Adventures in Ikebana

Ikebana is the way of traditional Japanese flower arrangement. Recently a friend of mine, a retired English teacher, invited me to her home to participate in her Ikebana club. I admit, while I was a little curious, I was mostly hesitant; I was convinced that an ancient art of arranging flowers was going to be the most boring thing in the world. I ended up going anyways though, to both appease my friend and at least say I gave it a try.

I'm so glad I went. While I admit that there were some really, really serious members of that Ikebana club (I literally watched one older lady think and debate 20 minutes over where to place a single flower), I ended up having a blast. Granted, I think I finished before everyone else (ah, the impetuousness of youth), but I think I made something pretty nice-looking for my first attempt. The picture above is when I first made the arrangement, and the one below is about a week later, when it started blooming. I enjoyed it so much, in fact, I've since bought my own Ikebana vase and tools (the ones in the pictures are loaners) to use and play with at home. I'm definitely intending to continue this new-found hobby, and while my next attempt might not be that great without the advice of little old Japanese ladies, if it's any good at all I'll be sure to share it with all of you.