Flower Friday: Mini Ikebana Flower Arrangement

Hola! Lately, I’ve been inspired to arrange my garden’s flowers which has brought me much joy. 

I want to create an olfactory experience with the scent of spring: French lavender, alyssum, daisy, jasmine, and rosemary.

I included open and closed jasmine buds in anticipation of watching this arrangement bloom throughout the week.

Flower arranging has been a welcome distraction since we are currently unpacking after major kitchen renovation. I prefer flowers from my garden which are chemical-free, pet and baby safe.

I recently read Japanese Ikebana for Every Season by Rie Imai and Yuji Ueno. This book has inspired me to use non traditional vases and include garden greenery I had been overlooking. Imai’s and Ueno’s designs are creative and ethereal.

Imai’s and Ueno’s philosophy on flower arrangement resonates with me:

“...witness the evolution of the flowers’ life whose intrinsic beauty changes with each day.”

“It is important to always observe nature and learn from what you see.”

“But handling and arranging flowers after taking their lives and then trying to give back life is a deep responsibility.”

“Arranging floral materials means to shorten the natural life of plants and regenerate them in a container of water with added meaning...”

Day 1: My arrangement is wild just like my garden.

Day 2: My flowers look more tame after I rearranged them while freshening up the water and stems.

Last week, I felt minimalistic and simply set a sprig of jasmine buds in water, which filled our home with their heavenly scent. My husband commented on the wonderful aroma and he rarely notices changes in our home.

I plan on keeping up my weekly Ikebana arrangements using greenery and flowers from my garden as it is very relaxing and pleasant. 

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Laura

Last week’s mini flower arrangement, featuring dried English lavender in porcelain creamer.