Let flowers speak to you

Nature’s angles and beauty are on display at an exhibition at the Dowse Art Gallery.

The Wellington Chapter of Ikebana International opened its exhibition on September 29 and it runs through to October 2.

The group held Ikebana demonstrations to both try and start classes in the Hutt and also just to share the love of flower arranging, Ikebana teacher Helen Wareham said.

They hold a class on the first Thursday of the month at the Japanese Information and Cultural Centre in Wellington at 10am.

The classes are predominantly attended by women over 40, although Wareham said in Japan nearly all the teachers were male.

Ikebana memberships were waning all over the world because of their older demographic. The local group, the only Ikebana International group in Wellington, had more than 30 members but when it started in the 1950s there were hundreds of members.

Wareham said the classes inspired members.

‘‘You look at nature differently as you start to look at the angle of the branches.’’

New members were often told to keep their secateurs with them as they would find themselves wanting to take cuttings a lot.

All members interpreted the teachers’ demonstrations differently.

‘‘The flowers speak to us differently.’’

While Wareham said there were rules to Ikebana, such as the branch being no longer than the height and width of the dish or vase, that was just a template.

‘‘It is like ballet - you have to learn the basics before you can get creative.’’

Students were also expected to bring their own flowers and greenery to the classes.