such as damp flower foam) You can check out this article to find out some of the very basic tips that you have to employ.
