“Look deep into nature and…understand everything better.” ~Albert Einstein
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, thoughts of flowers are certainly in the air. Yet, the most beautiful flower arrangements need not arrive in a Murano glass vase or tied with exorbiant amounts of satin ribbon and cellophane. Instead, some of the best vessels for holding flowers are those found in nature.
While climbing down the cliffs to the beach by our home, my husband and I found this intriguing rock, carved by decades of rainwater dripping over the cliff. In our home, it now serves as the perfect repurposed vessel for Ikebana (a Japanese floral artistry that melds together nature and humanity to create arrangements that represent heaven, earth, and people). Each hole holds the perfect amount of water, and it is a lovely, Wabi Sabi way to show off the natural, simple beauty of Maidenhair fern cuttings and a Cymbidium orchid bloom.
A miniature blooming bulb fills my home with a heavenly scent, while it seems quite at home amongst sprigs of Maidenhair fern tucked into a bowl carved out of a fallen mango tree.
Floating flowers are a classic romantic image, but they don’t always have to float in glass bowls. Inspired by Hawaii, where I met my husband, I will be filling shells with water and floating candles to place around our home on Valentine’s.
As you may recall from a former repurposing planter post, shells make the perfect vessel for holding more than just flowers!
This beautiful and quintessential Ikebana arrangement is housed in a perfect nature vessel: a repurposed bamboo cutting, as captured by tomooka.
Who says we even need a vessel to enjoy flowers indoors? This breathtaking Ikebana arrangement captures the unruly temperament of nature, untouched by mankind.
What inspires your floral arrangements? Have you arranged flowers or plants in natural, repurposed vessels?