The process of arranging stems and foliage connects us to instinctive design laws and can be calmingI am really just so lucky to have my job. Back in 2017, I was given the privilege of visiting horticulturists all over Japan, from top Chelsea designers to Zen Buddhist monks, for a BBC filming project. These were people I would never otherwise have had the chance to meet, let alone learn from, and goodness me I had so many questions. However, to my great surprise, my most important lesson wasn’t on the subjects I set out wanting to learn more about, but on one of the random recurring themes that kept coming up unprompted in our conversations: their all-consuming love of flower arranging. In particular, I learned how learning to play with different colour, texture and form combinations was thought to be crucial to helping these experts hone their skills.I say “to my surprise”, not because I was unaware of the centuries of tradition in Japan of floral art, but because it was seen not as a mere decorative hobby– which is how it is often dismissed in the West – but as an essential professional teaching tool with surprisingly broad applications. Continue reading…
Source : theguardian.com
Read more…Why flower arranging is an art we could all do with cultivating
