Use scissors for cutting most of the floral material. If you wish to cut very thick branches, use any type of blade, saw or hatchet, as appropriate.
Before sawing off tree branches outdoors, think about your final arrangement in order to avoid cutting off too much and wasting materials. Try not to damage the natural ecosystem by cutting more than you need.
SCISSORS (HASAMI) This type of scissor is called warabite-basami, meaning “fiddlehead fern-handled scissors” because the handles resemble young bracken shoots. These scissors serve various cutting purposes and can cut both slim stems and thick branches. They can also be purchased from shops that carry gardening products.
SAW AND HAMMER These tools are best used when cutting thick branches and for pounding the ends.
CUTTING A FLOWER STEM Cut a stem diagonally to make a wide area for effective water intake. When cutting, insert stems fully into the blades of the scissors. Thin stems can be neatly cut using the tips of the blades. It is easier to cut a thick stem by placing it deeper down into the scissor blades. When cutting a hollow stalk such as calla lily, place the stalk between the blades and rotate the stalk as you cut. Too much direct pressure from the blades will damage the soft tissue inside the stem.
CUTTING A BRANCH Cut a branch diagonally at the appropriate angle in order for the cut edge to rest flush against the inner wall of the container. Open the scissor handles wide, put the branch well inside the blades at an angle and cut.
When the branch is too thick to cut with a single motion of the scissors, place it well inside the blades and cut as deeply as you can. Remove the scissors and repeat the same motion until completely cut through. Another way of cutting a thick branch is to rotate the scissors down as you cut the outside, then breaking it off with both hands. A saw can be also used to cut a very thick branch.
HOW TO USE SCISSORS—HOLDING AND CUTTING
When the upper handle is gripped by the thumb and forefinger, the lower handle will fall down by gravity and open up the cutting blades of the scissors. Grasp the lower handle with all your fingers and squeeze to cut the stems and branches as you like. Handle scissors with care to avoid injuries, as the edges are sharp and the handles are hard and heavy.
Residue from plants causes the blades to rust. Wipe the blades with a cloth every time you use scissors. It is advisable to wash scissors to remove sticky residue after using and to dry them well and store in a case. Proper maintenance of scissors not only keeps them in good condition for a long time but also helps to increase the life of cut flowers.
STABILIZING TECHNIQUES
These techniques are used to set and support the flowers in a container. They are fundamental to making a long-lasting arrangement with a firm structure. Although many stabilizing techniques have been developed, two of the most common are a horizontal support (ichimonji-dome) and a cross support (jumonji-dome). Short stubs of branches are used for these stabilizing techniques.
When materials are inserted in a container without the use of these techniques, the stems are held in place by a corner or an edge of the container. Arranging in this manner causes materials to face outward and leaves an empty space in the center. Stabilizing techniques enable a stem to stand apart from the edge of the container or at a desired angle. They are highly recommended to allow you to express your imagination using few flower materials.
These techniques are often called “backstage” because they are normally not visible to viewers. A support should be placed deep inside the vase below the mouth. A cover-up technique, such as a naturally arranged leaf, can be used to disguise a stabilizing device.
1 DIRECT STAY (JIKA-DOME) This is the most basic technique. Many times stems can be fixed in place without using a support by cutting them diagonally. Place a flower inside the container with the diagonally cut end resting against the inside wall surface. The branch touches only two points of the vase: the rim and the inside wall of the vase. Cut the angle of the stem to fit flat against the inside wall of the vase to prevent slipping or rolling of the floral material.
Use this method in combination with other stabilizing techniques, such as a horizontal support or cross support.
Direct stay
Horizontal support
Cross support
Forked support
Connected support
2 HORIZONTAL SUPPORT (ICHIMONJI-DOME) This is one of the most basic stabilizing techniques. Cut a twig or stem slightly longer than the diameter of the mouth of the container and push it down horizontally to press against both sides and rest suspended in the middle of the container by its own tension. Materials can be placed to rest against this stay.
Rather than use a dried twig that will loosen, a young and flexible one is easier to handle and has more strength. As long as the twig or stem is firm enough to stay suspended against the inside wall of the vase, any kind of material works. You can pick it from your garden or you can use a part of your flower arrangement materials. Do not force the twig too hard into the container as this may damage it. This method (and the following two methods) requires force and should not be applied to vases of great value or old and fragile containers.
This technique is particularly suitable for a narrow and tall vase or for an arrangement with all the flowers placed facing one direction.
Natural coiled materials
Wire coil
3 CROSS SUPPORT (JUMONJI-DOME) This technique basically uses the same method as the above-mentioned horizontal support. All you need to do is to add another horizontal stay, crosswise, above the first horizontal stay. Crossed double stays are stronger than single stays and can thus support the floral materials better.
Apply this technique if you want to place the flower materials firmly in exactly the spot you desire inside the container.
In the arrangement, you need not fill all four quarter sections created by this cross support. For instance, by placing materials into only two open sections of the cross-support, the arrangement should be stable enough and the base of the arrangement will look neat.
4 FORKED SUPPORT (MATAGI-DOME) A two-pronged stay supports materials in the same way as the horizontal stay but by using a single V-shaped or Y-shaped branch. If such a jointed branch cannot be cut, the same result can be achieved by combining two twigs or stems. With this method, when the arrangement is seen from the front, it looks as though all the materials are rising from the same point.
5 CONNECTED SUPPORT (SOEGI-DOME) This method is useful when you want to make an arrangement with short-stemmed materials in a deep vessel. Select a sturdy branch and cut it shorter than the depth of the container. Slit the top of the branch and insert the flower into the slit. Place the flower connected to the supporting branch into the container. The entire arrangement is further stabilized if the ends of the flower stems are resting flat against the inside of the container.
When arranging branches, a stronger or thicker branch should be used as the supporting extension. Slit the ends of both branches and insert one end into the other. Adjust the branch for the arrangement at the