Lessons in Ikebana Arrangements

Well the Mentone Fall Festival was festive, ribbons were received at the county fair, and now it’s time to gear up for the opportunities to overeat! Last month’s article challenged folks to visit Moon Lake Campus to see how many projects were completed. The wattle fence looks good. Lots of ferns were planted and most survived, but as Michael Garofalo says, “Despite the gardener’s best intentions, Nature will improvise,” and she did. Torrential rain creates its own issues that must be addressed. The mural is still in the works, so it’s hits and misses in the planning and execution. That’s gardening in a nutshell.

Marsha Merrell’s presentation on Ikebana was a success! The history of the hows and whys of Ikebana is fascinating but much too involved for this article. The Korean influence of Buddhism and placing flowers on the altar around 538 A.D. started the practice of Ikebana. Originally, the priests were the flower arrangers and all were men. In the 1500s, rules were simplified so all people could learn the intricacies of the art of Ikebana.

Unlike typical Western floral arrangements with masses of flowers and foliage, Ikebana stresses simplicity. Less is more. And Marsha stressed an Ikebana arrangement should let the breeze come through. She explained: “We arrange plants cut and removed from nature so they are filled with new beauty when placed in a new environment. Rather than recreate the shape the plant had in nature, we create with branches, leaves, and flowers, a new form that holds our impression of a plant’s beauty as well as the mark of our own spirit. Ikebana should suggest the forces of nature with which plants live in harmony — branches bent by winter winds, a leaf eaten by an insect.”

The choice of container determines the arrangement of items. The moribana style uses a shallow container filled with water and a kenzan. The kenzan (needlepoint/pin holder/frog in our world) is integral to Ikebana. Arrangements last longer, and the kenzan can be used repeatedly (unlike Oasis, which is bad for the environment and one use only). Quoting directly from Marsha’s handout, “The name moribana suggests mounding or piling up of the materials. The line material [stems or branches] you have chosen should be placed in a triangular pattern in the kenzan (pin holder). The main or strongest line is called the Shin. Shin is 1.5 vase width + height of the vase added together. The next branch is called the Soe; it is two-thirds as long or tall as the Shin. Tai is the third branch and is one-third the length of the Shin. The line material will be arranged in an unequal triangle. The strongest line will be the Shin. The flowers in this arrangement will accent the three lines. Use large blossoms to follow the basic lines, then use smaller ones to fill in and accent. Moribana arrangements may be upright, slanting or hanging.”

Ceramics, pottery, metal containers can all be used in Ikebana. The other style demonstrated was nageire. “The word nageire means “tossed in a pot.” These arrangements are done in a tall pot or vase. Kenzans may or may not be used. Often the bending of the end of branches to anchor the stem or a grid made from flexible strong stems are used to stabilize your plant materials. Although there are suggested rules, there is a very free feel to nageire arrangements. The rules are more or less guidelines.

In an hour’s time, Marsha completed several Ikebana designs. Of course she has been practicing the art for years (even serving as President of the Ikebana in Richmond, Virginia), so she makes it look so easy.

Every 10 years, the government requires an update to their conservation plan to be eligible for grants. The site outdooralabama.com has published the draft of the 2025-2035 Alabama Wildlife Action Plan. There are 29.5 pages of plant species with the greatest needs. Alabama is ranked 4th in the U.S. in its level of biodiversity, and has more than any other state east of the Mississippi. This report is comprehensive and should be a must read by anyone concerned about conservation in Alabama, especially the Little River Canyon.

Next month, Lesa Cummings will present on Garden Photos. The RGC meets on the second Tuesday of the month (Nov. 11) at 10 a.m. in the library.