6 NATURAL COILED MATERIALS Natural materials like twisted vines or branches can also be used for the same effect as wire. Bind a vine to create a sphere and insert the flowers into the small spaces between the branches. A support made of natural materials can be a part of the arrangement, and thus need not be hidden. Since the device is placed in the water, choose strong and non-perishable materials such as ivy, jasmine, clematis, honeysuckle and grapevine.
7 WIRE COIL Coiled wire can act as a stabilizing device inside a container. Loosely wind or twist into a sphere and place inside a container to hold plant materials. Choose wire that is strong enough to hold the materials but flexible enough to form into a ball with adequate spaces to insert flowers. This is an easy method and wire is available in most hardware stores. Apply this technique for a container with some depth so the wire can be hidden inside the container. Use non-rusting wire in colors that are close to the flower materials or the containers.
Dried branch as a stabilizer
Inner container for water
Hydrangea flower as a stabilizer
8 USING FLOWERS/LEAVES Even without specific tools, you can stabilize an arrangement using the materials themselves. For example, a stem’s own tension can support itself. Some materials placed first in a container can act as the stabilizer for other flower materials added later. Vines or branches that constitute the basic structure of the arrangement can also function as a stabilizer.
9 INNER CONTAINER FOR WATER (OTOSHI) For a wide-mouthed container, a common stabilizing technique is to put another separate container, usually a small bottle or cup, inside called otoshi. This inner container is used when the main container is a basket, a vase with a hole or a clay pot that cannot hold water. This method is also useful when a container is too big to completely fill with water or when there is a problem with the container leaking.
Floral water tube
10 FLORAL WATER TUBE A capped water tube is one of the implements often used to keep flowers fresh. The water tubes can provide water to fresh flowers when other means for providing water to the cut material are not practical. Using this convenient water holder, you can create a dramatic arrangement by showing a flower from an unexpected place.
Use only one flower per tube, and check it frequently to make sure that it contains enough water for the duration of the display.
11 ALTERNATIVE MATERIALS In addition to the stabilizing techniques mentioned above, certain organic materials can be used to support flowers in arrangements.
One of the biggest challenges in arranging is how to stabilize floral materials in a container with a wide opening. Standard flower stabilizing techniques, such as the kenzan pin holder, are in most cases too mechanical and are not meant to be seen. In order to complete the arrangement, artificial support devices need to be hidden.
Here are some examples of natural stabilizing materials/techniques that need not be hidden in an arrangement and can actually enhance it.
Alternative materials
• STONES Use a stone to hold stems upright. The stone must have enough weight to support the flowers. Be careful with the shape of the stone, as sharp edges may damage the container. A stone should harmonize with the container, so stock several kinds in different colors and sizes to enable you to have a good selection from which to choose. Stones can also be used to weigh down a container.
Even a hole or a crack in a stone can hold a stem. Using pieces or chunks of smoothed glass in a glass container is a similar approach.
• DRIFTWOOD OR DRIED BRANCHES These items are often used for ikebana. Set a piece of driftwood or other branch on or across a container and set flower stems against it. The wood can act as a part of the arrangement and add some movement and flow or dramatic accent. People who arrange ikebana favor branches with interesting curves and unusual shapes. Driftwood, obtained naturally from the ocean or beaches, contains sea salt. Soak it in water overnight and then dry it thoroughly in sunlight to prevent salt residue from damaging the flowers.
BENDING AND SHAPING TECHNIQUES
In ikebana, the technique known as tame is used to make an artificial curved line by physically bending the branches and stems into desired shapes. In order to make the most of the natural beauty of plant materials, this technique is recommended only for minor adjustments, especially in cases where the shape of the flower is slightly odd, or to allow materials to fit better into a container.
Most branches can be bent using both hands. Wrap your hands around a branch and hold it horizontally. Strongly support the bottom and top sides of the branch with the palm and fingers of one hand, while gently bending the branch with your other hand.
Some long leaves can be curved quite easily because the top surface stretches. Place the leaf between your thumb and other fingers and stretch the leaf. Apply pressure on the top and bottom at the same time.
The leaves of aspidistra, iris ochroleuca, calla lily, tulip and Dutch iris, as well as the branches of acacia and willow, are among the materials that are easiest to bend. When working with iris and many other leaves that have a center rib vein, place your fingers underneath the place where you wish to form a bend or curve. Tulips and Dutch irises are plants that have very soft inner stems and hold a great deal of liquid. Such stems can be both bent and straightened.
TECHNIQUES FOR BENDING AND SHAPING INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:
BENDING A BRANCH (TAME) You can bend soft stems by lightly crushing them with your fingers. For hard stems, use the handles of the scissors to pound them.
BREAKING A BRANCH (ORI-DAME) This technique is used for harder branches. Bend the branch by slightly breaking it. Use scissors first to make a shallow cut in a branch about one-third of the diameter at the spot to be bent. Then, with your hands, bend the branch gradually on the opposite side from the incision.
TWISTING A LEAF (NEJIRI-DAME) Leaves that turn back or look unnatural can be gently twisted into the desired direction.
STROKING (SHIGOKI-DAME) This is a technique of bending and shaping by rubbing the leaves and stems to correct the curve direction. Place both hands on the area to be bent, and gently adjust the shape. If necessary, make the same action repeatedly to achieve the desired shape. Be careful not to damage the surface of the leaves. When this technique is applied to narcissus leaves and calla lily stems, gently pull or stretch them at the same time to achieve a graceful shape.
TRIMMING TECHNIQUES
In ikebana, the aesthetic appeal of a plant can be maximized by selective cutting. The way floral material is cut for an arrangement also provides an insight into the person who makes the selection and arranges it.
If many branches are used together in an arrangement, the character of the individual branches is diminished while the overall impression of the materials is accentuated. On the other hand, if only a single material is used, either a branch or a flower, the material speaks for itself with its shape or color. It is fun and interesting to discover your own preference for shapes among the many floral materials available and to make the most of their qualities in an arrangement.
The trimming technique described below is designed to help you identify and make the most beautiful part of a branch stand out.