Flower Power

Just as musicians express themselves through the language of music, Ikebana artists must use the language of flowers....One takes a piece of nature and adds something that was not there. This is what creation in Ikebana means. In Ikebana, the flowers are imbued with a human meaning. They are no longer the flowers of the meadow or the flower shop...the result is an expression of the Ikebana artist. - Baiko

Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arrangement, creates a design where nature and the arranger collaborate. 

The word comes from ikeru (keep alive) and hana (flower): arranging and giving life to flowers. Ikebana began in the sixth century as flower offerings to Buddha. Monks meditated on blossoms as signs of the impermanence of life.   

Alan Delaye said, "When we make a bouquet, we find ourselves before our plants and our vase like a child before the elements of a construction game or paper cuttings, and I have often thought that Ikebana takes us back, in a way, to infant school. What is the spirit of childhood?  This "spirit of beginners" of which Shunryu Suzuki speaks : a state in which our sensitivity and our intelligence find once more their freshness and their original unity, while harboring the fullest maturity."

Color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines create the meaning in the arrangement. Relaxation and attention to nature and the art of beauty result. During the practice of Ikebana appreciation of the art form requires silence. It becomes a meditative process for the mind, body and soul.



For me, in the silence, a sense of serenity arises when going into the garden in search of blossoms and leaves. Yellow and green chrysanthemums discovered from the market also help me decorate my home and mind.

Joy arises by selecting each bloom and placing it with care. Breathing and calm coalesce and prepare me for my day's work and adventures.

In a variety of simple arrangements, flowers provide Power, reflect our human relationships, and a search for harmony.