354 



The Garden Magazine, August, 1922 



seasons of the year when the majority of Americans could not 

 obtain decorative material out-of-doors. 



A point to be emphasized, however, is that even though one 

 cannot afford or cannot obtain flowers grown in greenhouses, 

 there is still much ornamental plant life within the reach of 

 many, especially dwellers in small towns and rural sections. 



An evergreen spray, a few 

 twigs of shrubs with col- 

 ored bark, or a few clus- 

 ters of winter fruits from 

 the Barberries or other 

 winter-fruited shrubs have 

 ornamental value. 



In Japan there is a com- 

 parative scarcity of wild 



Badly placed Poppies (Pa paver 

 orientale) showing " flower step- 

 ping" (above) and "cross cut- 

 ting" (at right); also Spanish 

 Iris exemplifying the uninterest- 

 ing arrangement known as "equal 

 ranging." (For fuller discussion 

 see opposite page) 



flowering plants in the natural landscape, therefore 

 foliage is quite largely used as an element of decoration. 

 Unfortunately for the American eye there is scant ap- 

 preciation of beauty of plant material unless it be radiant 

 with colored flowers. 



According to Conder, "the peculiarity of treatment 

 noticeable in the flower arrangements is closely con- 

 nected with the Japanese manner of observing and en- 

 joying floral nature. Whereas the Western amateur 

 devotes his attention mainly to the blossoms, the Jap- 

 anese lover of flowers bestows his admiration on the whole 

 character of the plant or tree producing them. The rugged 

 nature of the Plum trunk with its straight, stiff shoots, or 

 the graceful sweep of the branches of the Cherry, are to 

 him inseparably associated with any beauty which the blos- 

 soms themselves possess. The loveliest buds and blossoms 

 torn from their stems and crushed together in a mass with 

 ferns or other greenery between them convey to the Japanese 

 mind no idea of floral art or beauty. The art under considera- 

 tion is, in fact, based upon a representation, more or less con- 

 ventional, of floral growth; and principally for this reason the 

 positions are made to assume an open character in which the 

 individual forms of branches, stems, leaves, and flowers are all 

 clearly expressed." 



When plant material of varied character is to be arranged, 

 the Japanese study the material to ascertain how to get the 

 greatest value from it. This should be an important principle 

 in American flower arrangement. Let nature again be the 

 teacher. In the study of botany the student seeks to learn the 



many varied ways in which wild flowers are arranged on the 

 plant. This arrangement always signifies some special char- 

 acter. If the flowers are small and inconspicuous, they are 

 usually massed in a compact flower-cluster, like the Clover. If 

 they are large and beautiful in outline, they are solitary or in 

 small clusters, as in the Rose. In artificial arrangement these 

 teachings of nature should be observed for the most pleasing 

 effects. Daffodils arranged in a mass are a spot of color. 

 When spaced so the value of the lines of stem and foliage are 

 apparent, their attractiveness is greatly increased. Goldenrod, 

 with its little flowers clustered on wand-like branches, may be 

 gathered in masses and inserted in a receptacle so there is no 

 indication of the character of the flower-bearing stalk. How- 

 ever, when sufficiently separated as to render the natural 

 habit of the stem and flower cluster apparent, the arrangement 

 becomes much more interesting. Within recent years we have 

 arrived at a better appreciation of the value of line in flower 

 arrangement. Much instruction has come from the Japanese 

 who have long appreciated the fact that beauty demands more 

 than masses of color or a conglomerate combination of form. 

 We are told that a Japanese girl will spend hours arranging a 

 single flower, working over the stem until it assumes a position 

 that satisfies her sense of appropriateness and beauty. In a 



recent lecture, a Japanese student of 

 art stated that she was once asked 

 how she would arrange a bowl of 

 Daffodils on the dinner table and she 

 replied: " Bring me all the vases you 

 have and I will show you." 



Harmony of Line and Space 



L h 



INE distribution is the basis of 

 composition in Japanese flower 

 arrangement. The study of the di- 

 rections taken by the different lines 

 and branches gives to the flower ar- 

 rangements a peculiar charm. There 

 is no crossing or intersection of stems 

 or branches, and if these occur the 

 offending elements are carefully elim- 

 inated. The relation of one line to 

 another, the proportion of one space 

 to other spaces, and the varying 

 lengths of stems are all factors which 

 require most careful consideration. 



Professor Arthur W. Dow of Co- 

 lumbia University, in his book "Com- 

 position" says that "spacing is the 

 very ground work of design. If a 

 composition is in any sense a work of 

 art it must have good spacing." This 

 may refer to the arrangement of lines 

 as well as of forms. Often a composition is uninteresting be- 

 cause the lines are incorrectly spaced. 



As has been stated, the Japanese spend a long time selecting 

 just the right material for a floral composition. They make a 

 mental picture of the finished design, then go to work eliminating 

 all material not desired in the completed composition— here a 

 branch, there a leaf, a bud, or a flower. Quoting again from 

 Conder: 



The surface of the water in which the flowers are placed is techni- 

 cally considered to be the soil from which the floral growth springs, 

 and the designer must here convey the impression of stability and 

 strength. However good the upper lines of the composition may be, 

 a weak springing at the base deprives it of life and vigor, for it must be 

 remembered that not flowers alone but floral growth and vitality are 

 to be expressed in the designs. The direction of the stems at starting 

 need not be strictly vertical, but if curved, the curves employed should 

 be strong ones, and all weak bends or angles should be avoided. 



In the distribution of the principal lines of the composition from the 

 point of their separation, the artist studiously avoids an equal-sided 



