'Ikebana' - The Special Art of Flower Arrangement
Nature has adorned the Earth with various beautiful flowers, leaves, and plants, but the flower is such a precious creation of nature that its beauty, embellished with color, form, and fragrance, cannot be bound by definitions. It is not possible to preserve its boundless spring-like charm forever, because it is a boon of nature to bloom again after a long sleep!! Perhaps that is why beauty-loving humans, having understood the secret of nature, have made every effort to preserve the beauty of flowers, the pioneers of the colorful world, by planting them in homes, courtyards, gardens, and parks. Where gardening is not possible, many wonderful experiments have been made in an attempt to bring a nature-like vibrancy to the environment through flower arrangements.
Since humans find beauty even in beauty, to keep the beauty of flowers fresh and intact for a longer time, six hundred years ago, a follower of Buddhism in Japan, Abutsu-ni, created such a flower arrangement that gave that unique arrangement the name of the art of living flowers. "Living flowers," or "Ikebana," is such a Japanese art of flower arrangement today in which flowers and leaves are arranged in such a way that it seems as if nature has shrunk into a corner of the house.
When Abutsu-ni gave birth to this art, seeing the flowers that were offered at the feet of the Lord every day and withered away every day, he thought, why not take some measures so that the flowers do not wither quickly and not only remain safe for a longer time but also appear as if they are bringing their sense of beauty to life, standing in a garden. Thus, this arrangement, which started with this sentiment, became so popular in Japan that it took on an artistic form. Today, there is no house in Japan where you will not find an "Ikebana" flower arrangement in a corner of the house. Why only in Japan? Today, this art has become so popular throughout the world that special schools have been established to teach it.
Similarly, Mrs. Indira Mishra, the president of the "Ohara School of Ikebana Study Group Gurgaon," a branch of the famous Ohara School of Japan, shedding light on the Japanese method of flower arrangement, said that its greatest feature is that you can make a charming arrangement with just one or two flowers and green branches. Unlike the European method of arranging flowers or a "bouquet," it does not require a lot of flowers. In "Ikebana," flowers are usually arranged in odd numbers and odd shapes, keeping in mind the philosophy of balancing the elements of man, heaven, and earth. Special attention is also paid to a specific proportion and balance in arranging the flowers and leaves, along with the harmony of colors. For example, the count of flowers in the arrangement is always kept in odd numbers like three, five, seven, nine, eleven. Even numbers, especially the number four, are strictly forbidden. Whatever flowers you arrange in a vase, each flower must have a group. For example, if you have arranged a total of five flowers, then three flowers should be of one kind and two of another, meaning they should be in a group. Except for two, all other numbers in this arrangement are kept odd. The outline of the arrangement should also take the form of an unequal triangle. But at the same time, it is necessary to have a balance on both sides from the point of view of the arrangement. For example, if the entire arrangement is on one side, then there should be something light on the other side as well. After this, to determine their length, the length of the vase is considered. The length of the arrangement is kept about one and a half times the circumference of the vase, not more than that.
What will be the form of your flower arrangement? This depends a lot on the shape of your vase. If the vase is long, the style of arrangement in it will be completely different from that in a small, flat vase. Yes, to add volume to the arrangement or to give it a larger size, you can also use shells, pebbles, stones, driftwood, along with other dried branches, leaves, and you can also use statues and figures. For a green arrangement, any leaf with a strong stem, i.e., one that can stand in the holder, can be used. Besides ferns, aspidistra, philodendrons, fruits and vegetables and their leaves and branches or vines can also be used for decoration.
What special things should be taken care of to make the flowers and branches last longer and while arranging them in a vase? Shedding light on this, Mrs. Indira Mishra said that by taking care of some special things and "treating" the flowers, you can make them last longer. For example, before arranging, soak the flowers and branches in a bucket or wrap them in a newspaper and keep them in a dark room or a corner of the bathroom. By doing this, not only will withered flowers become fresh, but they will also last longer.
If you are cutting flowers from your garden, cut them only in the morning or evening, not during the day, because the sun's rays scorch the flowers and leaves. Before putting them in a vase or stem holder, cut the stem from the bottom by one inch or according to the required length, and also cut all the lower leaves that are in or touching the water surface. Because the leaves not only produce a bad smell by rotting in the water but also rot the lower stem and make the flowers wither quickly. Therefore, so that the stem does not rot from the bottom, cut the stems of the flowers and leaves from the bottom by half an inch every day and rearrange them, and change the water daily in summer and once every two or three days in winter.
To arrange Monstera, rose, betel, fern, and mango or grape vines, be sure to do the necessary pruning, because this brings artistry to the arrangement. Remember to remove all the thorns of the rose and most of its lower leaves, but never make the flower completely alone. Let two to four leaves remain with the flower. Half-bloomed flowers or buds look relatively more beautiful in the arrangement than fully bloomed flowers. After selecting the flowers and leaves and arranging them in a certain shape, the art of arranging them with artistic objects will certainly depend on your imagination and artistic interests, but there is no doubt that beautifully arranged flowers and leaves will charm not only you but everyone.