Ikabena Flower Arrangement Guidelines

Deepan August 08, 2020

In Japan , great emphasis is laid upon art of flower arrangement. Flower symbolise seasons and particular occasion. Ikebena means making flower live . In such arrangement heaven, man and earth is represented by means of three main branches.

Shin, the main spray is the highest and symbolizes heaven . See, the second highest stem represent man and Hikae, the lowest spray denotes earth. The Japanese used vessels made of bamboo, bronze or pottery. Similarly, they always uses odd number of flower as as they believe off numbers are lucky for them. There is no overcrowding .

FLOWER ARRANGEMENT GUIDELINES

While preparing flower arrangements, following guidelines should be followed:-

Plant material should be cut as a slant using sharp knife or scissors. It should be cut in morning or after sunset as in that time the plant is filled with moisture.
It is best to cut flowers , before they reach maturity.
Carry cut flowers into head down position so heavy headed flower will not snap off
Wrap flower on newspaper till the neck of flower and plunge into a bucket of water for 3/4 hours or overnight to condition.
Remove all leaves from the stems of flower
Re-cut any stem that has been left out of water
Use flower with different stem of different size and select flower according to size of the base
Arrange tallest stem first and then others
Avoid mixing of fresh flowers and artificial flowers
Distinctive flowers should usually be placed alone
Low containers are suitable for all type of arrangement
Pour enough water into the vases

AFTER CARE

Never place a fresh flower arrangement where it will be exposed to direct sunshine from a window or tab to prevent of from dehydration.
Do not put flowers near a bowl of fruit as they release ethylene gas when ripening and it cause flower to wilt
Prolong the freshness by spraying lukewarm water from a mister(spray bottle) morning and night
Never used chilled water and change the water everyday to make it last longer
Listerine, ammonia , charcoal , slat, lemon , camphor added in water reduce bacterial growth thus , prolonging the life of flower
In every three days , re-cut the stems, clean the vase and replace water .
Use clean containers to prevent bacterial growth and premature fouling .
Use coloured glass container as possible . usually if the glass is darker ,it will be harder for algae to grow
Do not use aluminium containers for flowers.