[ccfic caption-text format="plaintext"]
By Laura Drinan
Hometown Weekly Reporter
The Wellesley Garden Study group and the Wellesley Garden Club collaborated with one another to host a special guest speaker at the town library on November 15. To teach the gardeners about ikebana and demonstrate her techniques was Wellesley resident Tomoko Tanaka.
Ikebana, a form of flower arrangement hailing from Japan, has a very simple meaning if one knows how to break down the word. Tomoko explained that the first half of the word, “ike,” means to make alive, and “bana,” or “hana,” means flowers. The method of flower arranging transforms the flora into 3D pieces of art.
Tomoko Tanaka’s ikebana demonstration brought seven beautiful arrangements to life and inspired Wellesley’s gardeners.
“It brings the charm and beauty of nature,” said Tomoko. “It’s one of the most important arts in Japanese culture, and its history goes back many centuries in Japan.”
Ikebana originated from Buddhist customs in the sixth century, when Buddhism was first being introduced to Japan. Flowers were arranged in containers to give the appearance that they were standing, and the arrangements were placed in temples. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that it was established as a form of art.
Tomoko, who has been practicing ikebana since she was 14 years old, created seven modern arrangements for the Wellesley gardeners to see. Earlier in the week, she collected some materials from the gardeners’ backyards and combined them with more tropical flowers to create the stunning arrangements.
“The basics of ikebana can readily be learned, with which you can decorate your home with natural beauty,” said Tomoko.
Although the arrangements seem like they may take hours to construct, Tomoko impressed the audience by creating each one in under ten minutes. As she trimmed stems and carefully placed the flowers and branches in the containers, she told the gardeners what kind of materials she was using and how she was arranging them, appealing to both groups. While many in the Wellesley Garden Club are interested in flower arranging, a lot of the Wellesley Garden Study Group members are interested in horticulture. Undoubtedly, all of the gardeners were interested in broadening their knowledge of ikebana.
“When I arrange flowers, I always think about lines, mass, and color,” said Tomoko as she completed an arrangement in a green, circular vase with white flowers and orange painted spikes sticking out of it.
To inspire the gardeners, the clubs raffled off the flowers Tomoko used, so that they could make their own arrangements at home. As a teacher at the Sogetsu School of Ikebana in Boston and a visitor to many garden groups to present demonstrations, Tomoko continues to educate many about Japanese art and culture and inspire all of those who see the magic of ikebana.
After the ikebana demonstration, members of the garden clubs got up-close views and photos to reference for future flower arrangements.
